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I must admit that prior to this lesson, I haven't thought about using Social Media for my works/lessons with students as SENO. Personally, the social media that are my frequent to-gos are Facebook (connecting with people), while Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are used a lot more for resources and ideas bank. This lesson has changed my perspective on how I can tap on the affordances of social media to reach out to my students on platforms that they frequent. And perhaps, change their algorithm when they start to follow my account.

Students have also shared with me their frivolous acts of swiping up to the next reel on Youtube or Instagram stories. And how these short clips seem to catch their attention - such as a quick tip on how to revise for exam. They have also shared how they have the tendency to just "skip" educational videos that educators have painstakingly chosen to include in their lesson delivery to introduce or reinforce concepts. This makes me wonder about the way our new generation of students are learning, and if we as learning designers are able to achieve what we aim to teach or share with our students in this modernized digital world that is rich in resources where learning can take place anywhere anytime. Perhaps, it is also an opportune time to relook at lessons or knowledge being pass from the "teacher" to the "students". This could be the time when the teacher is able to assume the role of facilitator in coaching our students on ethical use of technology and AI, how to discern credibility and reliability of information-rich resources, and cultivate self-regulated learning skills as a native digital citizen.

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I recognize that social media is a huge part of our students' lives and therefore there is a huge potential to tap on it to engage our students.

Currently I've been using mostly Youtube and Instagram to engage my students. I use a lot of pre-existing content on both platforms to make my sessions with my students more interesting. For students with short attention span, short videos that summarize key points are very effective in explaining certain concepts through visuals, hence I use them to complement my sessions on top of the other materials that I have already prepared for my students. Of course finding the right video can also be a challenge. I find it really challenging to find appropriate videos that I can use to teach social stories / social skills. In the future I hope to create my own videos that are culturally relevant to our Singapore context so that I can use it for future lessons with my students.

Currently on social media, there are a lot of social media content creators who are very outspoken about their learning difficulties / diagnosis and I find that some of their content can be relatable for students who share the same difficulties. One such content creator is Howtoadhd and my students with ADHD finds her content relatable. I've used her videos for sessions as she shares on tips on how to overcome certain difficulties that are common for people with adhd. There is also a rising number of instagram influencers with autism who champion and advocate for autism acceptance on their social media. For students with autism, this can be another source of inspiration for them as they can connect with people on social media who share the same difficulties as they do.

On another note, social media does come with other dangers as it can be difficult to limit and track what content the students are exposed to. Due to the nature of social media, which is designed to keep users engaged for long periods, students may get easily distracted by non-educational content. And as much as social media is used for connecting people, it has also been used as a tool to alienate via cyberbullying and harassment.

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Currently, I use Social Media in my work as a SENO mainly for the purpose of resource creation (e.g. YouTube for videos, Pinterest and Instagram for educational resources) and ideas on classroom activities and organisation (Certain accounts on Instagram and TikTok). Before this lesson, I had never considered using it as a tool for content delivery and student engagement.

I feel that there is much potential in using Social Media as a teaching tool, but it opens a Pandora's Box of problems as well because it is nearly impossible to monitor our student's individual exposure and behaviour on these platforms (especially TikTok and Instagram), which is worrying for Primary School.

One idea: My school has a school-moderated Instagram account - Perhaps that platform could be used to showcase students' creations (e.g. if they were to create educational videos) or special talents as a means of engagement outside of academics. However, it would still be staff-driven.

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It is quite common to integrate digital resources into our lessons, especially to support students with SEN. For example, incorporating YouTube videos into my lessons can be an effective way to motivate students and boost their participation. However, given the abundance of videos available on any given topic, I believe it is essential to carefully select and curate the content to ensure it is suitable and relevant for our local context.

I also appreciate how easy it is to share online resources with parents, allowing them to reinforce lesson content with students at home. With most homes now having reliable internet access, it has become much simpler for schools and families to collaborate and share resources, strengthening the partnership between home and school in supporting students' learning.

