Using Social Media

Using Social Media Blogs Wikis YouTube Digital Content Learning

Intro – Today’s Students Are Connected http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T37q9Lx6sw&feature=related The Social Media Blues

Today’s Goals Today • Learn: Social Media – What? , Why? How? • Laugh: Using Examples of Social Media • Explore: Using Wolfden – Social Media on Training Wheels Learn, Laugh and Explore

What is Social Media? To Start Off With…. • A Simple Explanation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE

What Is Social Media? • Social media essentially is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. • There is a wide variety of social media, ranging from social sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr through social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook.

Why Social Media? • Social media has shot to the forefront of people's attention because it's fun. • It is easy to share your ideas, photos, videos, likes and dislikes, with the world at large - and find out what they think of them. • You can find friends, business contacts and become part of a community or a bunch of different communities. • Social media gives you what TV never could - a chance to be engaged and engage others. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLd9q88ohUs&feature=fvw

…It is growing…. • Social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled—from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010. • There is an amazing potential to use Social Media as a teaching and learning tool in our classrooms today! Background

The World Our Students Live In According to Pew Internet Research as of June 2010 http://www.pewinternet.org/Topics.aspx • In 2000: 50% of teens used the Internet • In 2007: 78% of teens used the Internet • In 2010: 93% of teens use the Internet Background

The World Our Students Live In According to Pew Internet Research as of June 2010 http://www.pewinternet.org/Topics.aspx • 70% of teens whose family income is less than 30,000 have a computer in their home • 41% of teens from these same homes use their cell phone to interact on the web • 75% of kids from 12-17 have a cell phone • The average teen sends 50 texts per day • 82% of 14-17 year olds are on some type of social network like Facebook regularly Background

The World Our Students Live In • The kids will always get their hands on the technology. Income is rarely a stumbling block for teens and technology acquisition • Many laptops/netbooks are available today for under $250 • According to recent research, mobile access to social media may soon surpass PC’s….students are in a mobile digital world • Most students bring cell phones to school, yet most schools continue to ban their use Background

Your students are most likely using one or more of the Social Media tools shown here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites Over 300 well known sites today

For Many…this is a major change

A Change in the Classroom

Before You Jump On…. • Spend time thinking about these digital tools • Research their use to see how they can be utilized • T alk with others who are using them • Become familiar with Social Media tools yourself before introducing them in the classroom learning environment • Be prepared to set goals and expectations with students • After doing the groundwork, talk with your school administrator

We Must Be Proactively Prepared Being prepared to use digital tools like Social Media requires… • Communication with Teachers & Administrators • Communication with Parents • Discussions about Online Safety and Appropriate Use

Is It Really That Big of Deal? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng&feature=related

5 Tips when introducing Social Media to students • Learn with the Internet, but don't believe all of it. Sharpen your critical thinking skills. • create critical thinkers who can weigh and evaluate knowledge and information, and reach their own conclusions. • Encourage students to stop and reflect on where they obtained their information and how valid it is. • Teach students to look for a variety of conflicting sources and their own decisions. Critical Thinking Skills

5 Tips when introducing Social Media to students • Use social media at school to enhance your learning experience. • Learning happens through people sharing knowledge and experience. • Twitter shares information. • Blogs offer many stories and experiences. • Wikis and web pages organize information. • Youtubeand Flickr document lives and events. • Google helps you find all of this. • Recognize the value of social media as both a learning tool and a form of personal expression. Enhanced Learning

5 Tips when introducing Social Media to students • Teach your students to keep social networks separate from your school/professional networks. • Current and future employers and professors are not the same as 'friends.' They don't need to know that you hate your job (or their course), or that you called in 'sick' as an excuse to go on holiday. • Use different social networking platforms for social and professional identities. For example, use LinkedIn to network with coworkers and industry professionals, but use Facebook for your friends and family. Personal Privacy

5 Tips when introducing Social Media to students • Teach students the difference between collaboration and cheating. • Cheating is cheating, no matter where it occurs and cheating online has real world consequences. Study groups are often allowed and encouraged - just follow the rules. If it seems wrong, it probably is. Respect of Ownership

5 Tips when introducing Social Media to students • Teach your students BALANCE. Teach them to avoid letting social networking take up all of their time. • It's as important to make face-to-face contact as it is to nurture your online networks – value face-to-face interaction. • Set goals, set time limits, to avoid having social media take over your life. • Teach students moderation Life Balance

When Using Social Media…. • We can create learning environments that realize and leverage the emerging media environment • We want to creating platforms for participation to allow students to realize and leverage the emerging media environment • We want our students to see these as tools that will help them: • collaborate more…. • tools that will help them create new knowledge….. • tools that will help them with inquiry based learning…. • tools that will help them create questions • We want our students to learn how to use these new media tools, rather than these tools using them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSnXE2791yg&feature=related

Social Media is having both POSTIVE and NEGATIVE impacts in our society • This means is it is critical to show our students how to use Social Media in productive ways. • The Internet is like a knife – it has both productive and destructive uses How Social Media IMPACTS our World….

