Encouraging use of social media or banning the use in the classroom – why such polar viewpoints?  I believe that banning the use of social media stems directly from liability issues.  Because social media cannot be easily controlled, many school districts ban it’s use both in and out of the classroom.  Bullying is a key issue around this topic.  Students are more apt to say things when shielded behind a screen than face to face with another person.  Therefore many instances of bullying have occurred via social media.  Also some instances of inappropriate conversations or posts from students has also given social media a bad rap in the classroom.

On the other end of the spectrum, some school districts have embraced social media as a way to engage students in learning.  Students today have grown up with social media and they are comfortable with it.  Like it or not , it’s a main vehicle of communication among tweens and teens.  So instead of pushing against the use of social media, many classrooms are finding ways to successfully use this tool for learning.

I personally believe it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing mentality.  I think we can successfully use social media in the classroom with some guidelines and limits.  I for example have begun to use Edmodo in my class this year.  The format is similar to Facebook and the students seems to like it.  I do set expectations for it’s use and address any inappropriate behavior immediately.   My students have used this platform successfully so far and it’s an easy form of communication among my four classes.  I’m not quite as comfortable using other forms of social media in the classroom such as twitter or instagram just yet.  So I’m taking baby steps with Edmodo and may add more social media to my classroom in the future.  As I said above,  it doesn’t have to be all or nothing … take what you like and leave the rest.

My Kenan Fellowship experience has enriched me as an educator in many ways.  I’ve implemented many of the technology tools I learned at the Kenan PD such as Kahoot!, Edmodo, PowToon, Answer Garden and many others.  I’ve shared these in the classroom with my students and also with other educators.  Collaboraton with other teachers has also been a great take away from my fellowship experience.   Working in the lab with two other educators, Arthina Blanchard, 7th grade math teacher, and Amy Lawson, 8th grade science teacher, made a great experience even better.  Being able to share information and ideas was encouraging and rejuvenating to me as an educator.

The biggest change I plan to make this year is to create a bridge to real world science and what my students are doing in the classroom.  Having the hands on experience, working along scientists in the Genomics and Microbiology Lab has added depth to my understanding of science procedures in a laboratory setting.  I now have a much clearer picture of Dr. Julia Stevens Dirt is Alive Research.  I am much more confident to guide my students as they participate in this Citizen Science project.

As I’ve begun to implement my Kenan curriculum I’m realizing the importance of connections I’ve made through my fellowship.  Dr. Stevens kicked off my Diggin’ Dandelions lesson when she visited my classroom and solicited the help of my students in her research.  Having an actual scientist from the museum come into my classroom and ask for my students help was powerful … real world learning at it’s best.  My students felt important and a part of something real.  I plan to continue tapping into the connections I made at the museum throughout the rest of this year.  In January, we will participate in the SMARTS Program the museum offers.  We will skype with Dr. Julie Urban and Dr. Julia Stevens about the progress of our Dirt is Alive research.  My class will also visit the science museum and have a private tour in the Genomics and Microbiology Lab.

Many of my students’ parents work in STEM careers and I plan to invite them into the classroom to share some of their experiences as well.  I’ve come to realize the impact of bringing real world experiences into my classroom.  I want to make our studies more relevant and help students become aware of the many STEM career opportunities that are available to them.

Below are a few pictures of Dr. Stevens visiting my classroom and my students setting up their Diggin Dandelion Experiment.