Week 7 Post 3

Teacherstagram

As the social media manager for my school's online accounts I am no novice to using social media as a communication tool. However, I turned to Pinterest, Instagram, and Reddit for inspiration on other points of view. I came across this blog post called "Using Social Media in the Classroom!" She discusses how she uses Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for classroom communication and ways she uses each tool. Just like me she uses social media to archive student learning and communicate with families throughout the year. I think the most important decision to consider is knowing:

• Who will be viewing this? Students, families, strangers?
• How will you communicate the use of this with families?

She provides various resources at the bottom of the blog, so be sure to scroll and check those out! 

This Edutopia Youtube video "Using Instagram to Stay Connected with Students"

This video discusses how one teacher used social media to connect with students during the COVID lockdown, however I feel the sentiments can still carry over for those looking to start their own class instagram. I use my own teacher Instagram to communicate activities, post reminders, and archive some of my favorite learning experiences. I always share my Instagram with my student's families so they are aware of its use. I also follow and obey all of my district's guidelines on social media use and students. 

You can see examples of how I utilize my teacher instagram here:

View this profile on Instagram

Ms. Morris (@ms.morris.jr) • Instagram photos and videos

Week 7 Post 2

The Assignment is Posted on Instagram

This week I sought out lesson plan ideas that integrate social media for inspiration. I found a few resources. The University of San Diego's Professional and Continuing Education blog had some helpful lesson ideas to try:

• Using blogs to chart learning progress
• Using Instagram or TikTok for visual responses
• Using Twitter to illustratte the dangers of misinformation
• Use LinkedIn to help older students craft their resumes

The blog also identified best practices for integrating social media in education including:

• Set professional boundaries
• Prioritize increasing digital literacy
• Promote student achievements
• Manage multiple accounts from the same place

This blog got me brainstorming for my own ideas for social media lessons:

• Have students create a Pinterest board to represent a unit
• Have students blog from the point of view of a character or historical figure
• Use Intagram for students to share visual reflections of their learning for the week
• Host discussions on Twitter/X using a common hashttag
• Createt a class Youtube Channel for students to use and 
• Have students follow universities/colleges they are interested in applying in to learn more

I am excited to try implementing this in some of my future lessons. I believe utilizing a blog might be the most attainable for my entry into Web 2.0 platforms within the classroom.

Week 7 Post 1

FINALLY!

This was my initial thought when I saw this week's reading focused on designing instruction for social media. Previously, we had a learned a lot about the "what" and the "why" behind social media integration, but this week we finally are digging into the "how." 

When designing instruction for social media, you can still follow the ADDIE model we know and love as instructional designers. However there are some key guiding questions that need to be asked to give you the full SCOPE of the lesson:

• Does the use of social media add value to the learning activity?
• Are the conditions appropriate for using social media for this learning activity and this set of learners?
• Do the objectives relate directly or indirectly to social media use?
• Does the social media based learning environment support pedagogical approaches?
• Will the activity be ethically appropraitte, considering issues related to learner access, privacy, safety, and comfort?

Once you've analayzed the purpose for social media integration, you can move onto the design stage. This includes evaluating all of the logistics needed for proper integartion, however by the end of the desing phase the following should be complete:

• Learning Objectives set
• List of Learning Events (and time needed) set
• Learning Content identified
• Tools identified
• Assessment format and content identified 

The development stage requires you to consider everything your students will need to access or interact with the social media based learning. Development can occur concurrently to design. Things you may need to develop when teaching with social media are directions and tutorials. Learners must know what is expected of them in the dynamic learning environment and how to use the tools you are requiring of them. Target Artifacts are a key way to show students what is expected of them. This creates a ledge for your students to jump off into the innovative world of social media. It is important to note the learner's themselves will shape the learning environment as they begin to collect, curate, and construct knowledge. However, they will still need assistance in where to start. In the words of Dr. Dennan: no one likes a blank page. Otherwise students might look like Spongebob trying to write an essay as they embark on the new digital landscape.

Week 6 Post 3

Show What You Know: Networked Knowledge Activities

Networked knowledge activities not only enhance learning but also empower learners to take control of their educational journey. These activiites encompass a spectrum of actions where individuals interact with information and other individuals in digital environments. These activities are integral to knowledge management, communication, and creation, offering learners opportunities to engage actively in their learning process. Networked knowledge activities are not just tools for information consumption but powerful mechanisms for active learning and knowledge creation. By engaging in activities such as collecting, curating, sharing, negotiating, and constructing, learners not only deepen their understanding of content but also develop crucial skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy. As education continues to evolve in digital spaces, embracing networked knowledge activities empowers learners to navigate and thrive in an interconnected world where information is abundant and collaboration is key.

