Presented at the Madison County Teachers' Institute on Oct. 5, 2012

1. 21stCentury Teaching:
Using Social Media
in the Classroom
Kelly Gardner
East Alton-Wood River High School
kgardner@eawr.org
http://eawrenglish.wordpress.com
@eawrenglish
http://eawrenglish.tumblr.com/

2. Language & Communication has
changed:

3. As a result, the 21st Century
teacher should move from this
frame of mind:

4. To this frame of mind:

5. We really need to get away from
this:
It’s just not realistic these days.

6. In my classroom,
I try to teach students to use
these for GOOD, not evil.
Thankfully, my administrators are okay with that. (Hi,
Admins!)

7. Why I let my students use smart
phones in class:
 Smart phones are just little computers.
 They are the primary way through
which students communicate these
days.
 They are not going away.
 It’s easier to embrace technology than
it is to ignore or fight it.
 Students are going to use them
anyway.
 They can make learning more fun.
 They allow students to access social

8. So, what exactly IS social
media?
Our trusty friends* at Wikipedia say:
Social media employ web- and mobile-
based technologies to support interactive
dialogue and “introduce substantial and
pervasive changes to communication
between organizations, communities,
and individuals.”
Social media technologies take on many
different forms including magazines,
Internet forums, blogs, wikis, social
networks, podcasts, pictures, video,
rating and social bookmarking.

9. Another definition:
According to Social Media Defined:
Social Media is the future of
communication, a countless array of
internet based tools and platforms that
increase and enhance the sharing of
information. This new form of media
makes the transfer of text, photos,
audio, video, and information in
general increasingly fluid among
internet users.

10. Oooo, here’s a good one!
Daniel Nations (about.com) writes:
The best way to define social media is to break it down.
Media is an instrument of communication, like a
newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social
instrument of communication.
Social media sites don’t just give you information, but
interacts with you while giving you that information. This
interaction can be as simple as asking for your
comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be
as complex as Flixster recommending movies to you
based on the ratings of other people with similar
interests.
Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can
read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but
you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on
the matter.
Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that
gives you the ability to communicate too.

11. Why should teachers use social
media with students?
 According to Wikipedia*, in 2012
social media became one of the most
powerful sources for news updates
through platforms like
Twitter&Facebook.
 About 1.43 billion people are
predicted to use social networking
this year, according to digital
marketing company eMarketer(Ohio
State University).

12. Another reason why:
Jason Falls argues that “teachers who resist using
social media in the classroom are stripping their
students of an essential component of their future
success. Avoiding–or worse, banning–social media
platforms for students prohibits them from being
successful professionals in fields like accounting,
chemistry, the arts and more. Why so declarative?
Because social media have become the fabric of how
the world communicates.”
“In today’s business environment, someone lacking not
just an understanding but a working knowledge of
social media and social networking tools is at a
competitive disadvantage. Not preparing our young
people – whether in elementary, secondary or post-
secondary education environments – to not only have
but also excel with these skills means we are failing

13. More reasons why,
in no particular order:
 Journalism Professor Dave Copeland
writes, “There is a growing body of
scholarly research suggesting that, when
used properly, social media can boost both
learning outcomes and student
engagement.” [emphasis mine]
 Charlie Osborne points out that “Gen-Y and
younger generations are stereotypically
portrayed as being glued to their gadgets
and are known for using such devices for
social networking, games& entertainment
purposes. [You can] use this to your

14. And some more reasons why:
 University of Missouri journalism
professor Jen Lee Reeves says that
using Twitter during class discussions
“turns into kind of a live, flowing
notebook of what we've discussed in
class.”
 It has the potential to appeal to
different learning styles (Differentiated
Instruction, people!)
 Engagement! Engagement!

15. Social Media: Now with even
MORE reasons why!
 Promote digital citizenship :“It is
necessary for them to understand
privacy policies and the transfer of data
online. By using online platforms, these
lessons can be integrated within a more
traditional school curriculum.”
 Social constructivism, an aspect of social
learning theory which is supported by
research identifying factors leading to
college students’ success, says that
people learn most effectively when they
interact with other learners.

16. In summary:

17. How teachers can use social
media successfully
&appropriately:
 Keep professional profiles public.
 Encourage other teachers, administrators,
and parents to use social media, too.
 Strongly encourage (that is, require)
students to use it appropriately for their
audience (no curse words, racy pictures,
inappropriate updates/retweets/links, etc.).
 Update profile/sites frequently.
 Include information that students will want
and need to look at.
 Don’t go overboard with too many sites

18. How I use blogs:
http://eawrenglish.wordpress.com
 Daily activities & assignments
 Contact information
 Helpful links
 Reading recommendations
 Important dates/deadlines
 Display myTwitter feed (more on that
later)

19. How my students use blogs:
http://eawrap.wordpress.com
http://eawrce.wordpress.com
http://eawrenglish2.wordpress.com
 Have an audience for their writing
 Publish research to share with peers
 Presentations all in one place
 Can respond to each other’s work

20. How I use Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EAWRenglish
 Post reminders/announcements
 Share interesting information/links
 Ask & answer questions
 Collect/share assignments
 Encourage class participation
 Check progress
 Communicate with parents
 Create a learning community outside
the classroom

21. Example Twitter assignment:
from Janet Allen’s Plugged In to Reading program

22. Other ways to use Twitter:
 Backchanneling: students ask questions or
make comments during reading, class
discussion, watching films.
 Conduct scavenger hunts (tweet what you
find).
 Role-playing literature (tweet as a
character).
 Practice concise writing.
 Get in touch with authors & scholars.
 Creative writing.
 Practice writing summaries.

23. 25 ways to use Twitter:

24. How I use Tumblr:
http://eawrenglish.tumblr.com/
 Post examples of work
 Share lengthy info that won’t fit on
regular class blog
 Share extra information that doesn’t fit
on regular class blog

25. Hey, what about Facebook?
Some teachers do use Facebook for their
classes.

26. Other social media sites:
For online classrooms:
Wikispaces
edmodo
edublogs
Moodle
Schooltown
Ning
Blackboard *

27. Other social media sites:
For class discussion/information sharing:
Today’s Meet – to create temporary chat rooms.
Storify – to collect online resources, to “curate social
media” (here’s an example).
Google Docs – for peer editing & group projects.
Glogster – a visual network (creative).
Evernote – note-taking & organizing.
Dropbox – file sharing.
Poll Everywhere – instant audience feedback.
Library Thing – create an online library catalog.
TeacherTube&SchoolTube – video sharing.

28. And many more!

29. It’s not always sunny…
 Monitor student use.
 Unfollow or block students who use it
inappropriately.
 Technology gliches.
 Evil smart phone usage.
 Stress a procedure for using phones
in class.
 Students who don’t have access.

30. Please contact me if you
have questions!
Kelly Gardner
kgardner@eawr.org
http://eawrenglish.wordpress.com
@eawrenglish
http://eawrenglish.tumblr.com/
This presentation is available
on my tumblr page.