How to Use Social Media in Your Classroom
As I prepare to teach this fall, I can’t help but take some time to assess the tools that I have in my toolbox and think about which ones to use and why. Just because I know a website application exists doesn’t mean that I need it.
Here are my thoughts so far:
Coveritlive is a liveblogging tool that could be used when an educator is at a professional conference. He or she could live blog and interact with students in the process. Participants can ask questions. The questions can be posted on the blog with moderator’s approval. Now that Coveritlive allows other moderators and gives the option to incorporate Twitter feeds, in addition to embedding videos, adding images and polls and many other very useful features integrating it in a course makes sense. Students can use it to cover stories and share educational experiences in real time. You can embed the code on your website and the session is archived. This is fertile ground for research. Think about it, not only could you research the topic but also the cognitive process. It takes quite a bit to cover an event, answer questions in real time and keep up with the Twitter feed, etc.
Utilizing audio/videconferencing to enhance the classroom experience is an inexpensive way to tap into expertise. Students at Howe Public Schools in Oklahoma under the leadership of Tammy G. Parks have been using Skype to interview professionals. They also produce CLE Live an online show for free, barring the cost of computers of course. It has been a very positive experience for all involved. Likewise, you can invite industry leaders to participate in liveblogging as well.
If you claim to be an educated person, stop saying you hate something before you try it. You want students to care about topics, they don’t know. Yet, when faced with something new, some of you are not setting a good example. Twitter is just a tool. You don’t have to use it. However, you should understand how to use it in order to do right by your students. In short, use Twitter for research. Go to summize.com and search any topic in real time. If you get a Twitter account, use Twellow to find people to follow. Download Power Twitter to improve your interface. Add Tweetdeck to separate followers into groups on Twitter. Let students find knowledgeable people in the field of study. Once you have followers, ask relevant questions. Follow the links that people share. Read them. This is a research tool and much more. It is a critical tool in the news gathering and disseminating process. Don’t over TWEET. Don’t SELL. Use it wisely, strategically.
Twitcam is a new addition to the Twitter arsenal. It combines the real time micro blogging tool with the ability to go live thanks to a partnership with Livestream. You could lecture from an onsite location, provide regular updates for students, students could do the same.
Facebook is much more than just a social networking site, you can experiment with setting a up a group like my Mass Media class inspired by Brian Steffen’s Media Law and Ethics group (please join them and help us educate the future). I have no idea if this will work. I know I post many, many links on media on a regular basis. How much will students read? Will students interact with each other? non-classmates? Will they post articles? Will they understand the concept of crowdsourcing? A lot of that burden falls squarely on my ability to facilitate. At least, we have a place to do so.
Blogs, been there, done that. I had blogs for 3 classes last semester. They are still there, Practicum Pioneers is one example. We, Paul Chenoweth and I had students create tutorials about different web applications from OOVOO to then Mogulus which is now Livestream. There were too many blogs for me to manage. I still advocate making sure students know how to set them up, post to them, make comments and how they are used in their respective fields of study. Students should also read and follow relevant blogs as well. They should use Google Reader or a similar application to follow syndicated blogs which is basically what RSS is. If you go this route, be sure you don’t commit to monitoring the site on a 24/7 basis. Empower students to check each other’s posts.
Of course, what is a course without You Tube. Whether you create videos or watch them, this can be a useful tool. A professor can tape his/her lecture post a short clip on You Tube or a longer clip with better quality on Vimeo. Students can interview people for research or video tape relevant art or what have you. The possibilities are really endless.
For social networking, consider using Tumblr, Ning, or Kick Apps.
To capture anything that’s on your computer screen for up to 5 minute use Jing Project. That’s how my students recorded their tutorials.
I’ll stop here for now, please share other tools and let me know how you use them.
Excellent resources. Thank you for sharing.