EDIM 508 Unit 5 Summary Posting

Student Publishers
Ive enjoyed reading your discussions this week. I hope that the readings have better
opened your mind to theway students connect outside of the classroom and to the content
they create and share.
Id like to highlight some thoughts from this weeks discussion.

Allyson- I really think educating students about proper internet usage is the
best way to eliminate potential issues. We rotate on a cycle day system and once every 6 days we conduct class
meetings. This is where students can work on team building. share bullying problems going on in school, and
we spend time talking about social media and proper use. Social media discussions happen more frequently in
7th and 8th grade but it is a discussion we start in 6th grade. It is important for students to know what is
acceptable and not acceptable to post online. Students also need to be aware of the effects of cyberbullying and
how to proper use technology.

Brendan- Distractions are all around our students so really it comes down to the management of
the individual teacher in order to be successful. Does that mean then that sites like social media and other
forms of online communication should not be featured inside a classroom? Absolutely not. We have spent a lot
of time reading about this idea that we are preparing our students for a world that simply does not exist yet.
While difficult to do, if teachers were able to utilize some of the main principles of social media such as quick
messaging, commenting and liking posts, they could show students how these sites can be used both responsibly
as well as efficiently.

Brett- What is made clear by the research is educators must develop a way to create opportunities
for student so create and communicate via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Vine and utilize smartphones to
do so. Of course doing so opens up the possibility of many issues. We are all aware of the problems teens have
with cyber bullying as well as their potential to send/post materials not appropriate for school. Another
challenge is that despite the extremely high rates of smartphone and computer usage there will always be
students who do not have access.

Brian I do believe social media has had a negative effect on our ability to communicate as a
society. We no longer seem to talk. How many times have you gone to eat and the people across from you are
not talking but texting each other and posting their dinner to Facebook or checking in. We are moving away
from being able to talk to each other and only "talk/tweet/text" in small bursts. In the global marketplace we
need to have social skills and be able to communicate face to face or even through email (but detailed). We
seem to be losing the ability to have "social grace". We just put it all out there and don't think of the
consequences.

Carla-

Cayce- In this world of internet and social media, I feel

education is at a disadvantage. We are not using this new world to
our advantage. The only thing these numbers tell me it that the
internet/mobile devices and social media are not going away. So why
are educators trying to fight it? Instead of using the fact that almost
all of our students have access to the internet, we insist they
unplug for school work. How are you taking advantage of social
media? Wouldnt it be easier if we stopped fighting with students to
unplug and embraced the technology in an effort to help us teach them?

Christine- I am a supporter of social media and feel that it can be used in incredible ways in the
classroom, but have noticed that it has become a resource students would like to rely on. They are much more
confident sharing their opinions and ideas on social media, rather than in person. This is dangerous because
we are seeing a generation who prefer to work from behind a screen, so we will lose student interest in the
professions that require public speaking.

Jennifer- Perhaps the difference maker that separates successful teachers from those who struggle
is their ability to adapt and change as our society around us changes. The fight to stay relevant is a tough
one. Certainly not quite as hard for myself with regards to social media as an elementary educator, but I can
appreciate what a challenge it must be for those with older students.

Julie- I believe that we are doing a better job of staying connected to people than we would have
been able to in the past. I understand the nostalgia around phone calls and writing letters but I also think that
we have more people in our lives than we ever had. I believe social media has helped me be a better
communicator. That being said, my students are so young that I do not know what effect it will have on
them. Social media did not really explode until I was out of college.

Keely- Bottom line, I think the benefits of having students use digital media in the classroom far
outweigh the risks of having students be side tracked online. However, I do think the biggest issue is simply
availability. Like you stated, there will absolutely be students without access to a smartphone or computer.
Unfortunately, I do not think there is any way around this other than our schools recognizing the importance of
technology in our classrooms and by adapting each activity for students who do not have easy access to digital
media outside of the classroom.

