Here are some interesting articles that I have found this week:
1. Using Twitter in High School Classrooms – This post by Bill Ferriter is a great example of how some high school classrooms can use Twitter to not only improve their learning, but can also learn how to be active participants in their world. His quote below shows how our students can have more of a voice in the democratic process:
“If we are going to prepare our students to be effective participants in this changing political landscape, shouldn’t we be showing them how to hunt down candidates for elected office in social spaces—both to learn more about positions AND to ask a whole lot of questions?That’s exactly what Jeremy Reid is teaching his Grade 11 social studies students, who have used a classroom Twitter account to reach out to candidates in local elections. Think about that for a second, would you?Social media spaces—which are students are drawn to already—have made interacting with politicians and their ideas easier.”
Take the time to read this and think of the ways that you can implement Twitter, which many students are already on, to help them build not only a positive digital footprint, but also help them to take leadership within their community as well as the world.
2. Social Media Policy – YouTube – The Department of Justice in Victoria, Australia, made this video to help their employees understand their roles and responsibilities in using social media. This could be a great video to discuss with students and/or staff and some of the implications of what is being said.
One of the quotes, at about 2:34 in the video, really caught my attention:
“If it’s clear who you work for, be clear that your views are your own”.
The reason I was interested in what was said here was in education, is this different? I believe that as educators, we are teachers 100% of the time and expressing certain views may be perceived in a negative way. This is not to say that you are not entitled to your own opinions and beliefs, but, as stated in the video, there is a different blur between our “private and professional” lives when using social media, which is usually a public forum. We are entitled to our own views, but I don’t think by stating that it absolves educators of their responsibility, and sometimes consequences of things that expressing these views may bring. The “blur” makes it more complicated. I would love your thoughts on that portion of the video or anything else. (Check it out below)
3. Cyberbullying: The Power and Peril of Anonymity -This article gives some interesting ways that we can work with our children in social media spaces to guide them along their journey, but also give them some space to explore as well. There are a few interesting quotes in the article below:
– Hawkins seconded that, insisting that the best way to intervene in cyberbullying at school or at home is not to insist on shutting access to social networking, but to be more present in students’ digital world.
– Rosalind Moore, a parent of two teenagers, said she does her best to do that, while at the same time respecting her children’s digital space and refusing to ask for things such as their Facebook passwords, in part because she thinks it’s counter-intuitive.
“They give you the password, then they go and create another identity with a different password,” Moore said. “You think you’re monitoring this password, and then it’s not really the truth.”
Any thoughts on the articles above? As always, I am hoping that they are not only used as resources to help further our own teaching and learning practices, but also give you something to think about. Comments are always welcome.
Have a great week!
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by gcouros
