As
a media clerk in an elementary school, my initial reaction to social
networking/media in the LMC setting is a big fat BLOCK. I would not
double tap to like this idea!
After
reading the articles provided, I realized that there can be a way to
include social networking/media in a LMC program without it being too
much for students to handle and in fact, my LMC is already doing some
of these things. For instance, we use Follett's Destiny Quest
automation system for online searching that is similar to Google or
other search engines on the internet. According to the article, “The
standard search interface combines with social networking in a
colorful graphical environment allowing students, teachers, and staff
to give star or text ratings to books and submit text, audio, or
video reviews.” This is similar to double tapping to like a post on
Instagram, “Liking” a post on FaceBook, or “Re-tweeting” a
post on Twitter.
Our
school does allow sites like MyOn and Destiny Quest for students to
search for, locate and even read books online. There are firewalls
however for regular web searches in Google or other search engines.
We do provide them with a safe way to do research for projects and
assignments. One of the articles had a list of sites that can be used
to teach internet safety for students. GetNetWise for kids was one
that I thought was most helpful for elementary because most of the
safety sites for social networking were for teens.
Another way to
make sure students are safe is by doing internet safety classes with
all grades. In my LMC, our specialist is currently doing these
classes for all grades and even including information on
cyber-bullying.
Another
aspect of social networking is Web 2.0. It is the use of internet
technologies to enhance information sharing and the creative and
collaborative development of projects. A good example of this is
TeacherLibrarianNing. A community for teacher-librarians and other
educators that the site includes elementary
library routines, posts on what to have in a collection, to how to
best arrange the furniture in a LMC.
The
debate on using social networking in LMC is not new. In 2008, the
AASL did a survey on the acceptance of social networking tools in LMC
and the preliminary
findings from the study show that elementary, middle and high schools
are beginning to treat social networking tools as an essential part
of preparing students for the 21st century.
After
reading all of the articles, doing research and considering my own
observations, my thoughts on wether or not to have social
networking/media in an elementary LMC has gone from a big fat BLOCK,
to a smaller thinner BLOCK.
I am not naïve enough to think we can
keep it out forever, but I feel that keeping students safe online
gets even harder when they have access to more and more sites and
formats that are not a necessity at this time. Using sites like MyOn and Destiny Quest to search, locate and talk about books is one thing, but for other aspects of education, I believe there are
other options available. Do students even know how to use dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias and atlases anymore?! J
ust
because technology is growing in our world doesn't mean it needs to
infiltrate everything.
Social
interaction and networking in person will always be a better option
in my book than doing it online!
Sources:
School
Library Journal
published Gail Metz' article "Secure
Social Networking"
(July 2008, Vol. 54 Issue 7, p18)
Fiehn,
B. (2008, September 1). Social Networking and Your Library OPAC!
[Available Full-Text, Free]. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
AASL's
second longitudinal survey reveals schools' acceptance of social
networking tools. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2015.
After reading this, it was a reminder to me that I need to do my own internet safety courses. There are a lot of great sites out there and one that I've bookmarked is the Common Sense Education k-12. I've not heard of the Global Teacher Librarian Network before and went to their website. I was able to read a good discussion about whether or not to charge library fines at high school level. As for students & social media, I feel like you do in that I would love to see more face-to-face interaction/networking. Our students have too many accounts to keep up with as it is for FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, email, school accounts, Zinio, and more I can't even think of at the moment. We get so busy doing so much but how do you weed out to get to what is truly important? Maybe I'm just old and the kids can keep up better than I can, but I also see a deficit in their face-to-face interactions.
ReplyDeleteIncreasingly, media centers are putting together very modern websites that the teachers, students, and parents are visiting on a daily basis. These websites enable Media specialists to deliver information, and access to experts that can make the students more academically successful. I love the idea about ensuring that these websites are visually attractive, because we all know that for the most part children are attracted to images that are pleasing to the eye. Moreover, you stated that the website should be simple and easy to navigate. On the other hand, if a website is attractive but not easy to use no one will be inclined to go to the website. Additionally, as stated in your summary keeping relevant information on the homepage is vital to a successful webpage.