Social media platforms offer a valuable way for educators to connect globally with fellow educators, parents, and students. However, I make it a point not to share my personal social media accounts with students, as I believe in maintaining a clear professional boundary. That said, being aware of students' social media presence can be beneficial in understanding their activities outside of school. Still, when it comes to using social media platforms to reach out or educate students, I personally feel uncomfortable and prefer to explore other methods.

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My go-to:

1. Youtube - variety of resources

2. ⁠Tiktok & Instagram - in my opinion it foster communication and collaboration; create a short video

3. ⁠facebook - help to broadcast updates and posts

Social media have become an important part of our daily lives. Almost everyone uses at least one social media platform. Social media have made their way into learning and education. I find that the main advantage of social media is that it is popular among learners.

It help learners regardless of age connect and gain access to information. Learners have turn to social medias to stay-up-to-date with advancements and new trends in their fields of interest. As technology advances, we are assured that the advantages of social media will outweigh the cons of using it, thus increasing the online learning experience and need to use it more.

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I use Youtube frequently during my lessons with students as many of them are already widely exposed to social media and enjoy watching content on screen. I like to tap on this interest and incorporate Youtube videos as tuning-in activities. Depending on the lesson topic, I can find songs, social stories, high frequency word lessons and brainbreak activities. Youtube time is also a popular reward for some students.

I enjoy following accounts on Facebook and Instagram that shares content related to SEN. As the accounts are varied and not local, they show me different approaches and offer fresh perspectives on how I can support my students.

Since I work with primary school students who are below the minimum age for most social media accounts, I do not feel comfortable encouraging them to create content for these platforms because they may not have the maturity to handle the challenges that come with it. Instead, I can start by raising awareness about internet safety using some of the resources that can be found on the Digital Citizenship resources shared by Dr Liz.

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The social media I tap on most in my teaching is YouTube.

I use YouTube videos to teach phonics (some of the jingles are very catchy and help my students to remember the letter sounds), some basic grammar, and even as immediate reward for completing task. But each time I use it, I know I need to review its contents carefully before watching it in class (small group teaching or 1-to-1 withdrawal). Sometimes, YouTube videos is a conversation starter between my students and me.

During the circuit breaker, I used to post YouTube videos to engage my students with SEN, read along books, art and craft activities are boredom busters as. These are uploaded into SLS as extended activities for the day's lessons. These videos are quite a lifesaver. Although extended screen time is not encouraged, it engages them for a for a little longer and it helps us to stay connected as we discuss the stories that were read and share our little craft work during the next lesson.

As a SENO in a primary school, I do not encourage my students to create content on social media. They are officially below the legal age to use social media.

Something I would try to do- reconnect with Printerest. I used to love going to Printerest to look for ideas when I was new to the trade. Along the way, I got comfortable with the tools accumulated and stopped updating and renewing them. It's time to get reacquainted and start exploring again.

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1. How can you use your assigned social media for Content Delivery and facilitate learning process to support your students with SEN?

I have incorporated Instagram and YouTube in my work with my SEN (Special Educational Needs) students. These visual and interactive platforms are great for delivering accessible, engaging content that caters to different learning needs.

Instagram and YouTube are especially helpful for students with learning disabilities, auditory challenges, or reading difficulties. YouTube allows me to share videos with visual explanations, which is great for helping students with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) grasp abstract concepts. Instagram lets me share images, infographics, and short videos that simplify complex information. My school’s CCE (Character and Citizenship Education) department has created and utilized an official school Instagram account to disseminate CCE-related information to the students. It has proven to be quite popular and has boosted students’ interest in CCE content.

Both platforms are ideal for microlearning. I’ve found that breaking my teaching content into smaller chunks makes a significant difference, especially for students with short attention spans. Instagram is ideal for presenting bite-sized content, such as infographics and mind maps. YouTube helps me find short videos that allow my students to learn at their own pace. I especially like videos that are short yet effective at breaking down complex scientific or mathematical concepts into visual formats for my students.

2. What Products can you ask your students to create using this social media?

Some of the products that I have explored with my students using Youtube and Instagram are:

Getting the students to source and review good video on Youtube that they think explains concept taught in class well. Then have them do a flipped classroom session where they introduce the video to their peers and give their review.

I wish to further explore getting made some students can create infographics or mind maps on things they’ve studied and have them publish it on Instagram.

