Teaching With Social Media v2

Teaching With Social Media

Mike Nantais Assistant Professor (BU) Ph.D. candidate, University of Manitoba

Who is this guy?

& why is he doing this research?

Research Purpose

Social Media in Teaching

How?Why?

Results?

Supports?Barriers/Challenges?

Change?

from the teachers’ perspective.

★ Think - Pair -Share !

What is Social Media?

Tecc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by dkuropatwa: http://flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/3862101829/xt

“Social Media . . . a moving target” (Hogan & Quan-Haase, 2010)

I just think about a person using the computer to

communicate with somebody else. So to me, social media is

different from technology in a sense that it’s communicating

with another person or with another human being. !(Nancy)

It would be communicating on a mass scale. So, traditionally when we would email somebody or you would send a letter, it’s a one to one kind of thing. But social media is . . . you are reaching out to a large group of people for a larger audience. (Joseph)

Social Media?

I think of Facebook, Twitter, about connecting, instant access to things like news, information – not just local “our town” – but now global. !(Anthony)

. . . is just . . . communication is what it is, a different form of communication. (Frank)

Social Media!

“a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological

foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of

user generated content”!(Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010, p. 61)

• Qualitative multiple case study

• Interpretivist - contextual

• Social constructivist

• Purposeful & convenience sampling procedure

The Study

The Study

• Nine cases (teachers) in Rural Manitoba

• Grades 7 -12

• Several interviews over 6 months.

• Documents & social media interactions

• Thematic analysis

The Context

The Participants

Name Years teaching

Self-rating in social media Main social media used in teaching

Ann 35 “beginner” Blogging – main project Student use of Facebook, Twitter etc.

Nancy 32 “pretty low”Blogging – main project Use of Facebook, Twitter etc. by

Anthony 30 “novice” Google docs among many more

Joseph 26 “not that knowledgeable”

Facebook page (has used many others in the past)

Frank 22 “average … 6/10” Twitter, YouTube (also texting)

John 14 “needs to get better” Blogging

Mary 14 “above very good” Facebook pages (has used social ‘trivia’ sites)

Sally 13 “beginner” Google docs, wiki, YouTube

James 7 “very comfortable . . . use it often”

Google docs, Twitter (also texting)

Summary of Participants: Years of Experience and Social Media Use

Findingshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/4285762190/sizes/o/ by Darren Kuropatwa

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/4285762190/sizes/o/

Findingshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/4285762190/sizes/o/ by Darren Kuropatwa

?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/4285762190/sizes/o/

Why use it?“I can see that's where the kids are at, they want to be using those tools” (Ann)

“They are tethered to them. . . . They’re connected. They are wired differently and we have to accept it, so why not teach them more about it?” (James)

“It’s part of the life of our students in our school . . . you are relating to kids in their own lingo.” (Joseph)

Ethical & Appropriate Use

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by darrendraper: http://flickr.com/photos/darrendraper/3199912725/

Supports, Barriers, Challenges …


Technology: “If it doesn’t work, you kind of forget about it . . .

I would say that’s my biggest beef with technology.” (John)




Time: “I just haven’t got time now.” (Frank)!!“. . . time to learn all this and keep up with all your [other] school stuff.” (Sally)




“No matter what tools we use in the classroom, there are

always going to be plusses and minuses . . . it’s just one

more thing, one more trade-off.” (Mary)

Time: “I just haven’t got time now.” (Frank)!!“. . . time to learn all this and keep up with all your [other] school stuff.” (Sally)

Supports Identified

Supports Identified

Supports Identified

Supports Identified

Challenges/Barriers/Concerns





Change?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/9688339343/ Ken Whytock

https://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/9688339343/

Change?



Change?

“No fundamental changes . . . who I am is who I am.” (Ann)



Change?


“It’s just incorporated something else” (Joseph)



Change?



Oh I think so, I think very much so.” (Anthony)



Change?



“It’s made me take more chances . . . I am not afraid to use it anymore” (John)!




Change?



“It’s made me take more chances . . . I am not afraid to use it anymore” (John)!

“I have really gone to a more flexible schedule with the kids . . . social media certainly has helped that.” (Mary)!




Change?

I think it gives them [students] a “sense of empowerment” (John) Change?

I think it gives them [students] a “sense of empowerment” (John)

I think the kids are more informed with social media . . . they are more connected with each of their subjects.” (Anthony)

Change?



Change?

“What’s been gained is, believe it or not, you connect more

with the kids.” (Frank)



Change?

“What’s been gained is, believe it or not, you connect more

with the kids.” (Frank)

“I think before there was this tension, there was this us versus them mentality where the kids where trying to hide and pull one over on the teacher and you don’t see that anymore. You see the kids being comfy in . . . communicating on a different level with teachers now.” (John)

Participant’s Advice


“Use it, try it, get comfortable with it yourself”!(James)



“Learn about it first”!(Sally)




“Set aside time time to plan for the use of it, and always know how it links to curricular outcomes.”!

(Ann)





(Ann)

“[Don’t use it just] for the sake of using social

media.”!(Joseph)





(Ann)

“[Don’t use it just] for the sake of using social

media.”!(Joseph)

“Embrace it. Let the kids roll with it. Give them

some control . . .”!(Anthony)

(Some) Conclusions

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/8583949219/in/photostream/


(Some) Conclusions


Utilizing social media effectively in teaching would benefit from!! ~ a particular purpose, with a well-thought out plan.! ~ professional learning opportunities.! ~ time - for exploration & planning


(Some) Conclusions



The use of social media has the potential to lead to:


(Some) Conclusions





(Some) Conclusions




~ pedagogical change, ranging from additional strategies to the potential for transformative change.


(Some) Conclusions




~ pedagogical change, ranging from additional strategies to the potential for transformative change. ~ enhance a school environment based on trust, responsibility, communication & student empowerment.


(Some) Conclusions




~ pedagogical change, ranging from additional strategies to the potential for transformative change. ~ enhance a school environment based on trust, responsibility, communication & student empowerment.

There is a need for research into the use of social media for learning/teaching.


Thank you!

!

• about.me/mnantais

• Twitter: @MikeN_BU

• email: [email protected]

• G+: Mike Nantais

• slideshare:

http://slidesha.re/1l4FBDO

Contact:

mailto:[email protected]

http://slidesha.re/1l4FBDO

Education

Teaching With Social Media v2