Should Teachers Use Social Media in the Classroom?

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Paperless Textbooks?

   

When you are driving home from work or school, do you notice students walking hunched over and holding their backpacks up? Or the classic dragging of the backpack on the ground? Textbooks are the main culprit for these students struggling to carry the heavy load from a long day of learning at school. Many schools are lightening the load in backpacks and not allowing books to be taken home, or better yet, the use of digital textbooks; light as a feather that you can access anywhere in the world.

 Some people think that digital textbooks are good, while others believe they are bad. According to education world digital textbooks can be beneficial because the book will always be up to date. But can be bad because it can cause problems with server problems at the school. For example, at the schools in Fairfax County, school servers could not handle the massive digital load that the online books were bringing. But once fixed, the digital textbooks worked well and helped improve the student’s education experience.

Worldwide Center of Mathematics brings up another pro and con of digital textbooks. Because digital textbooks do not require paper, the cost is less to purchase the digital book compared to a regular textbook. Many students are turning to digital books because of the cost and also the accessibility to finding information quicker. But on the other hand, because of digital textbooks, paper textbooks have decreased in cost. Paper textbooks also give students the feeling and satisfaction of turning a paper, jotting notes, and putting a ‘dog ear’ fold on important pages.

According to the Facultyenlight, one of the most beneficial features of digital textbooks are the add-ons such as quizzes, practice tests, study guides, etc. These features help students better understand the content and prepares them for tests. On the other hand, students can be tempted to wander from the digital textbook and go to Facebook, Twitter, or any other internet game or social media website. This is very hard to control in the classroom because students can switch screens in less than one second.

Lastly, the Chicago Tribune points out a major issue with digital textbooks. They agree that digital textbooks can be good, but points out the effects that it can have on the eyes. According to a study by Indiana State University, students who use digital textbooks will more likely suffer from computer vision syndrome, or eye strain caused by looking at the technology for long periods of time. Some symptoms are eye strain, headaches, migraines, and nausea. In the study, half the participants used digital textbooks, and the other half used paper textbooks. Most of the students who used the digital textbook experienced one or more of the symptoms.

In my opinion, I am split. I take full advantage of the add-ons digital textbooks offer, but paper textbooks sometimes have supplementary websites that go with the book. So whether I’m using a digital or paper textbook, I will use what is offered. If I read too long, I will experience the computer vision syndrome with any source of textbook, so I am also split on that. But one of my favorite things about paper textbooks is feeling the book in my hands, even if it is heavy. The satisfaction of seeing how much I have read gives me confidence that I can read just as much in my next textbook. I was raised on paper textbooks, but have been introduced to digital textbooks within the past few years. I am learning and adapting to the new and improving technology we have today, but I will still use a paper textbook every now and then.

·         Chicago Tribune- http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-07/features/ct-x-0807-college-kids-eyes-20130807_1_print-textbooks-digital-textbooks-computer-vision-syndrome

·         Education world- http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/educators-explore-pros-and-cons-digital-textbooks-918163934

·         Facultyenlight- https://www.facultyenlight.com/content/digital-textbooks-pros-vs-cons

·         Worldwide Center of Mathematics-  http://bostinno.streetwise.co/channels/digital-vs-print-textbooks-a-pros-and-cons-list/

      

Online Schooling

Online schooling is becoming more prevalent with the digital age that we are living in. According to iNACOL, thirty one states currently have statewide full-time online schools. In 2009-2010, there was an estimated 1,816,400 enrollments in distance-education courses in K-12 school districts (Fast Facts About Online Learning, 2013). As we continue to increase technology into our classrooms, we must ask ourselves if online schooling is the best option for our students.

There are both advantages to online schooling, as well as disadvantages. Online schooling can be a great tool for students because it enables them the opportunity to do the school work at their own convenience (Online High School, 2003). This can be especially important for students who are sick with a long term illness and are not able to be at school. It is also a great tool for students who have to have a part time job or have other commitments they have to oblige to. Online schooling can give students freedom to do the work and schooling with a time that works best for them and a time where they feel they can best succeed.

Another advantage to online schooling is the ability for students to work at their own pace and potentially finish high school early. By offering classes online for students, they can choose to accelerate their education and get into the work force or attend college earlier than what a traditional school offers. On the other hand, if a student cannot keep up with the expectations of traditional school’s learning pace, they have the opportunity to spend time on areas where they need more practice on (Top 7 Benefits of Online Learning, 2014). Instead of getting “left behind” in the classroom, they can take as much time as they need so they really understand the material before moving on to the next.