Infographics make complex topics easier by focusing on the main points. For SEN students, you can get them to use more visuals and keep the text simple, so the info is easy to understand. My end goal is to get the students to be comfortable with sharing their understanding with their peer. I will also get the teachers involved to vet and improve their work so it can be shared with the other students in school and build a learning resource hub.

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I have used both Instagram and Tiktok to create 1 minute videos on specific topics on stories and experiences I am personally facing in relation to managing of anger, how to handle challenging people, how to self regulate, and art of self control, mostly related to self management to personally share my own vulnerabilities as a person and use some of my own life lessons to inspire some of my students. On both platforms, and together with Facebook and Whatsapp, I have both parents and students whom I am connected to. In my Facebook page, I am also an advocate for SEN, and often share not just stories of how specific gems managed to learn specific skills, and some stories of resilience either of myself or my gems. I am often actively using Pinterest, youtube to mainly look for brain break exercises, self regulation activities, literacy building charts, and even positive motivational posters, and I often disseminate them out to both parents and students.

For content delivery, I use videos which I have watched before from all the platforms, positive messages, which I use in my lessons. Normally I do a lot of story telling before teaching social skills, and, I also borrow ideas from many of these creators, to create beautiful visuals or add on to my videos to customise specific lessons for my students. Things like checklists, charts, visual rules, goal setting, visual cues, ANT are commonly in my teaching repertoire.

I believe the videos I created and the diff stories hopefully brings hope to both parents and the gems. I share with parents all the resources as I am someone who firmly believe in empowering the parents. Sometimes, when there are beginning teachers who are quite new to teaching children with additional needs, I also share with them the lesson I did, especially if there are specific behaviours I need the teacher's help to track in class.

In my school, my students can use their HP in green zone during recess, lunch and after dismissal. I dont really monitor their accounts, though I have several times, out of no choice had to go through tiktok to see what specific students are up to, and that is helpful in helping to understand what really happened in some of the conflicts, and also helped in building of TSR with my gems. The teachers whom we exchanged information, it also helps us build a common bond to help our students( gems). I think I still maintain a high level of professionalism with students not going to any boundary of snooping, and vice versa. My level of usage of social media in school extends at most to my gems playing kahoot, and doing online surveys or watching videos from Canva. I do hope in future to utilise more opportunies to tap on more tools to create more relevant lessons for my students.

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Use of social media in school

Personally im an avid user of tiktok/instagram/facebook. I did consider using it to support students but i have not consider how to use it carefully especially when in secondary school, things can be taken out of context really fast.

I do however believe that social media has a great influence on our youth and it can be used educationally.

My students and i actually found a way to communicate if they are unable to express or verbalise their thoughts, they will drop me tiktoks or instagram stories that they came across and would like to show me and from there, we are able to generate some strategies to support them. I realised that this is a form of communication for them.

However, social media such as pinterest or youtube are more suitable because they do have educational resources or to help them organize a moodboard. It can be used for certain areas which i can forsee such as transition for pri-sec school, talking about change which is hard to put into words. Social media is not all that bad, but putting it into context and having it teach us is more important.

My school is still not open about using social media and any media used is carefully vetted. Hence i believe top management should be school-ed on it to fully understand it and incorporate it.

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I have yet to explore using social media for content delivery yet, primarily because we do not promote device usage among primary school students, and they do not have the PLD that secondary students do. Personally, I often use Pinterest for creative ideas to curate resources that support my students' learning. There are also users who share ready-made resources, which helps me save time on creating my own resources. Additionally, I rely on Youtube videos to teach my LP students (who are waiting to go SPED school) essential adaptive skills, such as bathing and dressing. These skills are difficult to convey through explanations or visual cues alone, but the videos help my students grasp and remember the necessary actions.

Getting students to create content on social media might be challenging for primary school students but I may consider incorporating social media into my lessons for upper primary students, as Tiktok do have some good educational videos. However, I am hesitant/not ready to encourage my students to use it at home, especially since I can't guarantee if they will be supervised by their parents. I have a student who learned about the sizes of various countries through Tiktok, a fact that I do not even know. On the other hand, I also have a student who has picked up inappropriate language from suggested reels he watched. There are pros and cons about using social media hence I feel it is important to focus on cyber education first. Resources like CEOP's Thinkuknow and Planet Nutshell shared by Dr Liz provide good tips on cyber wellness through engaging videos so perhaps this is something I could show my students first.

