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The issue of social media in the classroom has become more prevalent over the past decade.  With the use of phones on the rise, social media has become more available to students of all ages. This has lead to numerous problems and distractions within the classroom. However, when phones and technology are used properly, they can be very beneficial to student’s learning in the classroom.

Social Media is a staple in every student’s life.

If our goal as teachers is to provide meaningful instruction that is relevant to students lives, how do we engage students in a way that is relevant to their social media lives? How can these feat be done in such a way that is beneficial in the classroom to foster learning?

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As a PLC, we identified a number of problems that arise when social media is used by students in a classroom or school setting. We settled on five problems that appeared to have the greatest relevance or impact in the classroom, as seen below.

1. Reputation; once it’s out there, it’s out there.

2. Could cause hogs and logs.

3. Access to other online content and websites.

4. Copyright issues.

5. Distraction.

We then ranked them in regards to the best possible solution, determined by the following criteria:

1. Does it cost money?

2. Are resources needed?

3. Does it require teacher training?

4. Does it require new policies?

5. Will it improve relationships?

Ultimately, we chose to research and develop a solution for the problem of "Reputation; once it’s out there, it’s out there" because it would not acquire extra costs or require new resources, there is only a slight possibility that the solution would require teacher training or new policies and it would improve relationships between students, staff and parents, as well.

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The strongest, most practical solution that we devised as a PLC is explained and supported below:
Whenever the topic of social media comes up in class, take the opportunity to advise students to be wise about what they put on the internet and who they allow to see it. In addition to that, take 15 minutes in class or advisory at the beginning, middle and end of the school year to discuss smart social media use with your students.

Why: Teachers should care about student’s reputation and whether or not they portray themselves in a responsible, mature way.

How: This solution will encourage students to think twice before posting content on social media.

Strengths: Explicit Instruction will give no room for miscommunication. Addressing the core issue that will affect students for life. Provides students with a new lens with which they can take a more mature look at social media.

Below are helpful steps for implementing a solution:

Step 1: Identify specific problems/ assess classroom situation/ take students into consideration

Step 2: Teacher preparation.

Step 3: Explicit instruction and giving students specific guidelines. Potentially teach a lesson (see next section) or do a activity regarding safe/smart social media practices.

Step 4: Periodically remind students throughout the year to think about what they are posting before they post it, especially if a social media related issue arises in the classroom or school.

Step 5: Follow up/ reward.

Brief solutions to other problems that we identified:

1. Could cause hogs and logs - Establish norms for group work in relation to social media. Some students may do more group work while others may slack by spending time on social media instead of working so group norms will need to be established. It is not fair to the students who aren't working and it is not fair to the students who are working too hard in the group setting. It puts too much stress on some and allows others to not learn effectively. With group norms the hog/log dynamic will hopefully be eliminated.

2. Access to other online content and websites - Blocking social media sites through school wifi can help to decrease students usage in the classroom.
By putting these restrictions on social media, students will not be able to access social media through school devices (such as laptops or iPads that require Wi-Fi) and for students who use the school Wi-Fi, it will prevent social media websites or apps from loading/refreshing.

3. Copyright issues - At the very beginning of the year, clearly discuss with students the consequences that would be implemented if there was to be any copyright or plagiarism issues. Students should be required to turn assignments in through platforms such as turnitin.com. Websites like these that check for plagiarism. This will check to see if their ideas are their own or if they stole it without giving the original author proper credit.

4. Distraction - Again, at the very beginning of the year, clearly discuss with students the consequences that would be implemented if spending time on social media becomes a distraction in class. Furthermore, make sure you continue to be strict and follow through with discipline otherwise students will notice your lack of discipline and the distraction will get out of hand.

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Research: Teaching Students to Be Aware of Their Online Reputation 

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Research: Teaching Students to Be Aware of Their Online Reputation 

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Lesson outline ideas for teaching students how to be smart about posting online:
1. Chatting safely online:

Analyze how well they know the people they interact with online (how many of your followers/following do you actually know on at least an “acquaintance” level?)

Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends (Don’t share personal information such as: confidential information about your identity, financial information, your schedule/location)

Learn to recognize red flags and how to respond to them

2. The Power of Digital Footprints:

Define the term "digital footprint" and explain how it can affect their online privacy (According to Wikipedia: “Digital footprint refers to one's unique set of traceable digital activities, actions, contributions and communications manifested on the Internet or on digital devices”)

Analyze how different parts of their digital footprints can lead others to draw conclusions about who they are (both positive and negative)

Reflect on what they want their digital footprints to be in the future and how they can monitor and shape them (Good rule of thumb for making sure you are happy with your footprint: If you wouldn’t want your Grandma to read it or see it, you probably shouldn’t post it.)

