Well, in the current situation, it is impossible to reject using educational technology. On top of that, many teachers are frantically trying to figure out ways to keep students engaged and WANTING to learn (because they can sign in and out any time they want – right?? right!). Well, the elephant in the room is to use different social media platforms to assign activities that they may actually want to do. But with that, comes some big responsibility from the moral, ethical, and legal standpoint. If you haven’t already seen it, here is my video I made regarding these issues:
My major project is completely surrounded by the idea of incorporating different apps into the classroom, as well as the pros, cons, and terms of use of each of the 3 apps I picked (Kahoot!, TikTok, and Snapchat), so clearly I am pro social media, but this class has convinced me that we must first teach the students to be good digital citizens FIRST. We cannot assume they know this information. Furthermore, I have only used Kahoot! in the classroom as I have just returned to work (April 1) and I clearly did not return to the classroom itself! I am really hoping to use this vital time to figure out engaging ways to use different social media platforms for assignments 🙂
For me, I think the biggest issue I worry about is boundaries. #1, that a student will post/say/do something inappropriate and I see it and am in an awkward position about what to do about it and #2 that others will find it inappropriate to use social media in the classroom. For the first issue, I have seen this a lot with my nieces. They have had a pretty rough life and now as teenagers, they have their mother (my sister) blocked, but did not block me on different social media platforms. So, I am constantly seeing things that they post that are NOT ok, and since they are teenagers, I always “tell” on them..I don’t know if they realize I am the snitch but if they ever did, they would likely not talk to me EVER (or as long as EVER lasts for a teenager?). The second issue is more something doesn’t REALLY matter..it is all about image and I want to be seen as a professional. Being a younger teacher (well I am older now..but still consider myself young..er), I already sometimes get jokes about being a student myself so I do not want to compromise coming off as a professional. Don’t get me wrong, I am fine with looking younger than my age, but 3 years ago when I was on maternity with my daughter, a parent asked me if I was in the teen parent program..so…ya.
All in all, I think we do what we can. Teaching is a delicate balance and it sometimes can be hard to manage. We want to look young but not like a student. We want to seem cool but still have classroom management. We need to be relatable but not show that we like social gatherings involving alcohol. We need to have a good relationship with students but not be their friends on social media. We have to have engaging and innovative assignments but not come off as unprofessional. It all can get very blurry and confusing and hard to keep separate. So in the end, we need to make sure we keep ourselves and our careers safe. Do what makes you feel comfortable. Do what you think is right. And all we can hope for is that our students learn and grow from the experiences we provide them with, all while keeping their identities safe (sounds easy, right?).
Thoughts, Words, and Connections 