1. Collecting: This passive activity involves gathering information from diverse sources such as bookmarking web pages, saving media, or marking items on social media. Learners collect resources either for specific projects or personal interests, benefiting from recommendations and reviews by others online.

    ex: Pinning items on Pinterests

2. Curating: Unlike collecting, curation is an intentional and evaluative process where learners create organized collections of online artifacts. This involves making evaluative judgments about the relevance and quality of the content, using keywords, categories, and social ratings to enhance accessibility and utility.

    ex: Creating playlists on Youtube

3. Sharing: Once information is collected or curated, learners share it with targeted audiences. This activity involves clear intent and understanding of the audience's needs, fostering effective knowledge dissemination.

    ex: Posting a tweet on Twitter/X.

4. Brokering: Brokering goes beyond sharing by actively connecting different groups or networks through knowledge transmission. It involves serving as a link between knowledge sources and new groups who may find the information valuable, thereby facilitating broader knowledge exchange.

    ex: Mentioning people in a tweet or tagging them in a Facebook post.

5. Negotiating: This collaborative process occurs when learners work together to interpret and agree upon the meaning of information. It involves discursive interactions aimed at synthesizing diverse perspectives into cohesive understanding.

    ex: Conversations threads that develop through #hashtags or @mention and @reply features on Twitter/X.

6. Constructing: This entails creating something new based on negotiated understandings. It could involve synthesizing information into new insights, developing original ideas, or even creating multimedia projects like mashups that blend previously unrelated items into cohesive creations.

    ex: Posting to Pinterest or using embeded creation tools on Youtube.

Networked knowledge activities empower learners by:

• Fostering Autonomy
• Enhancing Collaboration
• Promoting Critical Thinking
• Facilitating Connection

Week 6 Post 2

Digital Badges in the Wild

As mentioned in my previous blog, I spent the week at a professional development convention called AVID Summer Institute. This conference is about college and career readiness and provides educators with the tools needed to guide students shoolwide and students in the AVID elective calss. AVID students receive intentional support and mentoring in three major areas that help them become confident individuals who can successfully navigate life and careers: Student Agency (SA), Rigorous Academic Preparedness (AP), and Opportunity Knowledge (OK).

This year AVID deployed the use of Digital Bages for students.

AVID recognizes that today’s digital landscape allows students to showcase the learning they’ve acquired through digital badges. Students in 9th to 12th grade can earn a Digital Badge by meeting the criteria listed within the AVID Curriculum resources. The AVID Professional Learning Modules states:

"For students who have previous experience with AVID, the 9th grade lessons will serve as an opportunity for refinement of AVID skills and application in the high school context. For students new to AVID, the 9th grade progression will expose them to all components of AVID. This is the first in a series of high school badges for AVID Elective students."

Although the quote is only in regards to 9th grade students, the opportunity to earn Digital Badges is open to all high school levels. I am a middle school teacher of the AVID elective, so I won't have the opportunity to deploy this in my classroom yet. However, AVID says more digital badges are in the works.

Do you think these digital badges for students bring forth more value to their college applicatiosn versus a transcript?

Week 6 Post 1

Web 2.0 in the Wild

This week I attended AVID Summer Institute, a professional development convention for educators. During the conference educators were encouraged to used the hashtags:

• #AVIDCelebrates
• #AVIDSI
• #AVIDFamily 

to share not only their experiences throughout the conference, but also their learning on various socail media platforms. During the general session, a large screen projected the various tweets, instagrams posts, and FB shares from attendees of the conference that had used the hashtag. I have attended this professional development conference before, however this was the first time I had seen social media integrated specifically and intentionally into the curriculum of the various sessions. For example, we learned an activity to help build relationships in our classroom an instead of discussing various ones with our table, we were aske to post to our AVID Educator Facebook group (if we felt comfortable). This was great, because we were able to actively engage in produsage, while also finding resources. Below you can find some examples of social media integration throughout the conference and proof of our online activities. I  hope more professional development's begin to lean into the resources available through social media.

Week 5 Post 3

Digital Footprint Resources

To close out the blog posts this week I decided to take a deep dive into digital footprints and finding resources to share with my students in the future. The first resource I discovered was this video "What is a Digital Footprint?"

The video defines digital footprint and provides tips for keeping a clean digital footprint, which include: 

1. Know what your footprint says about you

2. Manage your privacy settings

3. Manage your cookies

4. Think before you share

This is a quick video that shows students how each piece of the information they put online impacts their digital footprint for good or bad. 

Upon further research I stumbled accross this Youtube Playlist by Common Sense Education that is titled "Digital Citizenship Lessons for Middle School Students."

It includes 12 videos including personal accounts by several students and a connection to a reality show and how online drama can transfer to real life. Common Sense Education also provides lesson plans in the description and other resourceful links to guide educators through the use of the videos. 

Implementing even a few of these videos at the begin of the year with my middle school students can create a lasting impact that will help them keep a well-kept digital footprint. I wish I would have had this resource as a kid! Growing up we would post with out remorse. Which has grown to be the downfall of some very popular people.  