Students who partake in online schooling have an opportunity to study a variety of subjects. While students do have to take the required courses to obtain their high school diploma, they also get the opportunity to take a variety of courses that interest them (Advantages and Disadvantages, 2015). They can take courses that they want to learn more about, or they have the opportunity to take courses that will help them towards their desired career. They have the opportunity to take classes that will give them a head start in working toward their college degree. At traditional schools, classes are typically pretty limited; however, online the choices are endless.

While the advantages to online schooling are appealing, there are some disadvantages that come with it as well. One of the biggest downfalls of online schooling is the social isolation. High school is an important period for social and emotional development for students and if a student chooses to do online schooling, they miss out on that experience (Online High School, 2003). If a student is sitting behind a computer all day doing their school work, they are missing out on important social interactions like group work within the classroom. While learning the curriculum material is very important in high school, the social learning is also an important aspect that is going to help students in the future as well.

Another disadvantage is that there is not a lot of guidance and motivation with online schooling. If a student is not self-motivated, they will often fall behind on coursework and exams (online vs. traditional). Students also lose out on that teacher interaction, as well as instruction. Many students will struggle to grasp the material when there is not a teacher present (Online High School, 2003). Although often there is video instruction that comes with online classes, it cannot offer the same personal level of instruction that teachers can provide (Online High School, 2003). They also lose out on peer assistance as well when they are isolated behind a computer.

My opinion is that while I think there are some great advantages to online schooling, I think it really does a disservice to students to miss out on the social interactions that traditional schools offer. I think learning content is important, but personally I think that social and emotional development is more important. High school is an important time where students go through changes and I think it is important that they learn how to interact and relate to peers. I think the social interactions as well as social problem solving will greatly assist in their day to day life in the future. I also think students have a better opportunity to succeed when they receive face to face instruction from a teacher, rather than from a computer. I can see the advantages, but I truly believe that if possible, students should spend at least part of their day in the traditional school, where they are forced to interact with both peers, as well as their teachers.

http://study.com/articles/An_Online_High_School_vs_a_Traditional_High_School_Diploma_Some_Pros_and_Cons.html

https://www.inacol.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/iNACOL_FastFacts_Feb2013.pdf

http://vlacs.org/top-7-benefits-choosing-online-virtual-high-school/

http://learningpath.org/articles/Online_High_School_Advantages_and_Disadvantages.html

To Use, or Not, Use Social Media in the Classroom?

"To Use, or Not, Use Social Media in the Classroom?" is the essential question that is boiled down from the various viewpoints of teachers in a 21st Century world filled with Social Media outside the classroom. The question ponders whether or not Social Media should have a place inside the classroom. I shall provide examples and ideas from my research about both sides and then from that information, I will determine which side of this new, great, hounding question I am currently on as an educator.

To begin, why are teachers saying that we should use Social Media in the classroom? According to an article on Faculty Focus, a reason to like Social Media use in the classroom is because "gone are the days when “turning in” work meant waiting until Monday morning, as students and teachers can now discuss assignments at every step of the process. Teachers can create hashtags that allow students to tag their academic posts, and subsequently view submissions to see what the collective has creatively produced. (2)." This is something that's done in our TechLab classroom. As students in this classroom, we had to create our own professional Twitter Handle and use a hashtag for our class. 

Another reason teachers should use Social Media in their classrooms is stated in an article on Mashable. The article lists 7 was to use Social Media: to share work socially by using Social Media accounts to communicate information between fellow classmates and students from around the world, to use a hashtag to communicate to guest speakers and seek their input, to become a blogger to develop one's voice as a writer and keep up with like-bloggers, to use expert sources by knowing where to find them like on LinkedIn, to use Google Hangouts for class and/or peer-to-peer meetings to engage in work, make use of Emodo to create a digital classroom for students to see assignments and communicate, and even encourage a class meetings through Second Life, which is a 3D virtual world (1). All of these ideas are intended to connect students in more ways than just sitting in the same classroom. According to these first two sites, classes shouldn't be limited by a physical space. Social Media gives teachers and students an ever present medium to work in. 

