In her book Social Leadia: Moving Students From Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership, Casa-Todd (2017) gives a brief overview of the positive potential social media has for education and leadership. Below are my takeaways from the first chapter of her book.
(Casa-Todd, n.d.)
Something I learned…
Between some parents and children, there is a generational divide that makes it hard for parents to understand social media and recognize its positive potential for education. Therefore, it is important to keep parents informed about our use of social media in class. In order to achieve this, teachers should encourage and create opportunities for parents to engage in social media alongside their children in positive ways. Here are some idea for encouraging positive parent engagement with social media:
Keep parents informed about WHAT social media platforms you are using, WHY you are using them, and HOW they will benefit student learning
Select digital platforms that allow parents to engage by viewing, commenting, etc.
Encourage parents to create family accounts on social media platforms you are using in the classroom so that they can explore them at home.
(Liptak, 2012)
Something Confirmed…
For many children, especially those who are shy, social media platforms and technology can present unique opportunities for leadership! Teachers can create opportunities for students to take on digital leadership roles by...
Creating a SWAT (Students Working to Advance Technology) team to help take care of tech and teach others how to use social media apps for learning
Allowing students to create a news channel for the school
Creating classroom social media accounts that allow students to share work, lead online discussions, etc.
(Finegan, 2015)
(The future of the world [digital image], n.d.)
Something I think differently about now...
Asking and expecting all children to change the world can actually be harmful because this can be intimidating for some. I have always considered my students as future world changers and for some this belief will motivate them to create positive social influence. However, as Casa-Todd points out (2012) for others, this idea of needing to change the world could be “overwhelming and deflating.” As teachers, we must recognize that all of our students are different, and thus, their goals and aspirations will all be different as well. Ivan Welton Fitzwater states “the future of the world is in my classroom today.” This may be true, but it is important to keep in mind that not all children will face the same future. We must create opportunities for success and social leadership, but we also need to be okay with the fact that for some students being positive participants in social media is enough. For these students, the positive impact of their digital citizenship may only directly impact a few close friends/family members; however, that does not make it any less important or relevant!
References
Casa-Todd, J. (2017). Social Leadia: Moving Students From Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership Casa-Todd. Retrieved from [Google Slides] https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1l26DBgpkIDeOncHY9ySI-GGs1ZNYJNxi1SYDuLrQdaY/edit#slide=id.p
Casa-Todd, J. (n.d.). Why Social Media in Schools? [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e124/
Finegan, T. (2015). Digital Leadership: Empower Teaching through Technology [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.eduspire.org/technology-blog-for-teachers/digital-leadership-empower-teaching-through-technology/
Liptak, S. (2012). I am a Digital Citizen [Digital Image]. Retrieved from http://lessonsbysandy.com/2012/10/digital-citizenship.html
The future of the world [Digital Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/81768549461540499/?lp=true
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