3. Sexting and Relationships:

Compare the risks and benefits of self-disclosure in relationships

Identify the risks and potential consequences of sexting (Personal texts and images may not always stay personal and could get into the hands of unintended parties)

Practice applying strategies to respond to situations where sexting could occur (Be able to know how to say "no" without being an aggressor in the situation)

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Definitions:

Respectful behavior online

Online civic engagement

“comprising the concepts of responsibility, rights, safety, and security”

“appropriate technology usage,” and “making safe, responsible, respectful choices online”

Characteristics:

Not using fear-based method of instruction

Different from Digital Literacy Instruction

Media Education Program topics:

“Internet safety, privacy and security, relationships and communication, cyber-bullying, digital footprints, reputation, self-image and identity, information literacy, and creative credit and copyright.”

(Jones & Mitchell, 2016)

There are many useful resources for teaching Digital Citizenship, such as:

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Research: Technology in the Classroom: Appropriate Social Media Use

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Research: Technology in the Classroom: Appropriate Social Media Use

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Helps increase student knowledge:

They have access to information that can help them receive information at a fast pace.

Improves communication between Parents, Teachers, and Students:

Teachers can easily post homework assignments, upcoming project dates, and school event information

Allows students to get help from others:

The student has access to post their question and have a peer comment in a matter of minutes.

Can encourage students to participate:

The students know how to use social media and are comfortable with it

They can easily work from home on projects and still collaborate with each other

Has a variety of engaging features:

Every social media website has its special features that students can use to learn more information on the specific topic

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"Curriculum & Assessment to Improve Teaching & Learning"

“It is essential that students create healthy habits of mind that develop their character and help them succeed in every aspect of life.” (Whitney, 2019)

Curriculum that Instructs students in Digital Citizenship is a vital piece in fostering habits of mind for students’ character that will last them a lifetime.

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Advisory
Advisory is made for a period in their school time where they are not doing school. This is a great place for advisory teachers can teach appropriate social media uses and digital citizenship. This will help so when they do go into classes that do use social media, then they are already knowledgeable on what is appropriate and inappropriate usage is.

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From this specific turning point, we learned the following important main ideas

Common expectations are a crucial piece of creating a safe classroom environment

Students need to feel a sense of connectedness in order to feel safe

All classes need expectations for their students in order to allow room for management and discipline

How does this connect to social media?

Teachers need to set forth their expectations for when it is appropriate to allow students to incorporate the use of social media within the classroom setting.

Teachers must remain CONSISTENT in how they discipline and manage the expectations they set forth

Social media can be used in the classroom as a great way for students to feel a sense of connectedness with their teachers, peers, and the rest of the world.

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* Children start giving personal information such as first name (5%), last name (4%), e-mail address (3%), photograph (2%), phone number (1%) and home address (0.7%) in chat conversations from the age of 9.” (Wishart).

* Teachers have taken to creating Twitter accounts for their classrooms, which they use to post assignments and as a forum for students to tweet questions or thoughts on a specific lesson. (Figueroa)

* Statistics show that 96% of the students that have internet access are using at least one social network. (Wade)

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Please reflect on these questions and formulate thoughtful responses to contribute to class discussion.

1. What is one interesting thing that you learned from the padlet?

2. As a future educator, what is one thing you will take away from the information above to implement or be aware of in your classroom?

3. Do you see any positive/negative effects as a result of social media being used in the classes you're a part of currently?

4. Overall, do you think that social media is more beneficial or harmful when used in a educational setting?

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Common Sense Education. (2013). What's in Your Digital Footprint? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=4P_gj3oRn8s

Cox, J. (n.d.). Technology in the Classroom: Reasons to Use Social Media. Retrieved from
https://www.teachhub.com/technology-classroom-reasons-use-social-media

Figueroa, A. (2018, January 26). Teach Students To Use Social Media (The Right Way) And The Possibilities Are Endless. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/01/26/579955559/teach-students-to-use-social-media-the-right-way-and-the-possibilities-are-endle

Knutson, Jeff. (2019). How to Teach Your Students to Think Before They Post. Retrieved from

https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/how-to-teach-your-students-to-think-before-they-post

Jones, L. M., & Mitchell, K. J. (2016). Defining and measuring youth digital citizenship. New Media &

Society, 18(9), 2063–2079. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815577797

Wade, L. (n.d.). How Social Media is Reshaping Today's Education System. Retrieved from http://csic.georgetown.edu/magazine/social-media-reshaping-todays-education-system/

Whitney, J. (2019). ESL With Ms. Whitney: Turning Point #1. Retrieved from http://jew88437.edublogs.org/2019/02/21/turning-point-1/

Wishart, J. (2004, March 27). Internet safety in emerging educational contexts. Retrieved April 18, 2019, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131503001519

Zook, C. (2018, July 26). How to Teach Internet Safety to Middle School Students. Retrieved April 18, 2019, from https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/how-to-teach-internet-safety-to-middle-school-students