Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Students, Wellness

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Course Name Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Students, Wellness, and Society

Course Number OL 5115

Course Credits 3

NOTE: This syllabus is an outline of the course requirements and is subject to change; the coursework will be completed and submitted in the online environment where you will have full access to a variety of media, links,

and other online tools required to satisfactorily complete this course.

Course Description: For digital natives, social media has become the primary way to communicate. It has also become a big obsession: keeping up with one another, using photos and “likes” as currency. Exploring the Impact of Social Media will help educators and in turn, digital natives, understand the effects of social media on the brain, and how the coding in apps aim to keep us paying attention. Social media is a tool, not good or bad, but too much use can be detrimental to health and self-identity. This course illuminates the benefits and the drawbacks of our online interactions so we can all learn to regulate our use of social media, along with several creative ways to keep technology in its place. Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of this course, participants will be better prepared to:

1. Use provided prompts specific to the use of social media and self-regulation, to describe assumptions and insights of practitioners, researchers and self, including how the information relates to professional educational practice.

2. Design a lesson on the ways social media apps capture and monetize user experience. 3. Prepare an activity to collaborate with students, colleagues, or caregivers to design a 3 or more

part series of virtual “talking sessions” to share information about social media, identity, and wellness.

4. Implement a plan to use social media to engage students in the classroom. 5. Develop an action plan using technology audits to challenge the status quo related to social

media. Required Text/Articles:

All required readings are linked within their corresponding assignments. For more information, please review the course’s “Required Reading” section, located toward the beginning of each Module. 10 ways to use social media for good. (2020, August 27). Retrieved August 28, 2020, from

https://getschooled.com/article/2133-10-ways-to-use-social-media-for-good/ ABOUT US. (2018, July 23). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://halfthestoryproject.com/aboutus/ Anderson M., & J. J. (2020, August 06). Teens' social media habits and experiences. Retrieved August 09,

2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-social-media-habits-and-experiences/

Andreen, S. (2020, September 03). Angst: Is anxiety on the rise? Is social media to blame? (45 sec clip). Retrieved September 03, 2020, from https://vimeo.com/231471669


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Burry, M. (2020, May 18). 6 Amazing ways teachers are using social media during the pandemic. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/creative-ways-teachers-are-using-social-media-during-the-pandemic

Combating 'social media dysmorphia'. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2020, from https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/combating-social-media-dysmorphia#:~:text=While%20social%20media%20doesn't,BDD%20worse%2C%20according%20to%20Argumedo.

Digital well-being guidelines for parents during the Covid-19 pandemic. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2020, from https://www.humanetech.com/digital-wellbeing-covid

Frye, A. (2019, November 20). Isaac Rochell wants you to take a social media break. Retrieved September 04, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyfrye/2019/11/20/isaac-rochell-wants-you-to-take-a-social-media-break/

Fuller, K. (2018, July 26). JOMO: The joy of missing out. Retrieved August 22, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201807/jomo-the-joy-missing-out

Heinz, MD S. (2018, October 05). Four ways to hack your screen addiction. Retrieved August 17, 2020, from https://www.mindful.org/four-ways-to-hack-your-screen-addiction/

Higgin. (2020, April 28). Why and how to use YouTube video essays in your classroom. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/why-and-how-to-use-youtube-video-essays-in-your-classroom

Lee, S. (2020, August 20). Advice and ideas for incorporating social media in class. Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/classroom-social-media/

Leslie, S. (2019, May 24). FOMO to JOMO? Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/fomo-to-jomo-anxiety-series-part-one?utm_campaign=Teacher+Resources

Lesson: Curated Lives. (2020, July 08). Retrieved August 22, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/lesson/curated-lives

(2018). LIKE - A documentary about the impact of social media on our lives. Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://www.thelikemovie.com/ Video selections:

• “Common Sense Media and Mirror”

• “Do it for the “Gram”

• “Helping Kids Self-Regulate,”

• “Heroin and Love,”

• “Notifications”

• “Slot Machine Addictive Tactic”

• “SnapChat,”

• “Social Animals”

• “The Attention Economy”

• “They Know You Better Than You Know Yourself,”

• “What is Social Media?”