Another Mashable article that gives the case for Social Media in the classroom quotes why teachers should simply roll with the idea of social media in the classroom. The quote says, 

"“Don’t fight a losing battle,” says Delmatoff. “We’re going to get there anyway, so it’s better to be on the cutting edge, and be moving with the kids, rather than moving against them…Should they be texting their friends during a lecture? Of course not. They shouldn’t be playing cards in a lecture, they shouldn’t be taking a nap during a lecture. But should they learn how to use media for good? Absolutely.” (3)"

The writer of the article's point is that Social Media isn't going away. Noted in the same article that most students in 7th grade through 12th grade have at least one social media account. The author states that if Social Media isn't going away, then it should be used in the classroom. The author also believes that Social Media should be taught in a way that explains how it can be used properly to engage learners in safe, online environments that encourage collaboration amongst a variety of students. According to the author, bringing Social Media into the classroom will encourage Social Media to be used as an educational tool instead of being used for procrastination purposes.

After that view on the issue, let's hear from the other side. Why are teachers saying that we should NOT use Social Media in the classroom? One teacher who was an avid promoter of students using their laptops, cellphones, and other devices in class, went to a totally opposite view and banned all usage of these devices unless they were required. He chose to do this because he believes that "humans are incapable of ignoring surprising new information in our visual field, an effect that is strongest when the visual cue is slightly above and beside the area we’re focusing on (10)." The author doesn't believe that the multitasking that's required to focus on social media is beneficial to student learning. He believes it can be too distracting.

Andrew Campbell makes a case against social media in education. He notes that, "currently, social media is a ‘wild west’ where the landscape changes daily and the rules are poorly defined,  misunderstood or non-existent. This isn’t the kind of environment parents want their children using (9)." In addition to Campbell dislike toward how Social Media is filled with cyberbullying, predators, and distractions for young students, he states 4 other reasons why he's against Social Media in Education. One of those reasons is that students use Social Media as the primary avenue for self definition. If parents and schools are getting too involved in a child's social media, then it will interrupt a child's area to express and define themselves. The next reason is that schools can't implement Social Media into the classrooms until schools are properly equipped with the resources it needs. Campbell also thinks that not every student will be comfortable communicating in a setting that is primarily through online communication. Lastly, Campbell believe Social Media is too much of a distraction. Some students, Campbell believes, will not be able to ignore the temptations and sitractions that come with having mass amount of data and people at one's fingertips. To properly use Social Media in the classroom, there needs to be more information how to accommodate the needs of many different children in relation to Social Media.

A last point on why Social Media should not be used in the classroom comes from US News. They report that, "although many teachers agree using social media in the classroom would be beneficial for students' academic engagement, most avoid using those tools for a fear of conflicts that could arise in confrontations with parents and students (5)." The article talk about how many teachers believed that they haven't been taught how to use Social Media for professional use. They fear that it would be harder to separate personal use of Social Media with their professional use. The main reason Social Media shouldn't be used is because of the unfamiliarity of its use for the classroom. The guidelines aren't clear enough and, until they are, the integration of Social Media in the classroom will not happen easily and without troubles.

I believe that there's a difference between being in constant use of social media and using it as an additional resources that enhances content as well as its relevance to students. Those who disagree with the use of Social Media in the classroom believe that students would be too distracted. I agree with this. However, I don't agree that it means that teachers should try to integrate Social Media into the classroom for educational enhancements. I think that Mashable's seven ways to use Social Media in the classroom really show how students can use an online setting for educational purposes. An educator that I've followed on Twitter for at least 2 years or so, Krissy Venosdale, is an inspiration in the use of technology in the classroom with her students. She does at least one of Mashable's seven ways. She uses skype to communicate with classroom across the world. It's like the classrooms are pen pals, but in real-life time.

In the end I think the real issue of having Social Media in the classroom is how can teachers utilize both online and offline times for educational purposes? I believe that finding was to enjoy and learn from being online, like what Krissy Venosdale does, and offline, what we're used to, is important. It's like a book we just discussed in Elem. Ed. Practicum. It was the book without pictures. A book without pictures doesn't have to be boring. A classroom without social media doesn't have to be boring. However, there are times and places where books with pictures have their place and can be just as exciting. A classroom with social media is just a new way to enhance learning just like a picture book. Finding the right place for a classroom to have social media and other technologies is a balance. When teachers have found that balance, it will benefit students in their learning both online and offline.

My only concern with using Social Media in the classroom is knowing what age is best to use these tools. Most of these websites assume that this issue is for older students like those in high school and college. As an eventual Elementary Education teacher, I want to know the use of social media for Elementary aged students especially if these students may not be on social media because they're under 13 years old. Edutopia has a great list of ways to use Social Media for the Elementary school setting (11). As long as it's being used as an educational enhancement, Social Media will benefit student's learning and slowly out weigh the unwilling views.

