Social media use in the classroom is a challenging topic for all schools. Many of my students spend more than an hour a day on social media sites. It has become a real-time link to all their friends. However it is also evident that students use the social media sites to bully and ostracize other students. The bullying goes on for weeks before it is brought to the attention of others that can help address the situation. Social media can also be an opportunity for teachers. It can motivate students to apply their technology skills to develop educational messages and collect data for their classroom. Using social media sites in a classroom setting helps students learn appropriate etiquette and responsible internet practice. For social media to be used in the classroom, it may need to be monitored by parents, students, administrators, and teachers. But the risk of abuse also needs to be considered to protect the students. A school community needs to develop expectations and provide instruction to develop mature and responsible ways of using social media. The decision to use social media in the classroom should include the entire school community.
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Makey Makey Grant
I got this grant on Donorschoose for six Makey Makey kits. Our club had our first meeting this week and this is the thank you letter that I posted to our donors. I was so surprise with how easy Makey Makey is to use with student and I just wanted to share with you what happened the first day.
September 12th was our first club meeting day. In the morning, I handed out the lunch passes to my students and I was ready to play. Lunch time came and I only had one of the twelve students in my room. What?!!!
I went to the cafeteria and gathered my club members and two more students decided to come along. I showed a quick video about “Makey Makey” and gave a quick overview of our new “Maker Space” while the students ate. That’s when I finally saw their excitement. “WOW! Can we do that?” I heard several students say.
Within minutes, the students were up and opening their “Makey Makey” boxes. Soon we had computer games, a 6 fruit-key piano, a beat box/drum station, and one student trying to run a new game he developed in C. All this on the Makey Makey. All of the projects were set up and run entirely by the students. We called our club a “Maker Space”. That meant that the students would explore, design, and share their experiences as a community. When two students heard the drum set and wanted to develop a drum station, they went and got help directly from the students that had originally designed it. By the end of the lunch, we had several pianos made out of fruits, noses, and play dough. It was an awesome way for students to explore and showcase electronic projects.
When our time had run out, there was a happy chaotic clean up. I had to write 6 passes because we were unable to pull ourselves away from our newly formed “Maker Space”. Every student left our club saying ‘thank you’ several times and quickly telling me what they wanted to do next week. I am eagerly anticipating what crazy projects the students will develop next.