Social Media for School Leaders When the World Wide Web made global computer-to-computer connections possible, the ability to link people together in true social networks was not far behind. The first popular “social circle” network, SixDegrees, went online in 1997. In 2002, Friendster appeared and is often referred to as the granddaddy of websites that were truly “social.” In 2004, MySpace was created and allowed users to post information about themselves including pictures and videos. Shortly thereafter, Twitter and Facebook rocketed to global popularity. The enormous popularity of social networking today leaves little doubt that while the form is sure to evolve, the desire for social connectivity is here to stay. My awareness of what it might mean to be “missing out” if you are not connected to any social media site hit home when I was asked by an exasperated educator: “Do you Twitter and why should I, as an educator, use this type of thing?” At the end of the conversation, I had a new Twitter user in my midst!
What Teens Feel About Privacy and Social Media Flickr: Christopher Frier Brown A new Pew Research study of 802 teenagers ages 12-17 and their parents reveals that teenagers are sharing more information on social networking sites than in the past, even as they carefully monitor and manage their profiles. And, while the number of social media sites and ways to share has grown, most teens aren’t concerned with third parties having access to their personal information. Some highlights: Today’s teens are sharing more personal information on social media sites: 91% share a photo of themselves with their profile (up from 79% in 2006), 92% use their real name on their most-used profile, and 20% include their cell phone number. And while older teens are more likely to share information like photos of themselves, school names and relationship status than younger teens, boys and girls “generally share personal information… at the same rates.” Pew Research Privacy Settings, Sharing and Third Parties Read the full report here .
4 Ways To Improve School Communication Using Social Media In the past three decades, the presence of technology in the school and classroom has gone from practically nonexistent to being a vital part of the learning experience. As computers and other forms of technology filtered into the classroom, the ability to improve school communication via computer also impacted the way school districts kept parents and staff members informed. The rapid growth of social media offers communication opportunities that are not found so easily by visiting a school district website. Many of these websites, though they’re well-intended, require the visitor to click through several screens to get to the information they desire. As technology progresses, people are less willing to go through this process when more efficient methods of communication exist. Facebook Classroom Page Facebook pages are used for small businesses, celebrity fan clubs, authors and many others who wish to have a place where they can connect with others. Twitter for Reminders
Sociala medier = IRL Det här blogginlägget har funnits i utkorgen i hjärnan ett tag, men jag har funderat en del kring vad jag skulle ha för rubrik... Livet innan Facebook, Livet innan Twitter, Livet innan iPhone eller kanske Livet innan sociala medier...? Hade inte riktigt kunnat bestämma mig, förrän i tisdags när jag var på #TeacMeetNkpg. #TeachMeetNkpg var Norrköpings första TeachMeet med fokus på lärande och IKT. Det är inte fler inolanerade ännu, jag skriver första för jag räknar kallt med att det kommer att bli fler tillfällen. Vi var 11 talare som hade varsin micro-föreläsning på 7 min och ca 30 st ytterigare åhörare. Ektorpsskolans tre nyckelfaktorer utan inbördes ordning är enligt mig: 1. Vi på Ektorpsskolan var innan införandet av 1-1 och är fortfarande mycket bra på lärandet, bedömning och pedagogik. 2. Både jag och Marika Andersson (@marika_vindil) var och är mycket aktiva på sociala medier och själva öppna för att TänkOm och pröva nytt. 3.
Social Media in Education: Resource Roundup Creating Social Media Guidelines A Guidebook for Social Media in the Classroom, by Vicki Davis (2014) Davis, in the first half of a pro-and-con discussion about social media in the classroom, positions it as a vital life skill and provides 12 positive examples of classroom use. For the second half of the discussion, read this post by Ben Johnson: "Too Much Technology and Not Enough Learning?" The Digital Lives of Teens: What Time Is It? Now! by Matt Levinson (2013) In this first installment of his Digital Lives of Teens series, Levinson considers the problem of translating the teenage urgency of 'always on' into the mindfulness of 'being present.' Back to Top Student Engagement With Social Media Tweeting the Read-Aloud: Engaging and Motivating Readers, by Monica Burns (2014) Engage young readers by showing them the value of composing and sending tweets to authors whose books they've enjoyed during a read-aloud. Selecting Social-Media Tools Home, School, and Community Connections
How To Use Vine In The Classroom Twitter continues to be a massive part of any connected learner’s education. For teachers, students, parents, and admins, it’s a simple way to quickly share and learn. Instagram is sort of a visual version of that – albeit not as robust. So if Twitter is great for text and Instagram is awesome for image sharing, what about Vine for video sharing? In case you haven’t heard of it or tried it out yet, Vine is a relatively new app by the folks at Twitter who hope to own the ‘video social networking’ space. The app is simple to use, free, and fun. In any case, Vine is a dead-simple app and could be a great way for students to become filmmakers on the go. Vine PROs It’s extremely simple to use. Vine CONs It’s a free app that the world uses. Using Vine In The Classroom I know most teachers have less than zero time to try out new apps and products in the classroom. Step 1: Try out Vine at home with your personal account.
How Should Social Media Be Taught in Schools? Before we ask how, I think we should address why social media should be taught in schools. Students may appear to be comfortable using social media, but don’t assume that they know how to use it appropriately in a classroom setting. Educators Baiyun Chen and Thomas Bryer from the University of Central Florida conducted research on instructional strategies for social media last year, and they pointed out that, “one of the common themes in previous research is that students use social media for personal reasons, but rarely for educational or learning purposes.” With this in mind, teaching students how to appropriately use social media becomes not just a good idea; it becomes a school’s responsibility. The Gift of Social Learning Social media can provide two things that are critical for student engagement in a literate environment: audience and purpose. Audience refers to those who will see what students create and share. Purpose is the reason students are doing the work.
Vine: The Good, the Bad and the Inappropriate I've got to confess two things: 1. I spend a lot of time on Twitter (to be fair, I'm paid to), and 2. I do like a nice, new, easy-to-use toy. So I'm pretty happy about Vine, the new (free) video-sharing app for iPhone / iPod touch which enables users to share clips up to six seconds in length within Twitter, Facebook and the app community. What's the appeal of Vine? Brevity. Any down sides? I agree with the BBC that the looping nature (the video plays over and over) could be irritating: don't set it to play and leave your desk. Dancing dinosaurs vine.co/v/b5HOiA3YB9p— Christina Bonnington (@redgirlsays) January 24, 2013 Chris Brogan had issues with the fact that it will only work with the 'back camera' - that is to say, you can't easily video yourself, but at least that defect may have some dampening effect on the surely-arriving tide of 'sexting' Vines to come. How might brands use it? It's hard to think of a retail brand which wouldn't be able to engage and delight with Vine. It's not.
How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School Produced in collaboration with Facebook. Social media is fast becoming as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. In recent months, many schools and districts around the country have taken steps to create social media policies and guidelines for their students and staff. In my work with several districts to draft these documents, I have seen many approaches that work well, and some that don't. That said, there is no silver bullet for administrators; every school, district, and state has a different set of circumstances. 2. This team should include educators who use social media in the classroom and those who do not. This team should be open and transparent in all their conversations and decision making, and be clear about their shared goal. Questions for ReflectionDoes everyone on the team share the same goal?