Blog Post #1: Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Tanjenae. This is my first semester in the graduate program and I am getting my Master’s as a Mild/Moderate Intervention Specialist. For one of my classes we were instructed to create a blog. Our first blog entry had to introduce ourselves to the blogging world and talk about our social media experience. So here we go!

When it comes to social media, I can say that I do not have much experience. I do have a Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram but I rarely use my Twitter (mainly because I do not see the difference between it and Facebook) and I only have an Instagram so people would stop asking me why I did not have one. Overall, I use my Facebook the most to check in on people, see how everyone is doing who moved away, and to remember birthdays. When asked the question “how do you represent yourself in the world of social media” my response is simple, I don’t. I am not one to post things about myself or really anything because I do not like posting information about myself for the world to see. So, if you were wondering, no I am not thrilled about having to A) make a blog about myself and B) having it posted for my Twitter world to see. But, I know that I need to become comfortable with doing this to become a more well-rounded educator. What kind of teacher would I be if I assign a project like this to my students when I can’t even do it myself?

But the question we were all asked to discuss is, should social media be used in a classroom? My initial thought was “absolutely not, this is just a way for students to become more distracted than they already are”. But, after thinking about it and reading the two articles written by teens I think that teachers should use social media in a classroom more. I agree with each of their perspectives and think that adding social media in a classroom will keep students more engaged because it is what they are interested in.  I think that if that is what is going to hold their attention and keep them engaged, then why not try to incorporate learning with Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever else middle schoolers are using today?  

If used properly and in an educational way, I do not see a problem with using social media in a classroom. But the question I pose is, how do you intertwine social media and school so students are doing what they love most but are also engaging their minds and learning information? One example that the article My Favorite Teachers Use Social Media had was that her math teacher used Instagram to post homework assignments and test reminders so when they scroll through, it would pop up for them to see in their feed. This teacher did not use it in the classroom but she did it in a way that gave students no reason to say "I didn't know we had homework" because she made reminders on something that they go on everyday if not every hour. I really like that idea and will plan on using that in the future, instead of just having an Instagram just to say I do. Throughout this class I hope two things happen: 1. I become a better blogger and 2. I gather more ideas just like that to incorporate into the classroom environment. Even though it will be a little difficult to get the hang of and it will take trial and error, I know that my future students will appreciate the effort of me trying to connect to them.