Week 5 Post 2

Social Media in the Classroom

Using social media in K-12 classrooms presents a myriad of ethical concerns that educators must navigate carefully. As a current middle school teacher I am wary to integrate academic social media use into our classroom dynamic. Some of these concerns include privacy, digital footprint, access, cyberbullying, misinformation, digital citizenship, 

1. Privacy and Safety: Social media platforms may collect personal data from students, raising concerns about privacy and safety. Educators must ensure that students' information is protected and that interactions on social media platforms are monitored to prevent cyberbullying, harassment, or inappropriate content. It's also important to note that social media platforms often feature advertisements and sponsored content, which can influence students' perceptions and behaviors. Educators must teach students to critically evaluate marketing messages and monitor the kind of messaging that is students are being exposed to for any inappropriate content.

2. Digital Footprint & Citizenship: Posting on social media leaves a digital footprint that can have long-term consequences for students. Educators must educate students about responsible online behavior and the potential impact of their digital presence on future academic and professional opportunities. Incorporating social media into K-12 classrooms also requires teaching students about digital citizenship, including concepts such as responsible use of technology, online etiquette, and digital literacy.

3. Access and Equity: Not all students may have equal access to social media platforms due to socioeconomic factors or digital divides. Using social media in the classroom could exacerbate existing inequalities if students without access are excluded from educational opportunities or assignments. You would be shocked how many middle school students do not use social media or have a phone at all. It's a select few, but they still do exist.

4.  Cyberbullying and Online Harassment: Social media platforms can be breeding grounds for cyberbullying and online harassment. Educators must be vigilant in monitoring student interactions and addressing instances of bullying or harassment promptly and effectively.

5. Authenticity and Misinformation: Social media platforms are rife with misinformation and fake news, which can be challenging for students to navigate. Educators must teach students critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and verify information encountered on social media. 

Addressing these ethical concerns requires collaboration between educators, parents, policymakers, and technology companies to develop clear guidelines, policies, and educational resources that promote safe, responsible, and equitable use of social media in K-12 classrooms. By prioritizing the well-being and educational needs of students, educators can harness the potential of social media to enhance learning experiences while mitigating potential risks and ethical pitfalls.

Week 5 Post 1

Giving (Intellectual) Props

This week's reading about intellectual property, open educational resources, and digital footprint has left me feeling overwhelmed. These three topics which are seemingly interrelated and of equal value have me questioning my time in grad school. How often have I used an image with out giving attribution correctly? How much of my data has been archived or exploited? How much of digital footprint is silly retweets, likes, and shares?

When first reading about Intellectual Property my first thought went to a popular book that came out in 2017 called "Milk & Vine" that I recognized from this video. I went to Reddit to see how this book and its content played into copyright, fair use, and creative commons since 2017. Check out what they had to say below:

YouTube, Copyright, Milk and Vine as Precedent
byu/juniperlee9 inNoSleepOOC

Drew Gooden the creator of the original video "Book of Stolen Content Becomes #1 Bestseller"added an update 1 year after posting the video and stated: 

2018 UPDATE: The authors have now started selling the books with a couple pages of credit in the back. This was not the case for the first couple months of the book being available and it wasn't until they received public backlash that they decided to take like 4 hours to compile the list. But, better late than never I guess. Good on them for doing that. This video served it's purpose, and is kind of moot at this point. You can still watch it though if you want.

Upon looking at the description, you can see that Drew makes a point to attribute any resources that he had not already mentioned verbally in the video:

Overall this discussion provides great information and insight into the discussion of intellectual property. My favorite part? All the information was found using social media tools we've discussed so far!

 

Week 4 Post 3

Content Curation

This past week was my Birthday "week" which involved lots of events and more importantly  lots of photos. I realized I could use the FACETS process to curate my content to commerate my week.

Find - I gathered all of the photos from my friends into one shared album.

Assess - I went through and deleted unwanted photos.

Choose - I chose my top 15 for Instagram.

Explain - I decided what caption I was going to use.

Tailor - I organized the photos in a an aesthetically pleaseing manor, that would also look good in the profile view of my grid.

Share - I pressed "post" and shared my collection of birthday content to Instagram.

It's interesting to take this exercise and consider how it could be taught and used with in the classroom. For example, as a summative project you have students use FACETS to curate content about a specific unit, time period, or concept. Students would be able to learn a skill that can help them find accurate content knowledge and also a skill they can use in future careers or personal content curation.

I'm buzzing just thinking about how I will be embedding this into my classroom next year. 

Week 4 Post 2

Do I get a badge for this?

