Conversation topics for educators in the age of social media

Used effectively, social media can provide one of the most meaningful and powerful learning platforms available. Yet, in many cases, we don't have conversations about recommended practices and practices that teachers may want to reconsider. These conversations are important if we want to support others in dipping their toes (or diving) into these waters.   Below are some conversation starters about social media use. These may be helpful for educators to discuss and consider how teachers are engaging where you work. As you review this list, know that this is not the same old do's and don'ts list. Times are changing. Out with "don't talk to strangers" and in with "considering ways to help students in engage responsibly with strangers online to build their learning network." Take a look at the advice below. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? What's missing?

Has Google replaced teaching?

Student to teachers at #tltf13 "You don't need to teach us. That is what Google is for." #StuVoice #edchat
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

This is what a passionate student told a room full of educators at the 2013 Tech Forum in New York in response to a question from social studies teacher Melissa Seideman. She was asking how Digital Native students prefer learning when it comes to technology use.

Other students chimed in telling teachers this:

If I can't figure something out I prefer to text or message a friend rather than ask a teacher. -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

They are doing what adults would call, "reaching out to their personal learning network."

The students had more advice for teachers:

"It is annoying when teachers try to teach us. We like to learn by trying it ourselves." -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

In conversation with a Tweep that inquired about my Tweet, I explained... 

@ChrisWejr Students were saying universally they prefer teachers step back & let them figure it out unless they asked for help @garystager
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

These young people are not alone. Connected educators have been learning using the internet and their network for quite some time. We know learning is no longer something that is confined to a certain place, at a certain time, from a certain teacher.  

This may not be the way all, or even most, students like to learn, but it certainly is representative of quite a few. How does practice change if we are teaching students who want teachers to step aside so they can learn via their preferred method of Googling and messaging friends?

4 Ways Graphite Review Program Connects Educators #CE13

Ever wonder which app or website would be best to meet your student’s learning objectives? 

What better way to find out than to connect with other educators using these resources? Well now you can do just that. Graphite, a new service from Common Sense Media, features over 500 reviews of apps and websites, rated for learning potential with tips for how to integrate them into your curriculum. 

But, it’s not only a place to learn about resources. Graphite also provides a venue for educators to share their own insights for using these products effectively. There are lots of ways that educators can share best practices for integrating technology into the classroom and to connect with one another on the site. Read on to discover four of them.

Four ways educators are leveraging Graphite

Interested in #BYOD? Become a #ConnectedEducator! #CE13

This article originally appeared at Partners in Learning - 1:1 Hot Topics.

So, you’re interested in supporting bring your own device (BYOD) where you work Congratulations! You are not alone, but you will need support. There is no better way to support your students for real-world learning than providing settings they encounter in the real world. One of the best ways to get started and keep going is by developing your professional learning network of others who are also involved in this work.  

Here are some resources to do just that.  

Learning Community

Join a vibrant connected educators learning community for those interested in discovering what it means when we empower students to BYOD that meets all year long in a variety of platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Google). Those interested, can even earn 18 contact hours. Find out more here.

Twitter

• Chat
  #BYOTchat
  Online Twitter chat every Thursday from 9:00-10:00 PM (EST)
• Popular hashtags
  #BYOD #BYOT #BYOTchat
• People BYODList
  A list of educators who discuss BYOD / BYOT

Facebook

• BYOD / BYOT K-12 Page A place to celebrate your BYOD / BYOT success with the public.

LinkedIn

• K-12 BYOD A forum for EDU professionals to share their experience with safely and easily on-boarding student and teacher devices to school networks. This group is managed and moderated by Bradford Networks, a leading security software company that provides educational institutions with a foundation for enabling secure bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives.

ScoopIt!

• BYOD or BYOT @ School
  Resources & links relating to 'Bring Your Own Device/Technology' policies in schools

Pinterest

• BYOD on Pinterest
  Collection of resources and links from the New Tech Network which works to develop innovative public high schools that promote deeper learning, project-based learning and 1:1 technology

Blog

• The BYOT Network
  Through networking with technology tools we experience new ideas, form communities, and collaborate to design solutions to problems. This blog addresses issues related to learning in a connected network that is facilitated by the tools of our digital culture – our personal technology devices.  Author Tim Clark offers advice and support to professionals interested in learning more about how to help students use their own technology to support their learning.

Wiki

• BYOD Wiki Various BYOD resources in wiki format

Collection

• Cybraryman’s BYOD / BYOT page
  Here you will find articles, policies, ideas for securing devices and more.

Guide

• Mobile Devices for Learning: What You Need to Know Getting kids engaged with learning, focused on working smarter, and ready for the future. This guide can help you better understand how mobile gadgets -- cell phones, tablets, and smartphones -- can engage students and change their learning environment.

Book

• Teaching Generation Text  
  From policy to parent permission, from discipline to classroom management this book provides a wealth of useful resources including lesson plans and research-based teaching strategies.

These are just some places you can go to get connected to other BYOD educators. Which of these places do you think you may visit to get connected? Do you have some other places, not listed here?

5 ideas for #ConnectedEducators to connect students #CE13

This piece was originally posted last year in SmartBlog on Education in Ideas that Work, Social Media in Education as part of Connected Educator Month. This takes place this year in October. The U.S. Department of Education’s Connected Educators initiative seeks to celebrate and encourage educators at all levels to collaborate and participate in online learning resources and communities. This piece  is just as relevant today, as it was last year when it was written to support this initiative.

 

Unlike their parents, today’s students can communicate, collaborate, cooperate, and connect with the world in meaningful ways that were never before possible. It is incumbent upon educators to support students in doing this effectively in order to empower them to do work that will not only lead them to personal success, but is also worthy of the world.

So, how can educators do this?

Here are five ways to help your students get connected: