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Healthy attitude crucial to online communication
By Chris Carter |
March 27, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MAYBE you Tweet, post to Facebook, and even know what your Kloutscore is, but social media continues to be hard to understand. As a team leader, tech coach and teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai High School, I wrestle with how social media impacts education. I know social media is here to stay, and that my students access it, through VPNs when necessary. The ubiquity of Internet access and smartphone coverage means attempts to stop students from staying connected will fail. Channeling social media in healthy ways, however, is possible.
Schools must be leaders in social media use, as it frees educators and students from the constraints of time and space. For example, at Concordia, ConcordiaPad, a Google Docs-like "notepad" is widely used. ConcordiaPad allows teams of students to post resources, chat live and leave notes for peers, at any place and time. This application revolutionizes my teaching in that I can see learning as it happens, drop in on the conversation, post my thoughts and support students through the research process. Further, ConcordiaPad keeps a record of every edit, so we can visit previous iterations of a discussion and reflect on our learning. Through the use of this powerful tech tool, I become a "guide on the side."
However, social media presents challenges to schools. Students are tempted to be off task, chatting with friends for example. The dangers of cyber bullying and online stalking exist. Schools are the proper vehicles for teaching information literacy and reinforcing character development. Information literacy equips students to usefully employ the power of social media. Character development ensures students are well-equipped for healthy relationships, fortifying teens to withstand the social and emotional challenges of growing up.
Finally, discussing social media in print is akin to describing a Van Gogh without the benefit of an image. So, let's talk online. (My LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/XjXgxf; My Twitter: christocarter; Let's Talk: http://bit.ly/15PGNDb)
(Chris Carter is High School Social Science teacher, team leader and technology coach of Concordia International school Shanghai.)
Schools must be leaders in social media use, as it frees educators and students from the constraints of time and space. For example, at Concordia, ConcordiaPad, a Google Docs-like "notepad" is widely used. ConcordiaPad allows teams of students to post resources, chat live and leave notes for peers, at any place and time. This application revolutionizes my teaching in that I can see learning as it happens, drop in on the conversation, post my thoughts and support students through the research process. Further, ConcordiaPad keeps a record of every edit, so we can visit previous iterations of a discussion and reflect on our learning. Through the use of this powerful tech tool, I become a "guide on the side."
However, social media presents challenges to schools. Students are tempted to be off task, chatting with friends for example. The dangers of cyber bullying and online stalking exist. Schools are the proper vehicles for teaching information literacy and reinforcing character development. Information literacy equips students to usefully employ the power of social media. Character development ensures students are well-equipped for healthy relationships, fortifying teens to withstand the social and emotional challenges of growing up.
Finally, discussing social media in print is akin to describing a Van Gogh without the benefit of an image. So, let's talk online. (My LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/XjXgxf; My Twitter: christocarter; Let's Talk: http://bit.ly/15PGNDb)
(Chris Carter is High School Social Science teacher, team leader and technology coach of Concordia International school Shanghai.)
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