Keith- As we all know the tools needed to be successful at any age change dramatically as does
the maturity and responsibility level of each individual. Each grade provides its own unique learning
opportunities where Web 2.0 tools helps create students connections with the content, one of the major factors
in acquiring new content (Galagan, 2010). I believe each grade level teacher needs to keep the core learning
objectives as the focal point of their instruction.

Kelly- While we know that many students are on these sites, with or without parent permission,
educators must be carefully informed about the implications of encouraging student use outside of the TOS
regulations. Classtools is a great option for harnessing opportunities to think critically and creatively,
considering the perspectives of others and relationships with peers. It just is a regulated alternative!

Kevin- While I know it would be much tougher to try

and add a filter to many of the social networking sites that our
students are using outside of the classroom, I think that a safeguard
of this nature is necessary to avoid some of the problems that you
mentioned in your post. Unfortunately, until these kinds of filters or
safeguards are put in place, we are at somewhat of a disadvantage
in that if we want to utilize the technology we are running the risk of
our students seeing/posting something inappropriate. In my opinion,
this is too large of a risk to want to implement these kinds of tools in
the classroom.

Kristin M.- I am thinking that like anything else in the

world, everything in moderation or under some type of supervision is
okay. The use of technology gets out of control and problematic
when, again like anything else, there is not the right support and teaching. As far as social media having a
negative effect on our ability to communicate, I would have to say no. However, it is the job of the parents and
teachers to remind students that the way we talk on the Internet is different than how we speak to people in
person.

Kristin P. If we had unlimited funds, we would absolutely be embracing all of this technology we
now have access too. But I fear it's a funding issue. In terms of integrating social media, I can understand the
hesitation of some teachers to use that. So many students do not use it appropriately and it could cause
problems within the classroom. I'm sure there is a safe and less risky way to integrate, but figuring out that
happy medium seems to be the biggest challenge for teachers.

Matthew Social Media has had positive and

negative effect on our society. The positives being that we
can communicate with others half way across the globe in a
blink of a eye and be able to look up things in a matter of
seconds. However, it has really hindered our ability to
hold conversations with others when only feet away from
them.

Megan I want every teacher to have media

expectations, as well as classroom expectations. I want students to know that the person on the other side of the
screen is real, and that they matter. I want our troublemakers to realize that the problems they bring about by
use of social media will have the same consequences as the ones that they start in person. And I want our
teachers to realize that there is limitless potential that most students carry in their pockets, and that we need to
work together as a community (students, teachers, parents, administrators, and support staff) to create an
environment where we can tap that potential and make our school a better place because of it.

Michael In my experience our ability to communicate is more a function of how our immediate
family communicates. Communication seems to be much more a product of nurture than nature, and the way we
learn to communicate early in our life tends to direct the choices we make as to how we express ourselves. I
typically observe that students who can communicate clearly and confidently with adults come from families
that put a high value on clear and formal communication with each other. Students who lack this ability may
use social media, but they also typically lack this focus in family communication as well.

Rachel Technology has its ups and downs. While it can lead to more academic integrity issues, it
also has a lot of promise for creativity. Students love to share things. I have seen countless students show their
friends something on their phones whether it was something they created and posted or something someone else
created and posted. They are also willing to show each other how different technology tools work after they
figure them out. So even though they can cheat, and even though there can be technical difficulties, our students
are really into using technology, especially social media. So if we can develop projects that use that, it would
definitely increase student engagement

Shannon Students definitely want to be connected more than ever now. As for the cheating thing, I
think it is just one of the evils for this. I know I have a decent group of students who are going to do anything
they can to take a short cut on an assignment or test. They just seem so lazy and if there is a way that saves
them work, they will use it. Being online and within social media makes this much easier to do.

Thomas While I think social media has affected society, I don't think it has had a negative effect on
communication, especially for people who may have trouble communicating in the first place. I think for the shy
people in the world it may overall be helpful.
To sum up, I think the best way to stop students doing things they shouldn't is by knowing as much as you can
about the media that you use in class. Will it be foolproof? Most likely not, but the more you know the more
prepared you can be.