Election Signs Gone Missing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1-stTR-aJg United Breaks Guitars http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/ubg/song3/ How Social Media IMPACTS our World…. CyberBullying Suicide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1LG9NymhTE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2owK4tpMUrk&feature=related

1. Everything you do on the Internet is available to employers, parents and future partners. 2. There is no anonymity on the Internet. If you post it, someone will find it. 3. Students are eager to meet other students and socialize online and offline - use your discretion before accepting new `friends' - do you know who that person really is? When meeting online friends for the first time, do it in public with your real life friends. TOP 10 – Before introducing Social Media to students…..

4. Public information is what you share with the world. Personal information is what you share with friends. Private information should not be online. Restrict access to your social media profiles, but controlling friends is the best way to control access to your personal information. 5. Include friends and family in your social network and you will never be embarrassed. 6. Most social networking sites collect information about you and use it for profit. Make sure you know the organizers of a group before you join. Double-check to see if it is a legitimate group and decide if you want to share your information with this group. TOP 10 – Before introducing Social Media to students…..

7. The Internet is timeless; a photo you post on the web will probably outlive you. 8. Never press 'send' when tired or emotional. Like a conversation, those words can't be taken back once uttered. Unlike a conversation, those words are preserved forever in writing. 9. Don't hesitate to complain and report what you believe to be abuse or fraud on social networking sites. 10. You are the Internet - you create it. Share your stories, dreams and creativity with the world. TOP 10 – Before introducing Social Media to students…..

As educators we have a professional image to uphold and how we conduct ourselves online helps determine this image. • As reported by the media, there have been instances of educators demonstrating professional misconduct while engaging in inappropriate dialogue about their schools and/or students or posting pictures and videos of themselves engaged in inappropriate activity. • Some educators feel that being online shields them from having their personal lives examined. • But increasingly, how educators’ online identities are too often public and can cause serious repercussions. Cautions for Educators – http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8002630/21218416

Do not accept students as friends on personal social networking sites. Decline any student-initiated friend requests. • Do not initiate friendships with students • Remember that people classified as “friends” have the ability to download and share your information with others. • If you wish to use networking protocols as a part of the educational process, please work with your administrators and technology staff to identify and use a restricted, school-endorsed networking platforms. Cautions for Educators –

Teach our students these same cautions • Inform our parents – school councils, newsletters, etc… Cautions for EVERYONE – EXAMPLE: Mark Zuckerberg –Founder and CE0 of Facebook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UNrqz6X-AE&feature=related Protecting Privacy in Social Media http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-gMRkFvBwI&feature=related

HOW? http://vimeo.com/9127112 Can Social Media Really Improve Student Learning?

We don’t have to teach our students to be 21st Century Learners…. ….they already ARE 21st Century Learners living in a 21st Century World • We DO have to: • - tell and show them that online actions have offline consequences • - show them ways to be safe online (digital citizenship) • - leverage and expand their skill development to open new learning opportunities • as teachers, become FACILITATORS of learning • let them teach US how to use these tools • shift the control of the learning environment MEET CAMERON – Age 11, Grade 6 Student http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2010/01/22/undestanding-the-value-of-social-media-use-for-literacy-development/ An Example of the Powerful Use of Social Media in Education

Just In Case You Missed It…. When watching this….Substitute BUSINESS with EDUCATION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB_P-_NUdLw&feature=related

Final Thoughts Questions to Ask Yourself: • How can you use social media as a teaching tool in your classroom? • Are you willing to try something new and start with learning about digital citizenship? • You can only help your students climb the mountain, if you are willing to climb it yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x96KP1wfbpY&feature=related

Exploring Wolfden • What is Wolfden? • Why Wolfden and not Facebook? • What about this “Ning” thing? • Wolfden Video Tutorial • Following Video – Log in & Explore

Using Social Media