Running Head: REFLECTION

Mike Winters
MAT 736
Learning Technologies & Social Media
Week 8: Reflection Paper

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There have been many positive effects since integrating social media into my
classroom. First, students have become very excited for the activities involving social
media, because they know it means they get to utilize technology (Tomaszewski, 2012).
They also know that social media means they will be communicating and sharing
information with an audience outside of their classroom. As second graders, this is a very
exciting and intriguing concept. Second, their understanding of how technology shapes
our lives has changed. The majority of my students used technology for pure
entertainment, such as playing games or watching videos. Now, they see how technology
and social media are platforms for the 4 Cs (Communication, Collaboration, Critical
Thinking, and Creativity) in education. Finally, the students have become more
responsible in other areas of their lives. This is due to the level of required responsibility
they have learned and gained from using social media in school.
Social media can be utilized in many different aspects within the classroom. My
students have already begun sending out live tweets about what the class is studying and
important events. Some of the parents have begun following the class account and have
left positive feedback! I will also be starting a class channel on YouTube to share relevant
videos to what the class is studying and screen captures to create videos and playlists of
current topics being studied. I can also create videos showing how parents can access
websites and features within the websites their children utilize, such as IXL. (Chadband,
N.D.).
Developing my knowledge and understanding of how to best utilize technology
and social media in my class is one of my main goals. Besides one other teacher who is in
this course too, no other teacher has begun utilizing social media in my school. It is

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exciting to be one of the first, but it also means I have fewer colleagues to use as
resources. I am interested in learning how to get my building principal and other
administrators more excited, open, and willing to utilize technology in general. There is
so much my district could be doing differently that would really improve the educational
experience of our students!
Social media can be applied to all the parts of the USM conceptual framework of
Knowledge in Action. It is especially relevant to Clarifying, Examining, and Improving
and Implementing Better Action. Social media can be used to research/review, gather
information to solve a problem, generate alternatives, and advocate solutions. This is one
of the key elements of social media in the classroom, because students are able to connect
with other students and share ideas.
The five standards of the National Board Professional Teaching Standards are
evident in all aspects of my new knowledge. Having a strong commitment to students
should be the goal of every teacher. My commitment to my students is reflected upon the
implementation of social media within my classroom. The sharing of ideas and engaging
in conversations through social media are excellent examples of a learning community.
From discussions with my peers and the viewing of their projects I have gained a wealth
of knowledge. To better meet the needs of my students I implemented several social
media apps or websites to allow my students to utilize the 4 Cs. Dedicating my money,
time, and energy into this program and action research project reflect how I am trying to
improve my craft. Receiving useful feedback and constructive criticism on my forum
posts, papers, and presentations show how I am constantly thinking about improving and
learning about my own abilities (National Board Professional Teaching Standards, 2014).

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The USM Graduate Program Outcomes are very evident in my new knowledge of
social media, but a few truly standout. GPO #1 (candidates draw from their knowledge of
education theory and research to undergird the formal and informal education processes
that impact P-12 students' learning and the learning environment) is a prominent concept
of having a flipped classroom. Students learn and share ideas through social media,
which puts the students in control of their education and takes the spotlight off the
teacher. The utilization of social media is more of the informal aspect of the education
process, but in the years to come it will transition to the formal side. GPO #5 (candidates
implement appropriate instructional models, strategies, and technologies to enhance the
learning of all students) was very evident in this course, because of all the teaching and
modeling that went into introducing my students to social media. The students also
learned strategies to share their ideas through social media apps and websites.
Technology played a major role, because without the technology social media would not
exist (Graduate Program Outcomes, 2013).
Teachers do not possess much power or say when it comes to school policy. I
have an administration that lacks the will and the desire to transform our district into a
sound 21st century district. The few administrators that were technology driven have since
moved on to other districts. To create change in such an atmosphere you need to start
small. I have shared much of what I have learned in this course about social media with
my building principal. She has been very open-minded so far. As I implement more and
more technology and social media into my classroom, it will become past practice in
time. This will allow me to push the envelope further and hopefully other administrators
will take notice and appreciate what I have done. This will spark a change in my school

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and the other schools too. Parents have the loudest voices when it comes to change in
schools. My class parents all have been thrilled with how their children are utilizing
social media in the classroom. Soon, parents in other classes will be asking why their
children are not doing the same in their respective classrooms. This will create a large
movement to incorporate more technology and social media into the other classrooms.

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6
References

Chadband, E. (N.D.) Social media made simple. National Education Association.

Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/tools/53459.htm
Graduate Program Outcomes. (2013). Retrieved from https://engage.stmary.edu/learn/
pluginfile.php/57618/mod_book/chapter/2137/MAT%20GPO%20Chart.pdf
National Board Professional Teaching Standards. (2014). Retrieved from
http://www.nbpts.org/five-core-propositions
Tomaszewski, J. (2012). Study suggests benefits of social media in the classroom.
Education World. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/studysuggests-social-media-has-place-in-classrooms.shtml