I am set to gradaute May 2025 and can't help but think how the title that will be printed on that degree does not showcase the full extent of the work I've done in my time at FSU. I feel I'll be doing the same explaining to employers that I have been doing to anyone who ask "so what are you getting your Masters in?". The title "Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies" does not hold the same power to people who don't know what it is. However, if I were to present badges like Instructional Design Deputy, Canva Captain, Amazing Analyzer, Collaboration Queen, Teamwork Titan, Backwards Planning Boss, and more I feel like it would provide those around me, or future employeers, with a better idea of what skills and concepts I've worked on through this degree program. 

I chose to read the article "Who cares about open badges?" which was a study about principal perception of badges or microcredentials being used during the hiring process. Badges show the demonstration and evidence of specific skills not seen by a degree or transcript. As a Duolingo user I am familiar with earning badges through apps. The article stated that their research found principals valued badges in this order: acheivement, soft skills, role, participation, and membership. Baddges were only valued  based on evidence which could be presented through links, descriptions of competency, rubrucs, endorsments, and visual images (valued based on the order presented).

Although, I dont' see badges becoming part of the hiring practice in the future any time soon, I do believe they are a good idea and are powerful for identifying skill set sin the hiring process, allow direct comparison of canidates, and show professional growth.

If you need more information about badges check out this video by Badgr.

Week 4 Post 1

#TagYoureIt

Learning about folksonomy was the act of finally putting a name to the process of tagging I was used to seeing in social media.  As a class we engage in folksonomy using #eme6414 on varying social media sites. When  viewing this tag I am able to look at the collection of information and knowledge from my classmates now and in the past. I like viewing students work who have already completed #eme6414 on social media, because it gives me a guide to completing assignments. I see how this can be a powerful tool in higher education, but I'm curious how it could be successfully transfered into secondary education. Folksonomy shows the dynamic nature of knowledge that cannot be easily collected within the pages of a physical book or library. Folksonomy allows a collaborative, democratic,  intercultural system for dissemenating knowledge and information. I have long been a patron of folksonomy, be it checking out #StanleyCup playoff memes (I'll be rooting for the Panthers now that my Dallas Stars are out) or looking for inspiration on #TeacherTok. 

For all the good tagging brings to knowledge acquistion, it's open access allows for intetional and unintentional use of inaccurate or inappropriate tags while sharing content. It also can lead to misunderstanding depending on the context of the tag. For example, searching #StanleyCup on Twitter/X provides you with all think NHL, hockey,  and Stanley Cup Playoffs information. Where as searching #StanleyCup on Tik Tok provides you with endless video hauls and rankings of the latest Stanley Cup Tumbler.  

Check out the pictures below for evidence of my research:

This can create a space for misinformation or incorrect cataloging of information. It's like placing a comic book in the historical fiction section of the library. How do we moderate this when implementing the use of tagging or folksonomy in education?

Week 3 Post 3

Long Hot Weekend Challenge Reflection

I'll be honest and say I did not read the class blog prior to participating in the Long Hot Weekend Challenge. However, I was lucky enough to have a fun filled weekend and screenshots in my phone that matched every category for the challenge.  I enjoy social media challenges and scavengar hunt and have participated in many for fun over the years. We would use this same tactic to drum up excitement for sorority recruitment when I was in undergrad. To see my take on the challenge check out my post here: @seminolegrad15

1. Sports ⛳️ - playing at PopStroke a newly opened putt putt place owned by Tiger Woods
2. Nature 🐶 - my dog Zoey telling me she was done walking in the Texas heat!
3. The Arts 🎨 - visited Meow Wolf: The Real Unreal and was exposed to so many amazing art pieces and immersive experiences
4. A Concert - a screenshot I sent to my friend begging him to go to ACL Weekend 1 with me this fall!
5. The Movies 🍿 - watched LA LA LAND for the first time
6. Fine Dining 🍝 - enjoyed Eatly, an authentic italian experiences and market
7. BBQ 🍗 - chicken legs for dinner at Medieval Times (yes we did have to use our hands)
8. Relaxing 😎 - enjoying refreshments poolside while conquering my latest read
9. Hanging w/ Friends 👯‍♀️ - an example I found while visiting Meow Wofl that embodies how I want spend my time hanging out with my friends all summer long
10. Big Night Out 🏰 - went to Medieval Times for a friends birthday1

I created an Instagram account just for this course, which I am glad I did because I do not feel the same social pressures regarding what I am posting that I normally due on my personal account. I will say I want to opt for a "faceless" approach to this account (hence the photo choice for "hanging out with friends"). I'm choosing to go faceless, because I have my personal account that I post all pictures of myself I want to be seen. Posting my "face" or my friends faces to another account would seem over the top. I am also a teacher with a teacher instagram and have found that middle school students  are FBI-level professionals at finding teacher's social media. I want to keep this profile underwraps as not to give them anymore "ammunition" for when we return in the fall! 

I love social media challenges and am looking forward to participating in more this semester.

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