In short, I think it is important to address safe social media use/possible addiction first before we embark on integrating social media into our teaching, at least for the primary school students. That being said, I still see the benefits of using social media and digital resources but maybe they are more appropriate for secondary school students and above.

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a) Using social media for content delivery

I have been tapping on SPED teachers instagram account that are based in other countries to get ideas on lesson delivery.

They are very rich in SEL knowledge an area that is still a work in progress for myself.

Youtube is my go to platform for brain break and mindfulness activity.

Visuals and music increase my students' interest and engagement in class.

b) Challenges:

For now, I believe that primary school students should not be given the freedom to access social media without parental guidance. Since they are fast learners, students can quickly toggle from one screen to another.

It has also become common for students to get addicted to social media, which negatively impacts their quality of life.

In conclusion, if the cons outweigh the pros, it becomes essential for adults to step in and provide guidance. While social media can be beneficial for our students, it can also expose them to some risks like addiction, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content. Our students may struggle to balance their online activity and other aspects of life. Therefore, it is important for parents or adults to set boundaries and monitor them. In addition, since I am supporting primary school students, they are below the acceptable age for social media therefore I will not be introducing any platforms or products for my students to create on social media.

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I find myself gravitating towards Pinterest more than other form of social media as I find it easier to navigate and get the materials that I want. Somehow, I feel that the other forms of social media, such as Instagram and Tiktok, are too 'chaotic' with visual and audio effects jumping in at quick succession that might be too fast and intense for a senior (like me), a young child, or a student with SEN, to absorb and digest the content well.

On the other hand, Pinterest is more 'static' and it helps to keep my mind in focus as I just need to look for the items based on "interest" and what I want to get. It is also a good tool to facilitate the work that I do with my students with SEN. For students who have strong interests in certain subject matter, eg, trains, sport cars, military machines, I can make the connection with them by searching for related pictures in Pinterest and incorporate them into my lesson materials. For students who are more energetic and prone to distraction, using Pinterest during intervention session is captivating and calming, without the excitability and distractibility of other 'fast-motion' apps like Tiktok and Instagram.

With Pinterest, I could ask my students to create their own sites and upload the photos that they have taken on their specific interests to share with others. Hopefully, it will build their confidence and sense of achievement when there is more traffic to their sites. Another product that the students can create would be a portfolio of resources that cater to their needs. For example, a student can curate materials on social skills and pin them for his learning.

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A) Using Social Media for Content Delivery & facilitate learning

a.      The social media platform that I have used most frequently for content materials, would be YouTube. For resources such as Social Stories, Audio or Visual support for language development and social emotional learning.

b.      For example: To watch content and make sentences to support language development for a student with autism whom I had to leverage upon his topics of interest to engage him in the learning process as he would otherwise be disengaged. He enjoyed cartoon series such as Pokoyo, Mr bean and Booba and I would use these to get him to draw out the sequence the events, tell me how the characters might have been feeling (identifying emotions, body language), build sentences, observe social interactions.

c.      I could use it to curate a playlist for a particular topic on YouTube. I could also use it to reward pupils e.g. watching a short clip from an animated show.

d.      Searching for ideas and resources on Pinterest and curating and organizing ideas and resources based on topics.

B) Products students can create using this social media

a.      Given the profile of students (some with severe learning needs or cognitive difficulties) that I work with AND in a primary school setting, it would be challenging to get them to produce products using social media as the minimum age requirement to own an account would be 13 years old (YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok). And I foresee that if they were to use it to create products, they would require guidance and supervision from their parents on managing the social media platform safely and using it responsibly (e.g. even for YouTube Kids).

b.      However, some ideas that have surfaced through my learning, is using Pinterest as a platform where they can curate, organize and share ideas. Create a Photo journal on Pinterest. Use pinning as part of the lesson were they could create boards or pin based on specific topics or lesson themes. Also, they could pin resources on e.g. life skills, social skills, curate a list of activities based on a theme e.g. for wellbeing or sensory regulation.