ReplyDeleteI see both the benefits and downfalls of social networks. As a media specialist I would use some type of social network to keep in contact with my students and parents. You pointed out the need to have internet safety classes for the students, but I would add a class for parents to take. Students are not only surfing the web a school where there is a safety net in place, but they are also online at home. Parents need to know what to do to keep their students safe at home. Thanks to the requirement of most teachers to have webpages, parents have no excuse of not knowing what is going on in the school and students have no excuse for not knowing what their homework is.
ReplyDeleteAs I read more and more of the blogs, it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one with a little fear and a lot of concern about internet safety at school. However, as I read through the blogs, I'm finding more and more ideas and suggestions of ways in which to use things, like blogs, in a safe and productive way. Having internet safety classes for students is a great idea -- one in which I plan to further investigate for my school. Shana's response of offering internet safety classes for parents as well is an excellent point. We have parent nights throughout the school year; I'm thinking we have just added another activity for our rotation! I feel like too many times technology is used strictly for socializing. It's almost as if some have forgotten how to have real life relationships with face to face conversations. Social networking has taken over. While it certainly can have a productive place in education, we need to show parents and students that technology is more than airing our gossip through the social network. They need to see the many ways technology can enhance and further the students' education to make them more productive citizens.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to what you were saying, I agree thoroughly that I don't like that the usage and value of books like dictionaries and a thesaurus have declined because of technology being right at kids' fingertips because I have this old-school and traditional way of thinking that it makes the 21st century student more lazy and less apt to be able to readily seek out information that not just a click away. But in this advancing technological world, I know that's a losing battle I am fighting to save the dictionaries and keep the dust off the thesaurus collection. Soon the day will come where student view dictionaries the way that we as adults look at phone books. Remember the Yellow Pages and the White Pages? Seems ancient, huh.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am glad to see that your school is already ahead of the curve and doing some very innovative things by allowing some of this "social networking" technology into what the LMC offers, especially for it to be an elementary school so the children are getting good exposure early. That's useful! I think there is also great value in teaching students early that there is more to social media than just Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so that when we mention those words, those social websites are not the first and only thing that pops into their minds. From reading, I learned that social media can expand to a lot of different components that can be useful in the school community and be very relevant to learning and sharing valuable information, including social media platforms like blogging. One great thing about this day and age of instant social media addiction is that I think it proves that our 21st century students are indeed eager to engage, share and exchange with each other so we as educators have to shape this to our advantage and be proactive about continuing to expose them to social media that is diverse and also healthy.
I’m with you on limiting or even blocking use of social networking for students at the elementary level. At the elementary level we begin to teaching students about the Internet and responsibilities associated with its use. Maybe we should think of exposing young students to social networking sort of like how we limit young students’ exposure to young adult and adult books…. gradually, after they mature some. Even for middle and high schoolers, I’m conflicted on social networking in the schools because it takes so much monitoring to get students to use time for research and collaboration online in a constructive way. Kids will be kids (this I learned from my kids because I work with elementary school students). Communicating with peers via text, Instagram, and snap chat for the sake of a laugh or to be cool is often seen as OK even at the expense of a classmate or learning in the classroom. The other side of the argument points to great, successful group projects that could not be accomplished without collaborative online options. Social networking in school involves both the good and the bad, we as educators just need to figure out how to encourage the good use of networking from our students.
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree with you more when you mention that it is better to network in person. It comes down to the fact that technology can give you all the answers you want but it can’t help you feel as though you accomplished anything in the fact that it doesn’t give you feedback or provides you a personal experience. As an ELA teacher and a lover of all things printed, I see the struggle each day in my classroom as I walk the fine line between too much technology and just a good (what would now be considered) “old-fashioned” book in the hands of my students. To answer your question about whether or not they know how to use a dictionary or thesaurus anymore: In my classroom, the answer is YES! I make them do it old school and actually remember the alphabet. Do they complain? Yes. Do they struggle to do it and complain each time? Yes. Will they get over it? Yes. While I know that we must have technology and that the world is inevitably headed in a totally wireless, bookless direction, I am holding on to the physically printed for dear life!!!