• “Who Does Facebook?” Niehoff, M. (2019, October 02). 9 ways real students use social media for good. Retrieved August 28, 2020,

from https://www.iste.org/explore/Digital-citizenship/9-ways-real-students-use-social-media-for-good

Pasternack, A. (2019, June 17). How to use social media, according to a mental health expert. Retrieved August 17, 2020, from https://www.fastcompany.com/90356260/social-media-can-hurt-you-these-6-tips-from-a-psychologist-could-help

Resources: Apps. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.thelikemovie.com/resources-apps/


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Resources: Facts & figures. (n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from https://www.thelikemovie.com/resources-common-questions/

Roderick. (2020, February 11). How teachers and students are using TikTok in the classroom. Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://www.learningliftoff.com/tiktok-in-the-classroom/

Shaw K. (2020, June 23). Promoting social change: Wielding the power of social media. Retrieved August 28, 2020, from https://www.missionbox.com/article/457/promoting-social-change-wielding-the-power-of-social-media

Social networks for students and teachers. (2019, November 13). Retrieved August 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/social-networks-for-students-and-teachers

Stossel, Max. Video: “800 Middle and High School Students Realize They’re Doing Something They Don’t Like Doing,” retrieved August 10, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdvNpsiggFk Take control. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.humanetech.com/take-control Taylor, C. (2019, June 19). The 'like' doesn't mean what you think it means. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from

https://mashable.com/article/like-button-inflation/ Teen voices: Who are you on social media? (2020, April 01). Retrieved August 09, 2020, from

https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/teen-voices-who-are-you-on-social-media Trahant, G. (2020, May 21). These two Founders are leading the global discussion about girl-against-girl

bullying in the digital age. Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://www.causeartist.com/kind-campaign-founders-discussion-girl-against-girl-bullying-digital-age/

Tweens, teens, tech, and mental health: Coming of age in an increasingly digital, uncertain, and unequal world 2020: Common Sense Media. (2020, July 29). Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/tweens-teens-tech-and-mental-health

• “Key Findings,” pp 11-13

• “The State of Adolescents’ Mental Health in the United States,” pp 21-23 Knowledge Base: The knowledge base of this course, in part, is affirmed in the writing and research of these references: Beres, D. (2018, August 20). 10 weird negative effects of social media on your brain. Retrieved August 09,

2020, from https://www.rd.com/list/negative-effects-of-social-media/?fbclid=IwAR3gKgkKl35pgNrHToqn57cis0nv-V7Yi4Nq5ksac5o5zCS6T0cN1RNFxB4

Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/homepage Ghaffary S. (2020, July 29). The pandemic is raising concerns about how teens use technology. but there's

still a lot we don't know. Retrieved August 08, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/7/29/21346005/technology-social-media-impact-teenagers-research-common-sense-report

Herold, B. (2020, July 30). What educators really need to know About TikTok. Retrieved August 09, 2020, from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/07/29/what-educators-really-need-to-know-about.html

(2018). LIKE - A documentary about the impact of social media on our lives. Retrieved September 02, 2020, from https://www.thelikemovie.com/

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019, December 21). Teens and social media use: What's the impact? Retrieved August 11, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

Meyer, R. (2017, August 03). Your smartphone reduces your brainpower, even if it's just sitting there. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/a-sitting-phone-gathers-brain-dross/535476/


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Renner, N., Newport, C., & Zittrain, J. (2019, August 8). How social media shapes our identity. Retrieved August 22, 2020, from https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/how-social-media-shapes-our-identity

Social media, social life. (2019, October 09). Retrieved August 08, 2020, from https://childmind.org/blog/social-media-social-life/

The Center for Humane Technology: https://www.humanetech.com/ The Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/ Twenge, J. (2018, March 19). Have smartphones destroyed a generation? Retrieved August 08, 2020, from

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

Learners Edge was founded for and by teachers, so we know our way around a K-12 classroom. However, as similar as they are in some ways, adults are different learners than K-12 students. We researched best practice models and arrived at our own framework for adult learning, which we use to write our continuing education courses. The model includes five elements to ensure adult learners experience quality personal and professional development and carry new knowledge into their classrooms. This will ultimately have positive impacts on their students. The Five Components are outlined in the visual above.


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Learners Edge Course Rubric

All course submissions must meet general graduate level standards through the use of correct grammar, spelling, and mechanics. Each paragraph should be clearly organized and include 5 sentences or more. If work does not meet the above criteria, it will be returned to the student for resubmission. 

Rubric  A Grade = Outstanding Performance

B Grade = Target Performance    

Below Target Performance

Statement of Intention and Awareness 

The evaluator will only review the Statement of Intention and Awareness for a response to each prompt. If a student does not respond to each prompt, the Statement will be returned to the student for resubmission. The student’s Statement of Intention and Awareness will be evaluated as part of the Reflection.     