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Uses of  Social Media as a SENO:

1. Integrating social media into my work process has increased students’ engagement. I can use You Tube videos to teach social skills, find educational posters from Pinterest to teach  Executive Function skills. This has lessened the time I spend creating my own resources thus allowing me more time to focus on other areas of my work.

2. Social media is filled with educational resources such as instructional videos, articles, reviews and opinions by professionals to supplement the classroom learning experience.

3. Social media also offers the use of DI to personalize our student’s learning based on their interest.

Challenges of using social media for students with SEN

1. Social media adds to our students difficulty in self-management and time management. As social media is highly addictive, it will pose as a distraction for our students  thus increasing their difficulties in focusing and procrastination.

2. As a SEN Officer in an all-girls secondary school, social media has amplified  the peer relationship challenges faced by my students. This often leads to cyberbullying. Causing our students to experience social emotional difficulties such as social anxiety, depression and SI. Additionally, in my experience, most of our students are well versed in the use of the various social media apps. Making it is difficult to manage their access to inappropriate content online. Thus, digital literacy is key in protecting the well-being of our students.

3. Some of our students are overly reliant on social media and technology for their socializing needs. They have expressed their desired to socialize with their peers online rather than communicating with them face-to-face. This will potentially cause challenges with their social and communication skills development.

In conclusion, social media is a great tool for quick access to information, engagement and collaborative work for students and educators. However, it does come together with challenges such as over reliance of technology, distraction, and improper use of technology. Moving forward, I am keen to learn more about the various types of new social media apps that our students are using such as  Discord, Tik Tok and Poparazzi and see how I can integrate them into my work.

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Social media has been the hype for a long while. The profileration of its usage amongst young people certainly calls for a concerted effort from schools to educate these young minds on cyberwellness and digital citizenship. My personal take on this matter is not just about cyber education in school but parents have to share the same conviction as well. Hence, we have to take this to the next level, engaging parents in this whole process of cyber education.

Amongst the resources that were introduced in the slides, I find planetnutshell quite useful with ready-made video clips for the teaching of net safety appropriate for different ages. The gamification elements in CEOP Thinkuknow can be engaging for young learners. Having these resources available at hand would be helpful to teach our students with SEN and reinforce what has been taught in the main classroom. I am also looking at sharing these resources with other stakeholders, teachers and parents who will benefit from it.

I perceive social media and digital resources when leveraged, a useful teaching resource. Like many of us, I have often used Youtube videos as my teaching resource to teach the students relevant skills. Instagram is also a channel I tapped on for personal and professional growth such as ideas for teaching, inspirational and motivational post and relevant info and news to keep abreast of educational development. Perhaps Tiktok will be my next option to explore for educational purposes.

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1. Use of social media in my current work

Youtube has always been playing an important role in my lessons. I have used that platform to play movement break videos for my students, tuning activity relating to socio-emotional behavioural skills, social stories, video modelling, etc.

Instagram: As user of instagram, i have followed quite a few influencers who are parents of children with SEN. What they share on their posts/stories/reels helps me to get a glimpse into what their life is like. It helps me get a better understanding of what it is like parenting someone with SEN and to see them from a more empathetic lens.

2. New ways to use social media in my work

Pinterest seems to be an interesting platform that i can consider exploring when it comes to lesson/resource ideas. I am open to using this to help me build up a repertoire of ideas when it comes to teaching / supporting my students.

3. Limitations

As a SENO in a primary school, it can be quite challenging to use other social media platforms, apart from playing youtube videos, to support my students or to use it to engage them due to the age limitations (although many students are actually using it despite being underaged). Actually, I would prefer to equip them with skills on how to use social media appropriately, how to identify potential threats (i.e. cyberbully, inappropriate content, etc.) and how to manage the amount of time spent on social media.

