We've all been told cellphones are the bane of teachers' existence. So how do we combat the increasing number of cellphone distractions in our classrooms every year? We use them. The days of pure lecturing are gone for teachers.
Today, I got so many different ideas on how I will incorporate social media platforms in the classroom. Whether it's making creative Instagram and Twitter accounts for the various characters we cover in our literature or having kids use snapchat stories as a way to create 10 second videos about vocabulary we are learning, I know that these platforms can be used at tools in the classroom; they don't have to be seen as a distraction. It's all about finding that balance with technology usage as a teacher.
I didn't even think about snapchat for short videos! That could be such a great way for students to pull out the most important bits of info they found interesting. Or acting out vocabulary to show their comprehension. Using these platforms as assessments would get students so much more engaged, especially if they are already comfortable with the programs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsey that it is awesome you are planning to use platforms students already know to engage and assess them! I think that your students are really going to respond to you because they will see that you are working to understand them. I love your idea of having the students create social media accounts for characters. You could have characters from different novels converse with each other over a social media platform to compare the works. There are so many creative ways you could go!
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