Investigation: Read and Respond 

Coursework thoroughly and accurately addresses all question components by summarizing key concepts from readings. In at least half of the responses, the participant also makes inferences related to professional practice or supports answers with professional experiences. 

Coursework thoroughly and accurately addresses all question components by summarizing key concepts from readings. 

Coursework will be returned to student for resubmission with evaluator instructions if it does not meet target performance. 

Investigation: Resource Review  Rubric

A Grade = Outstanding Performance


 Below Target Performance 

Summary of Resource Coursework summarizes the main ideas presented in the resource and includes at least one instance of critical analysis (i.e. asks questions, looks for gaps in information, disputes contradictions, etc.)

Coursework summarizes the main ideas presented in the resource.     

Coursework will be returned to student for resubmission with evaluator instructions if it does not meet target performance.     


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Relation to Personal Assumptions or Course Content

Coursework provides more than one detailed example of how the resource supports or challenges personal assumptions and/or course content. 

Coursework provides one example of how the resource supports or challenges personal assumptions and/or course content. 


Impact on Professional Practice  Coursework provides more than

one clear explanation of how the information in the resource could impact professional practice. 

Coursework provides one explanation of how the information in the resource could impact professional practice.   

Application Rubric

A Grade = Outstanding Performance



Planning, Development and Execution 

Coursework shows complete planning, development and/or execution of application, clear articulation of details and inclusion of polished required artifacts. 

Coursework shows complete planning, development and/or execution of application and inclusion of required artifacts. 


Coursework includes creative or innovative application of new knowledge and skills from course content to professional practice.

Coursework includes application of new knowledge and skills from course content to professional practice. 

Written Requirements   

Coursework provides clear, logical, and   organized responses to any writing prompts in the application. It also includes at least one detailed connection to course objectives, student learning goals or transformation of professional practice. 

Coursework provides clear, logical, and organized responses to any writing prompts in the application. 

 


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 Reflection Rubric

 A Grade = Outstanding Performance



Connection to Statement of Intention and Awareness 

Coursework includes an evaluation of both learning goals articulated in the participant’s Statement of Intention and Awareness from Module 1. Participant includes one future learning goal related to course content. 

Coursework includes an evaluation of one of the learning goals articulated in the participant’s Statement of Intention and Awareness from Module 1.   


Summary of Learning  Coursework includes three or

more detailed connections to specific assignments completed or course content viewed (assigned readings or videos). 

Coursework includes two general connections to course content. 

Description of Positive Influence or Transformation 

Coursework includes two or more specific ideas for changes in one’s professional practice with timelines.  OR

Coursework includes two or more detailed action steps with timelines for positively impacting other stakeholders.

Coursework includes one general idea for changes in one’s professional practice.   OR  Coursework includes one action step for positively impacting other stakeholders.     


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Module 1 1. Intention and Awareness At Learners Edge, we want the time you spend learning to be purposeful and applicable to your

professional practice. To get the most from professional learning, the research says we must first identify

our goals and motivations. Next, we must assess our prior knowledge and previous experiences to create

deeper connections to the course material. Using the guidelines below, write your Statement of Intention

and Awareness.

Please be certain to address the following when developing your Statement of Intention and Awareness in

a total of two paragraphs, or more:

1. Describe your motivation for learning about social media self-regulation.

2. Summarize your previous knowledge about social media self-regulation.

3. Share any previous experience you have with this topic.

4. List two measurable learning goals you have for the course.

Please note: Your evaluator will only review your Statement of Intention and Awareness for a response to each prompt. If you do not respond to each prompt, the Statement will be returned to you for resubmission. Your Statement of Intention and Awareness will be evaluated as part of the Reflection in Module 3. At the end of the course, you will be asked to reflect back on your Statement of Intention and Awareness

and identify your growth and transformation from the beginning of the course to the end.

1. Investigation: Watch, Review, and Respond To begin, let’s build a basic understanding of social media and the apps we’ll be talking about. Please watch the following clip from the movie, LIKE:

• Video, “What is Social Media?”, via LIKE Now, we want to give you some general background on the apps we’ll be discussing in the course. According to several sources, including the LIKE resource infographic, Instagram and SnapChat are two of the most popular sites for teens. Please watch the following videos:

• Video, “Do it for the “Gram,” via LIKE

• Video, “SnapChat,” via LIKE

• Video, “Who Does Facebook?” via LIKE

• Video,“800 Middle and High School Students Realize They’re Doing Something They Don’t Like Doing,” featuring Max Stossel

Finally, in a second review of the LIKE resource infographic, pay close attention to the data from Common Sense Media and The Center for Humane Technology as they explore the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) side of apps, including how the use of certain apps affect on mood or feelings.