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a) I have been relying a lot on YouTube videos to carry out my social skills teaching for my SEN students. Mylemarks is one of the YouTube channels that I have subscribed and used quite a few of their videos. Most of their videos are short and focused, this helps to maintain attention and make it easier for SEN students to absorb information. On top of their YouTube channel, I often link to their website and adapt some of their resources to use for my withdrawal sessions. Personally, I find using YouTube very effective as my SEN students are more engaged when I use videos to teach them concepts. That being said, I will use YouTube as a supplementary material to traditional resources (i.e. worksheets) to check their understanding at the end of the session.

b) I have yet to get my Primary school students to use any social media tools to create any materials for themselves. However, I did try to get my Secondary school students to try out before (I was from a Secondary school previously before I change over to Primary school). I got them to post useful things that they've come across during the week on our shared Instagram page. It ranges from nice places that they visited with their family members or friends, useful studying tips, or any new games they've played. The goal of this shared platform is basically to encourage positive sharing and positive commenting on each others' post. This also help them to build a small social circle of friends with each other.

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Social media is something in a secondary school environemen that an educator will not require to teach a student how to use it, as long as they have access to the internet. I firmly believe that the current generation has spent way too much time on social media, and that there is more harm than good to a young mind. It is evident that a large portion of students are challenged by some form of digital addiction, affecting academc progress and hindering social and emotional development. Most of the information on social media platforms are from unverified resources. If anything, students need to be taught on how to verify what they see, and not to unconditionally accept the information presented to them. The algorithm of sending content of restrictive information is also a daangerous feature that have instilled undesirable thoughts in a dozen of students with fixation traits. The amount of distraction on social media is another large factor if we were to utilize social media in our lessons. While I completely agree that teachers can and do use content such as educational videos(e.g. from youtube) for teaching purposes, the value of the ensuring the appropriateness of the content still falls on the responsibility of the teacher, and not the application. Lastly I would like to share this article from the straits times https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/lock-up-phones-in-schools-so-that-school-time-becomes-protected-time?close=true

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Lock up phones in schools, so that school time becomes protected time

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Several studies show that in educational settings, smartphones have an almost entirely negative impact. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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(a) One of the more prominent strengths in using social media is its short, engaging and interactive nature. YouTube shorts, Instagram reels and TikTok videos are some short-form content to keep students’ attention focused. With its visual and auditory support, these are definitely beneficial as it caters to the diverse learning group.

In our regular classroom, the lit teachers have embarked on a mini project during lesson to get students to re-enact a short verse from the lit book and imagine themselves as the author. Students will task to record a 1-minute video of themselves sharing their thoughts and emotions as if they were the author while narrating the passage.

In another setting where I introduced a project aimed at developing executive function skills with my students with SEN, they were tasked with consolidating their research and creating a 1-minute video presentation to pitch the products they wanted to secure a budget for. We also have a QR code where students can post their photos of the progress of our eco-pond.

In both settings, students were deeply engaged and very creative with their responses. It also fosters peer interaction and collaboration, which is very beneficial for students with SEN who are working on social skills and communication.

However, although we incorporated elements of social media (such as creating short videos and posting photos similar to Instagram), we didn’t actually use any social media platforms. Our main concern was that we didn’t want students to create another social media account solely for school purposes (and us having to monitor and manage negative behaviors online.) We were also mindful that some students might feel uncomfortable using their personal accounts for these activities, as it could expose them to potential risks like cyberbullying or overexposure of personal data to others. It's already challenging enough to manage situations where students create WhatsApp group chats to engage in unproductive conversations or cyberbully others. Therefore, we prefer to play it safe and avoid encouraging students to post on social media for school-related activities.

(b) One of the many resources that Dr Liz shared and caught my eyes are platforms like BrainPop and Planet Nutshell, with their animated videos. It makes digital citizenship engaging and accessible to diverse learners, and is definitely effective in reaching out to younger students or those with SEN. By incorporating real-life examples and interactive activities, they help bridge the gap between theory knowledge and practical application, which is especially crucial for developing good online habits in today's digital age.

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The Enabling Work app as recommended in Dr Liz's slide is quite cool to explore. I felt that it is a very good initiative in sharing with adults and employers to individuals with special needs. The animations and sound in the app itself is not too bad and the app itself is not too difficult to navigate.