Sources:

(1) 7 ways to use social media and what it does: http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/social-media-teachers/

(2) Things to like about using Social Media in the classroom: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/using-social-media-classroom/

(3) A case for the use of Social Media in the Classroom: http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/

(4) Two Teacher's views on Social Media in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/

(5) The gray area for using social media in the classroom: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/17/check-out-that-selfie-how-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom

(6) Using Social Media in the classroom opinions: http://www.cio.com/article/2604686/social-media/is-social-media-reviving-or-killing-our-classrooms.html

(7) Pros & Cons of Social Media: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx

(8) More Pros & Cons: http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/6-pros-cons-social-media-classroom/

(9) A case against Social Media in the Classroom: http://andrewscampbell.com/2013/04/27/the-case-against-social-media-in-education-2/

(10) A "‘banned unless required’" approach: https://medium.com/@cshirky/why-i-just-asked-my-students-to-put-their-laptops-away-7f5f7c50f368

(11) A view of using Social Media in the Elementary School setting: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland

Cell Phones in School: Should Kids be Allowed to Use Them?

With technology growing more and more advanced, kids both old and young are seen everywhere carrying a fancy smartphone. New apps are constantly being invented or created for these phones. In a sense each child is carrying around their own mini computer. I am not an owner of a smartphone, but I see great potential in what they can do and aspire to be the owner of one someday. However, with the rise of these phones, should teachers allow kids to take advantage of their uses in the world of education? Or will these phones cause too much of a distraction with social media, texting, and games? Let's take a look at both sides of the situation.

According to Family Education, there are many pros to kids having cellphones in school. These include parents having the ability to monitor their child's whereabouts, kids being able to contact somebody instantly in the case of an emergency, using them as a means of research without having to use a computer, and they can be turned on or off depending on if the situation calls for them. The website also mentions a few cons which include ringtones disrupting the class, distractions from learning, cyberbullying, and especially cheating.

An online article taken from a Scholastic magazine talked briefly about this topic as well. It gave a few concerns about having cellphones and then described the benefits. The biggest point about the benefits is the idea that kids can use them when necessary. "You can't schedule for surprises. School violence, terrorist attacks, and medical emergencies can happen at any time." On the flip side though, the article also talks about how schools already have phones provided for such a case. "All schools have telephones in the classroom or main office. Children are allowed access to those phones as long as they are not distracting the class. Everyday details and emergencies can be handles through the school."

An article on Kwikboost discussed seven reasons why kids should definitely be allowed to carry cellphones at schools. Their argument explained how cellphones can help prepare kids for the real world once their adults. Having them teaches the kids how to use them responsibly. They make detention more bearable and also just keeps the kids happy. They are also seen as a great learning tool since smartphones have access to the internet. It also makes the claim that some teachers like to take notes on their phones in class, so letting kids have them too eliminates that double standard.

In a teen edition of the New York Times, both sides of the argument are presented yet again--this time by other educators. The one who said phones should be banned claimed that "A student with a cell phone is an uninterested student, one with a short attention span who cares more about socializing than education." She says this from her own experiences teaching; many students would fail her classes or drop out of school because they were always seen playing on the phones. The teacher who said that they should be allowed agreed with the previous teacher about them being a distraction. She does want them to stay though as a safety precaution. She doesn't support them so much in the classroom as she does outside the classroom when the students are traveling to and from school or participating in extracurricular activities.

My view on the matter is this: I believe that cellphones should be allowed in schools but only under certain conditions. I'm fine with kids using them in between classes, before school, and after school. The only time I would let kids use them in class would be when internet research is required for the lesson and we're unable to get into a room with computers. Or, if there are more students than computers, I would allow the remaining students to use them. I do believe that they're a distraction, but I as a future educator think that when necessary we can teach these kids to use this everyday object as a tool for educational growth. Again, when necessary. As someone going into music, I probably will not be needing students to use them in my music classroom.

Sources:

http://life.familyeducation.com/cellular-telephones/school/51264.html
http://district.auburn.cnyric.org/departments/science/g6e4.pdf
http://www.kwikboost.com/7-reasons-students-allowed-use-cell-phones-school/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/debate/index.asp?article=d1211

Fractions Mind Map

Used WiseMapping.com