Social Media Mania

I'm a big sister to a very tall, cowboy boot wearing, little brother. He is four years younger than me but has towered over me for the past six. I continue to pride myself on the balance of support and ridicule I give this barely 18-year-old brother of mine, and yet one thing he has always one-upped me on was technology. I am a millennial, but I still remember the days of one computer households, paperback textbooks, and the introduction of the smart board to classrooms. I remember having to take pictures of my math textbook in 8th-grade because there were not enough copies for each student to take home. My 6th-grade computer class consisted of typing skills and using Paint. My brother, on the other hand, was learning photoshop in 6th-grade and by his freshman year of high school, he had online textbooks that he could access from his Ipad which allowed him to highlight and make notes in the margin. 

Now I had these tools by the time I reached college and writing papers from the comfort of my living room rather than using the dewy decimal system for hours in the library is more than convenient. I use apps, social media, and the internet every day while in school. I check RateMyProfessor.com to plan my schedule, blackboard to check class announcements, Slader.com to look up textbook solutions, WolframAlpha to check calculus answers, and Pinterest to look up ideas for class projects. My whole college education can be found in my computer history. Blackboard has been the most helpful. I can keep up with my grades, email students for group projects, post on discussion boards, and schedule assignments by due dates. This app is more professional than social, but I have had many classes that used the discussion board to have students posting comments and opinions about articles and assignments assigned. It's been very helpful for organization and communication. I really can't imagine being in school without it.

Now every wonderful thing has its cons and the world wide web is no exception. Imagine this. You're studying for a huge exam tomorrow. Brushing up on formulas or facts and you get a direct message on Instagram. Your phone is right there. So you pick it up, watch the cute video of the kitten on a treadmill, send back "LOL OMG TOO CUTE". Well, then you look for a video to send back. After just a few minutes you send one of five golden retrievers running through the snow. Next thing you know you're in a puppy-kitten battle with your bestie trying to decide which fluffy animal you'll eventually get for yourself, you look back at your computer realizing an hour went by and it's midnight.

I can't tell you how many times something like this has happened to me and I'd bet my bottom dollar it's happened to you too. Distractions are more prevalent than ever before and I know if I am falling prone to the temptation of baby animal videos my students will too. I've spoken to many family members, my age and younger, and they've all admitted this with shameful nods. My one cousin says that she has to put her phone on silent at another table when she studies and still somehow resist the urge to stay off of Facebook on her laptop. She's a freshman in high school and showing more self-control than I do. My future students will have more education aimed technology than I would know what to do with right now, but they will also have more distractions and this is something to be cautious about. 

To support my students in using the internet as their own personal learning space I would love to find something that they can make their own. Whether it be a blog, website, or Pinterest page that they can decorate and share links to things they find interesting. I think it would be fun to have a weekly assignment where they find an experiment or science related article or video that they find interesting. They can post the link on their social media page, share why they find it interesting, and then watch and comment on other students interests as well. I think it's important to show students that they can have an opinion and have their own interests. We don't always have to feel the same way about a subject. This way a student who is more visual can look on Youtube, a student who loves reading can go on Google Scholar, a student who learns best audibly can find a podcast. 

Technology is giving us all the resources we need to be a greatly educated community, and it is our responsibility as future educators to figure out how to bed use those tools. 

~Allyson Bueno