In terms of Social Media, the last few years have seen a boom in the hype and use of TikTok. Students, even in primary schools, are aware of the songs and trends in TikTok, and will sing and dance along to it, especially when our school uses them for school celebrations (such as Children's Day).

A) There are a number of videos on TikTok which are made to share information to educators on how to carry out certain support. Likewise, I also found a number of videos for students, for example, there was one a lady was singing 'I keep my hands to myself' repetitively with modelling of the actions. I felt that such videos will be very useful for our older students, who still lack the skills, but find that other videos (especially those from YouTube) would be too childish for them. Going on TikTok will also probably increase their interest on the video as they will be blending in with the 'hype'.

B) Through the curated list of resources, I particularly liked the idea on having students create video to promote a community effort or event via TikTok, to increase awareness on it, yet at the same time using social media as a mode for learning. I feel that a possible product could be to have students demonstrate their learning via the creation of videos in displaying the skills they have been taught and learnt.

However, I am unsure if our schools are ready for such an initiative (having Social Media use as part of Assessment for Learning). Students have to be taught on the appropriate use of this tool for learning, and there is a high possibility that students may not use the tools appropriately during lessons, if not educated and monitored appropriately. Right now there is also the introduction of Assessment as Learning. There will be more to explore in terms of within the context of curriculum materials (not just for students with SEN) of how the use of social media can be utilised to fulfill this part.

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The social media is undoubtedly a powerful tool but its misuse can lead to serious negative consequences. Many students have fallen victim to cyberbullying, threats due to posts that they've shared online which can severly impact their wellbeing. Therefore, it is crucial for students to learn about digital citizenship so that they know what is appropriate and not in the digital world.

Social media has provided incredible ways to engage our students and connect with them beyond the classroom. It allows for collaborative learning through the various platforms (twitter, facebook etc) and for students to access the lessons online in different formats and learn at their own pace.

Having explored some of the curated list of resources, I am interested to try using instagram to enhance my teaching and connect with my students. For students with ADHD, I will plan to do the following:

- Share visual aids on study tips and task reminders

- Post videos on tips to regulate their emotions

- get students to create and post helpful tips

- weekly posts related to lesson topics and prompt students to comment

Also, I will:

- get students to create and post helpful tips

- create weekly quizzes for students to participate

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It is inevitable that Social Media is something that all our children are exposed to. It has become a norm for them to know about this since young and parents also has created that social media setting even before they go to school hence I believe the use of this powerful tool starts at home. Parents need to expose them to the Cyber World but there must be restrictions. Hence, when the children go to school, they have the background responsibility. Educators now complement by teaching the students on being a Good Netizen.

Resources shared by Dr Liz like YouTube, Common Sense, Brainpop are excellent platforms for us to leverage on as they are informative ,engaging simultaneously plus lots of teachable moments available.

Possible ways for my SEN primary students to use the social media; I would say YouTube, IG, TikTok for inspiration or ideas and then maybe the variety of online educational games which is suitable for learning both in school and at home. I feel this is something that the students can take ownership for their own learning as prepping them to be useful young digital citizens.

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A) Personally, I loved Pinterest as it provided a lot of interesting ideas and resources that I can work with my students with SEN. Occasionally, I also get ideas from tik tok and share them with my student with a post video discussion.

B) As I worked in a Primary school setting... I would not be able to use any of the social media to engage my student in self-directed learning as they are all underage and hence, we should not be encouraging this working style.

However, I think I can use such social media platform for parents to share parenting tips or interesting ideas about things they do which has helped their child with SEN to cope better in school and life. Caregiver is the most tiring job and hence, having such a support group will provide them with hope and know that they are not alone in this journey.

In conclusion, while social media can be helpful. BUT, we need close adult supervision to make sure that the things were in the correct context.

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Social Media like tik tok, instagram and facebook are used by schools to share happenings in schools and connect with student and parents and the larger community.

Since we have SLS platform and googldrives there are now more ways to engage students for learning other than social media

In our school, we have have uploadedyoutube videos showcasing student creative musical performances. Livestream of events especially during Covid was common too. Our school events including SYF performances were livestreamed via facebook/youtube during Covid period. Parents were able to watch the school events (e.g. Teacher's Day celebration) from home.