ReplyDeleteFor me this issue boils down to a couple of points on which most of us agree:
ReplyDelete--Social networking is a growing part of students' lives
--Age appropriate tools for social networking should be integrated into classrooms (and school libraries)
--Internet safety needs to be taught and reinforced at school and at home
In the last two years our school has dropped the no cell phone/device policy, and students are free to use their phones and other devices between classes and at lunch. They can use them in the classroom only for instructional purposes and with the teacher's permission (this is the policy; enforcement varies). There is a policy against accessing social networking sites during the school day, but this is not enforced unless it's reported (cyberbullying, etc.). This change has shifted the mindset to validate the device as a extension of the student and a tool for teaching and learning; it has also resulted in treating cell phone/device use in the classroom more as a behavioral issue like talking that a teacher should manage.
We do our students a disservice to deny them the opportunity to collaborate with others via social networking since our society has changed to require this type of communication. I have had to adapt as a teacher, using collaboration tools such as various Google apps, Blackboard, Office 365, etc. I am evaluated on how well I collaborate with other teachers not only within my school but across the nation and world. The big however hanging in the air is that we are working with children who need a safe place to learn how to social network where their practice forays into these venues will not be recorded and used against them now or later in life. Unfortunately, they have to learn fast because almost everyone has a recording device, many are too small to detect, and privacy is at a premium in our connected world. We also need to teach them to disconnect periodically--another difficult task--when even in our jobs, we are expected to be "always on."
Rachael, I really appreciate you reply on this topic. I agree that we are doing a disservice to students to deny them the opportunity to collaborate with others vial social networking. This is the reality that our students live in and to ignore it is foolish. We are striving to teaching students how to live and survive and prosper when they are older, and without a thorough and sufficient computer/internet education, they will be already a step behind when they attempt to enter the workplace one day.
DeleteI also appreciate your statement that we have ot teach them to disconnect periodically! It think this goes along with a thorough computer/technology/internet education. Even in my self-contained special education class, I make sure computer usage is a part of our daily schedule, and provide ways for them to interact through our classroom website.
I can see where schools are hesitant to use social networking because of the inherent risks. Personally, my school uses such sites as MyOn and Edmodo. Both sites offer many individualized instruction. For example, MyOn allows students to read books on their lexile level which will help students to grow in terms of reading. In addition, this site offers stories to be read to students which can be a huge advantage to struggling and ELL learners. I think it is the responsibility of educators to include technology in their lesson since we are in a technological age. I know of many educators that use technology in their lessons, but these lessons are teacher lead, so students do not get a chance to use technology. I do think that there is some risk to having students use too much technology. First, they have to have other means to access information other than technology. Students who are going to attend college still need to be able to navigate a textbook to garner information. As Rachel stated, students still need to collaborate in a face to face manner since many jobs require this type of interaction. I think there is a fine line between too much technology and not enough.
ReplyDeleteWow, what great opinions. I agree with you that social networking should be restricted at the elementary level. Even considering class projects, I think students should communicate face to face. Social networking is an addiction to many kids and adults and I don't think it should be pushed upon them at an early age. I do see the benefits of it being used for high school students. I don't agree that cell phones should be allowed in schools with no restrictions. I would probably be open to these sorts of things but since I've had my own child, I don't want to worry about what he is getting into at school. If safety is guaranteed and social networking is being 100% used for educational purposes then I would be more open.Yet, I don't want him to be sitting in class on his cell phone or laptop using ingstagram or facebook. I want him to be learning. What happened to getting in trouble for passing notes instead of using cell phones?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your hesitation on allowing certain social media sites in the elementary school, however, I do think there are several that are appropriate and can be used. I have found over the past several years that social media sites are the fastest and best way of communicating with parents which is key for everyone. Thankfully, our technology department is constantly monitoring and making changes to our filtering system to provide safe sites and searches for our students. Most social media cites are still blocked for students but are accessible to teachers. There has to be a balance and dependent on the grade levels that you are working with.
ReplyDelete