After watching and reviewing all of the above resources, respond to each of the below prompts in 1 paragraph or more (unless otherwise noted). Responses should thoroughly and accurately address all prompt/question components by summarizing key concepts from videos and the infographic. You can


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include inferences related to your professional practice or use your professional experiences to support your answers.

A. Characterize and define your comfort level with technology and social media. Confusion? Curiosity? Fear? Acceptance?

B. Please list social media apps you currently use*, and your reason for using them. Share any patterns or tendencies in the list.

*If you do not currently use social media, please find a friend who agrees to sharing this information. You can then analyze the data and determine any patterns or tendencies.

C. Max Stossel of the Center for Humane Technology opines, “[Social media] has started to really deeply influence every aspect of our lives.”

Describe 1 ways social media makes the world more convenient and/or difficult. Please provide a examples, including your explanation (of use) for the app you chose.

D. Cite 1 (positive or negative) reason kids use SnapChat, Instagram, or any other popular sites, including their connections with one another, challenges to mental health, or curation of accounts to present a specific image.

E. Describe the benefits these apps could contribute to our culture in general, and our culture in a pandemic.

F. Explain your comfort level that research also reflects you and or the people around you when it comes to social media engagement.

G. Consider Stossel’s informal polls in the video about SnapChat Streaks. Hypothesize one reason why students would continue to participate in something they consider laborious or tiresome?

H. Explain how screen time could be used to move students from passive consumers of technology (idly watching a screen) to active creators using technology (building programs to solve problems, creating videos to meet a need).

I. Please share your thoughts around the following quote: “If you aren’t paying for the product, the way the company is making money off you is either off your data, or the amount of time you are looking at a screen.” -John Borthwick, LIKE

Module 2 1. Resource Review Please identify two resources related to the course content that will enhance your professional practice and deepen your understanding of the course. For example, consider looking for resources that will:

• Allow you to extend your learning beyond the course

• Challenge your beliefs or assumptions

• Provide an alternative viewpoint to course content

Resources selected may be blogs, podcasts, websites, videos, documentaries, films, articles, books, journals or combination. Resources selected should be recent - published within the last five years.

Summarize what you learn from critically analyzing each resource. (Examples of critical analysis include asking questions, looking for gaps in information, disputing contradictions, etc.) Please explain how the resource supports or challenges your assumptions and/or course content and how the information presented will impact your professional practice. Each resource review should total 2 paragraphs, or more. For each resource, include:


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• Title

• Author

• Copyright or publishing date

• URL if applicable

2. Application Innovate- Brain Science for Profit There are reasons we “love” our social media, but the science behind our “love” can tell us why: social media sites are created to be addictive by design, so it’s no surprise that children, teens, and adults alike are becoming addicted to social media without really knowing it. Let’s look at the ways your brain reacts to social media apps, and how are purveyors of digital experimentation. Please watch the following videos from LIKE:

• Video, “Heroin and Love,” via LIKE

• Video, “Slot Machine Addictive Tactic,” via LIKE

• Video, “The Attention Economy,” via LIKE

• Video, “They Know You Better Than You Know Yourself,” via LIKE

• Video, “Notifications,” via LIKE Then, read the following article:

• Article, “The ‘Like’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think it Does,” by Chris Taylor, via Mashable* *This article contains some content we do not approve of; however, we believe the content in general is worthy of study for this subject. We apologize for any offense this causes.

Now, with all that new information (!), please complete the following assignment. You have an opportunity to disseminate what you have learned about brain science and what goes on “behind the screens.” Create a lesson to share information about the brain’s dopamine reward reflex with students, caregivers, colleagues, or community members. Please follow the steps below to meet this Application requirement. Step 1: Identify the audience. Make sure that the language and style you choose fits with your intended audience.


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Step 2: Parameters This lesson should, at minimum, include information about the following:

• A brief summary of how popular apps work, and how they affect the brain • The concept of a reward system for the brain, • Examples of ways social media apps capture and monetize user experience. • Possible long-term implications of manipulation and data mining and experiments for our students,

or society, and/or our culture. Step 3: Format The lesson you submit should include the following:

• Objective(s) • Description of step by step procedures • Explanation of handouts, tools, or other items needed for the success of the lesson • Plan for implementation of the lesson

The lesson plan should be detailed enough that a colleague could teach it in your place. 3. Application Collaborate: Wellness After reading and watching the resources below, please complete the assignment that follows.

