Referenced Article: Greg Toppo, “Social Media Find Place in Classroom,” USA Today, July 25, 2011. Accessed October 16, 2011.
In my last blog post, I wrote about the mixed feelings towards advanced technology in classrooms. The Kyrene School District had allocated money in its budget for increased technology, but its schools were disappointed to learn that district test scores had not shown any sign of numerical improvement. This prompted me to think about how technology could be used in more beneficial ways in classrooms. Although the Kyrene District was not pleased with technology’s effects on student performance, I feel that the true problem was that the district did not yet learn how to appropriately use technology as a teaching tool. Technology is an integral part of modern society and should be used as a tool for furthering traditional knowledge instead of taking away from education time. This conclusion encouraged me to look for an example of technological success in the classroom, as shown in Greg Toppo’s article “Social Media Find Place in Classroom.” This article contrasts Matt Richtel’s article (from my first post) with a view of more positive integration of technology as a learning tool.
Toppo writes of the use of social networks in New Jersey’s New Milford High School under the leadership of principal Eric Sheninger. While most school systems stay away from cell phones and Facebook in the classroom due to potential distraction from traditional education, Sheninger has instead brought social media into the classrooms in full force. The school communicates regularly with students and parents through its own Facebook page, students use cell phones for activities such as poll voting in class, and students and teachers “research write, edit, perform, and publish their work online.” Why encourage so much social media in high school? Sheninger says “kids are coming to us bored, [and] disconnected.” Using media like Facebook encourages students to remain engaged in learning.
As a student myself, I am struck by Sheninger’s attitude toward the boredom of students in the classroom. Students often lose focus after hours of lecture, but they can also distract themselves with texting or Facebook for impressive amounts of time. When the two are correctly merged in a classroom setting, they have the potential to keep students from feeling like school disconnects them from their outside lives. Facebook is becoming a social necessity, and its presence in the classroom can encourage proper use of social networking sites. Letting students of today’s generation bring social media into their learning environment helps them bring their own personality into the classroom.
Where are the drawbacks in Sheninger’s plan? Toppo’s article argues that the most pressing reason to keep social media out of the classroom is the risk of encountering “irrelevant or offensive material.” In reality, I think the problem stems from the heightened risk of distraction. Unless there can be specific filters on cell phone and Facebook functions, the two promote activities such as conversation with friends during class time. This problem can be solved by ensuring that Facebook and cell phones are used to thoroughly engross students in learning new class material. The first crucial step in keeping students engaged in learning is, in the ideology of Sheninger, being able to relate to them through their current social media.
Like anything in a school environment, social media presents risks and may lead to some distraction; however, its increasing role in the lives of today’s students makes it more and more understandable that social media could potentially shape future education. New Milford High School has taken a bold step in the direction of future technology in classrooms, and I look forward to hearing about the school’s progress in the next few years as it continues to work with social media.
Although I might differ with you, the author of the USA Today article, and/or the sources cited within that article on the specifics, I wholeheartedly agree that it benefits educators to make forays into social networking. By embracing popular social media, educators enter a world that their students are already an established part of. Not only can they connect with students better by doing so, they can also publicize assignments, events, and so on far better than they would otherwise be able to.
ReplyDeleteMy AP US History teacher successfully made use of social networking to connect with students. He formed a group for all the AP US kids, where he sent out messages and created events reminding students of project due dates, test days, and other important events. Furthermore, by adding us as friends, he made it far easier and more convenient to contact him and ask for help. Since students would be on Facebook anyways, they were far more likely to be aware of assignments posted there than those posted on some outside site.
I disagree with the concept of using cell phones in the classroom. Tonight we briefly discussed the idea that we are the "most ADD generation," and I fully agree with that statement (just on personal experience). By encouraging the use of cell phones in the classroom, you are further sending children down a path in which they can not last even the relatively small time period of a class without being on their phones. Thus, I think that the benefits of using phones in class are greatly outweighed by the detractions. Over reliance on technology (especially in areas where it is not completely necessary) is not a path I believe that we should thread.
ReplyDeleteSocial networking can definitely be used as a tool outside of the classroom, but the ability to focus on schoolwork for a solid chunk of time is a valuable one to hone. In my IHUM, for instance, there is a strict policy against laptops (except, of course, with those with documented learning disabilities), because IHUM is a class best experienced through full engagement. We did an active listening exercise in class, and the ability to be present in the moment is vital. Sure, taking three-hour-long finals is not the most useful skill in life, but ultimately, humans are social creatures, and social interaction requires prolonged, active, and present engagement.
ReplyDeleteKeeping students engaged shouldn't mean catering to the students; it means teaching the students how to stay engaged.
I found this really interesting because my high school used to have a ban on all electronic devices during school hours, but after a change of principals the school now allows the use of laptops and cell phones. I don't see any particular need for cell phones and facebook during school hours, other than a possible emergency call. I think using facebook as a communication medium outside of school is very viable though.
ReplyDeleteIn general, I think having students use cell phones and facebook in school is like asking them to get distracted.