Using youtube videos is a usual practice in my withdrawal support. It brings the world into the classroom. For e.g. to prepare students for P5 Camp, I use youtube videos showing the actual campsite to prepare them on what to expect.

Youtubes are very engaging and entertaining and easy to gain their attention. Many skills could be taught using these youtube videos which are easily accessible. Some of it could be easily shared with parents and they are encouraged to revisit what is taught in our withdrawal support (E.g. hygiene routine, conversation skills).

But I create activity sheets based on the youtube video clips shows so that pedgagogy can be combined with youtube videos. Students don't passively watch videos but have to be active learners by reflecting on what they have watched.

There are many read aloud videos of storybooks. One of my favourite author is Julia Cook. Here stories are very funny and entertaining. For e.g. Why We Don't Eat Our Classmates.

Challenges

But I have encountered several instances where students have misused social media inappropriately. We had a student posing for a photo using an inappropriate sign which is peer uploaded on group whatapp chat and he was teased by his classmates. He had major meltdown in class.

Another instance the boy posted an inappropriate GIF upsetting some female students. Some students gang up against one student with SEN and uploaded nasty comments about her behavour.

So digital literacy lessons for our pupils with SEN and how to manage their behaviour online and safety issues very important.

Using social media to engage students is quite convenient. But getting to create content or presentation using social media might be challenging for primary schools. Only students above 13 years are allowed to register for a social media account. School policies with regards to using social media for content creation and uploading is not clear to us. We need to seek permission from parents and school leaders too. We need think about ethics with regards to posting and uploading information as this involve minors. We might also unwittingly expose young children to inappropriate ads and pop-ups.

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Part A:

I have a few students who are into SG buses and MRT.  They know the bus models, bus routes, MRT lines, stations at their fingertips.  Some follow a community which is into this interest.  They are excited to explore new bus/MRT routes and when the TEL line started operation, they were amongst the first riders.  Hence, I am thinking of tapping their interest and expertise to start a mini project using Pinterest, focusing on the TEL line first.  They will be working as a group and the objective will be to explore the inclusiveness features present along the TEL line/stations. If they post their suggestions in the Pins, be it either an improvement or new installation.  The other agenda for the project is to promote social awareness and social responsibilities in this group of students.

Part B:

We will start a Pinterest board with photos of any locations along TEL line with inclusive features such as for the visually impaired, people on PMD or wheelchair.  We will examine if these features are sufficient or lacking in any areas.  Also, if there are ideas for new installation and promote inclusiveness.  We will set the group as private first and may consider making it public, forward it to SMRT for their consideration if the content is good enough.

Comments:

I find that the current social media can be too overwhelming for me. People are flooding content to attract attention and make money.  In my opinion, social media platform should be just for entertainment and social engagement, not for school stuff.  It’s like we create a situation of “entertainment” vs “schoolwork”, it can be a losing battle as “schoolwork” is not as interesting. We cannot stop eg. Tik Tok spamming reels while we need the students to do work in its platform. We don’t have to engage the students in a battle ground that we need to fight for their attention.  We have ICT tools for education and for me, they are good enough.  We already have issues with addiction, inappropriate content, cyber bullying and managing usage of devices in school.  It is easy to talk and write about setting expectations and boundaries using social media for education, but it is tough to manage on the ground.

Previous attempt at using social media:

I created a group “Hildan PET Rocketeers” in 2010 in Facebook. This was my attempt at using social media to engage students with science stuff.   To my surprise, the group postings are still there! My goose pimples came out as I browsed through the postings.  One noticeable difference is the display pic of my students, they are young adults and at least one is a young parent. That aside, I made use of social media with the intent of getting my students to document their learning journey.  They would need to post photos, videos and reflections for the sessions till to the day of the national PET Rocket competition.  It became an archive of memories for the group as long as Facebook doesn’t remove it.  “Hildan PET Rocketeers” is opened to Public in Facebook. You can check out our arsenal of PET rockets and Hildans in action, you will need to scroll down quite a lot to view the videos and photos. Thanks for reading:).