• Video, “Is Anxiety on the Rise? Is Social Media to Blame?” via Angst part of the IndieFlix trilogy)

• Video, “Social Animals,” via LIKE

• Article, “From FOMO to JOMO,” by Susanne Leslie, Learners Edge

• Article, “Combating Social Media Dysphoria,” via Rush University Hospital (please focus most on sections 5-7)

• Selections from “Tweens, Teens, Tech, and Mental Health: Coming of Age in an Increasingly Digital, Uncertain, and Unequal World”:

• Key Findings,” (pp. 11-13)

• “The State of Adolescents’ Mental Health in the United States,” (pp 21-23) Collaborate with students, colleagues, caregivers, or specific community members to design a 3 or more part series of virtual “talking sessions” to share information you just learned about social media and identity and wellness. You will be creating an agenda, topics, and 2 or more discussion questions per session. Remember to provide context for each session based on your collaboration partner and the audience in each talking session. Feel free to use a different collaborator each time Each session should be 30 minutes or more and include the following agenda outline (feel free to add components if needed):

• Name of the collaborator, and why s/he was chosen • Topic, including the relationship to social media (ie, body dysmorphia, loss of identity,

FOMO/JOMO) • Rationale (1 paragraph or more) for choosing this topic • Resources you will use for this session (you may use the resources we’ve provided above) • 1 paragraph or more explanation of the virtual tools and extra resources you will need to make

each session work.


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• 2 Discussion prompts • Call to action- what will you and your audience do as a result of discussing this topic?

Your coursework submission should include completed outlines for each of the 3 or more sessions.

4. Application: Curation Social media is a strong influence on students as they learn more about who they are and their place in the world. Kids use curation, or sharing of a “social media self” rather than the “real-life self,” which can have an alarming effect through the connection between social media and self-worth. This applies to videos, photo sharing, articles, and select information. But how does this apply to identity, and who kids really are? Please watch the following videos:

• Video, “Who Are You on Social Media?”, Common Sense Media • Video, “Common Sense Media and Mirror,”via LIKE Read through the following articles:

• Common Sense Media lesson on “Curated Lives”

• “How Social Media Shapes Our Identity,” by Nausicaa Renner, The New Yorker Now, complete the following assignment. People have been curating (or filtering) their lives long before the advent of social media. The goal of presenting a perfect life is often attempted, but (spoiler alert) there’s no perfect or seamless way to live a life. Consider ways you, as a child or a young person, curate your life, and what you present(ed) to peers, families, or even at work. Write a 1 page or more letter to your younger self explaining what curation is, what it has become, and how it affected you. Explain some of the effects of what curation can do, and how that shows up in your world. Gently help your younger self understand that self-worth is not connected to what you show or how you interact with others. Finally, assure them of what you will later learn- curation offers an inaccurate picture of who you really are.

Module 3 1. Application: Challenge the Status Quo Please complete 1 option from either Intrinsic Motivation OR the activity for Extrinsic Motivation. A. Intrinsic Motivation: Audits When we discuss use of technology or social media, it’s helpful to gauge our own technology and social media use both professionally and personally. To meet this requirement, please complete one of the following options. Option 1: Self-Audit To measure your own social media use, please complete the Adult Social Media Audit. The linked form is not in a writeable PDF format, so please record your responses on your own. You do not need to submit your responses for the audit. Once you have completed the audit, please respond to each of the prompts below in 1 paragraph or more, unless otherwise noted.


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a. Any self-evaluation can be so enlightening! Describe 2 or more reactions to your results. b. Explain whether you believe this was valuable to you, and why. c. Share at least idea of how you could implement this audit with your students, including rationale

and how you will introduce it. Option 2: Instructional Tech Audit This audit measures how you use (or have used) technology in your classroom setting. Social media and technology can be fantastic tools to use with students, and this audit can generate new or enhanced ways to engage! Please complete the Instructional Technology Audit regarding your current or former teaching role. You do not need to submit your Instructional Technology Audit. Please complete the following steps: Step 1: Please write a list of all the technology you can think of that is used in your classroom (by you and as directed by you, not student-driven items). Step 2: Please allocate the percentage of technology you use in your classroom as Creational, Functional, or Recreational. Be sure your percentages add up to 100%. Step 3: Finally, in 1 paragraph or more each, respond to your choice of 3 questions below, related to instructional technology: (prompts via Kipp Bentley, Center for Digital Education and Dion Lim, ISTE columnist),

• How much of your instruction time is spent collaborating with your students? • Is use of technology a privilege, entitlement or responsibility? • Is the time students spend in front of screens engaging and purposeful? • Do teachers play an instrumental role in reviewing, monitoring and guiding their students’

technology use? • In the classroom, is technology viewed as “just one of the tools” students can use to solve

problems, answer questions and present information? • Are students taught and encouraged to read deeply, evaluate sources, consider viewpoints

different than their own, and/or monitor their own screen time and understand how to disengage from technology?

B. Extrinsic Motivation: Social Media for Good Within the studies and statistics of this course, there’s indication of positive connections, content, and influence to be had on the social media platforms. Read the following articles and listen to the podcast to explore how social media helps kids gain agency to change the world. Then, respond to the activity that follows.

• Article, “10 Ways to Use Social Media for Good,” from GetSchooled.com

• Podcast, “Disruptors for Good, episode 55,” hosted by Grant Trahant from Causeartist

• Article, “9 Ways Real Students use Social Media for Good,” by Michael Niehoff, ISTE In one paragraph or more, explain why it is (or isn’t) helpful to use the benefits of social media to promote positive change.


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Identify at least 3 items from the above resources that inspire you. For each of those items, in 1 paragraph or more, share how you could engage your students to bring the ideas to life via social media.

2. Application: Implement We’ve already determined that students are using social media platforms for “out of school” communications, but what if you can use the popularity of social media to engage students? Please read through the following resources, then complete the activity that follows.

• Article, “6 Amazing Ways Teachers are Using Social Media During the Pandemic,” by Madeleine Burry, Teach for America

• Article, “Social Media in the Classroom,” by Shannon Lee

• Article, “Why and How to Use YouTube Video Essays in Your Classroom,” by Tanner Higgin, Common Sense Media

• Tip List, “Social Networks for Students and Teachers,” Common Sense Media Choose 3 or more specific strategies or apps you would like to try in your classroom. Design an activity for your students that incorporates 1 of those strategies or apps in the classroom. For a moment, pretend there are no limitations for what you can do with technology in your classroom. Your activity should include:

• Objective or Goal • Explanation of how you would select tools to use • Explanation of how you will implement these strategies and tools. • A 1 paragraph or more description of your comfort level for using social media in the classroom to

meet and engage your students where they are.

The activity you design should be detailed enough that a colleague could teach it in your place.

3. Application: Take Back Control! There are numerous ways you can assist your students (and yourself) with self-regulation. Please watch this video to begin:

• Video, “Helping Kids Self-Regulate,” via LIKE Then, read the following articles and complete the activity that follows. Keep in mind, some resources for this section are created for a caregiver point of view, but we believe the strategies can be used by students, teachers, or caregivers.

• Article, “Digital Well-Being Guidelines for Parents During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” from the Center for Humane Technology

• Article, “Four Ways to Hack Your Screen Addiction,”by Dr. Sasha Heinz, Mindful.org

• Article, “Take Control,” from the Center for Humane Technology (Scroll all the way down to view a variety of apps to help!)

• Website, #halfthestory, “About Us” o Check out a PDF of their guide, A Guide for Parents: Social Media, Screentime, and Emotions

During COVID-19. Now, create a plan to help others with self-regulation. You’ve got this!


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Step 1: Strategy Overviews Based on your reading, please identify 3 tools or strategies for self-regulation you will commit to using and/or sharing with your students. With each of the tools or strategies, in 1 paragraph or more, please share:

a. Strategy name b. Brief description c. How you will implement with students d. Any connections between benefits of practicing mindfulness when engaging with social media.

Use an outline to share how you can organize strategy implementation with all of the above components.

4. Reflection

In two or more double-spaced pages, synthesize your learning from the course by summarizing what you

will do differently as a result of your learning in your professional role moving forward. Your reflection

should include:

• an evaluation of your learning goals from your Statement of Intention and Awareness in Module 1

(In other words, how have you grown?)

• detailed connections to course applications, information from readings and other activities

completed

• specific ideas for changes to one’s professional practice including timelines OR detailed action steps

for positively influencing others with timelines (students, caregivers, colleagues, administrators,

community members, etc.)

• a future learning goal you have related to course content

Documents

Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Students, Wellness