Social Media Summary 18 responses

Does your school have a written strategy or policy for using social media in the
classroom?

Yes

43.8%

No

25%

Don't know

31.3%

In the past 6 months, which of the following social media sites have you used in
the classroom: Facebook, Flickr, FourSquare, Google+, Instagram, MySpace,
Pheed, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine, Learning Management System
(i,e, Moodle, Blackboard), YouTube, Renren, WhatsApp, or others?
LMS (schoology)
Edmodo, YouTube
Google, TwitterI
Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Google Classroom
Snapchat
Google+, YouTube
None
Learning Management System, YouTube, Others
Google+, Youtube, LMS, Kidblog
I'm not in a classroom, but for MET I have used Google+ LMS and Youtube. Personally, I used
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube
Moodle, Youtube, Vimeo
Moodle, Youtube
Google+, LMS
Learning Management System (i.e. Moodle)

Do you think social media can enhance a student's educational experience?

Please explain.
Yes, but it needs to be constantly monitored by a teacher.

Social media (and media as a whole) has a huge potential to enhance student learning. Looking
toward the future market place, students will be required to effortlessly and seamlessly navigate
between different social medias and professional platforms. It is instrumental to develop these
skills in a thoughtful manner where students are free to make mistakes and learn to effectively
use the social media and technology to help support their opinions.
In distance education, it can have a significant impact. Students need to feel part of a learning
community and social media fosters their ability to collaborate with other students and share
ideas.
Yes - it teaches students that when they share online, there is an audience on the other side who is
always watching. I use social media to help teach and reinforce digital citizenship issues while
helping them publish their work beyond the usual audience of one (the teacher).
Yes, it allows students to connect with others in a wider context (not just sharing through letters
or text) to allows students to expand their learning opportunities. Students can also learn personal
responsibility, accountability and digital citizenship by using social media in the classroom
which is important because many students use it regularly outside of the school day.
Yes, students can use this media to collaborate on learning experiences and share this knowledge
in a forum that can be questioned or built on by others
Yes, I feel the communication and connection with other learners can deepen a students
experience
Assists with collaborative learning
Yes, but clear boundaries need to be understood and practiced between educational social and
personal social media use.
Yes
Yes, when used in the right way it can be very beneficial. There are many examples of teachers
using social media to connect content in students in a meaningful way.
Yes. Students could quickly access a variety of answers to poll questions, they could collaborate,
they could make connections with experts.

How do you rate your confidence using social media in the classroom?
Very confident - I'm a technology ninja!

11.8%

Confident - I can accomplish what I want

35.3%

Somewhat confident - I have a few problems but can usually get by

29.4%

Not very confident - I'm technologically challenged

5.9%

I'd rather have a root canal

17.6%

What would give you more confidence using social media in the classroom?

Greater approval by the schoolboard

Hands on practice.
My lack of confidence has nothing to do with technical know-how and everything to do with
student misuse and a backlash from parents.
I teach others how to use social media in the classroom and for professional purposes, but I am
always looking for new tips and strategies to include digcit activities in my practice!
more practice
In BC we are bound by FOIPPA (Freedom of Information & Privacy Act). As a school district we
are not to use sites that house data outside of Canada with our students, especially if using names
or photos. We don't have a clear policy around this.
Experience using it. I teach Elementary and our students are too young to legally have social
media accounts. Therefore, it is not used. I have not tried using my own accounts as a teacher.
mmm
Technologically I'm fine, but I would need to research and try out some ideas myself before
being confident.
experience and practice
a clear understanding on all interested parties, parents, teachers and students on their role and
responsibilities
Funding to implement it properly along with professional development time where I could
explore and learn about different platforms that could meet the needs of my students.
Knowing that I haven't provided a portal for bullying and harassment long after the activities that
I used the social media for have finished

What percentage of students do you estimate have access to the internet at home?
0-10%

0%

11-20%

0%

21-30%

0%

31-40%

0%

41-50%

0%

51-60%

0%

61-70%

0%

71-80%

17.6%

81-90%

52.9%

91-100%

29.4%

How far do you agree with this statement, "It is very risky for an educator to use
social media as a learning tool."
Strongly agree

5.9%

Agree

41.2%

Neither agree or disagree

29.4%

Disagree

23.5%

Strongly disagree

0%

Please explain your answer.

Teachers can minimize the risks of Internet use by having discussions about digital citizenship.
In a k-7 school we need to protect our students first, then teach appropriate use, then teach how
and when it is appropriate to use social media. I do teach all this throughout the year, I don't
allow free access to social media sites until I feel they are ready for it.
Much of social media is accessible beyond the limitations of the school board filters. Where does
the responsibility lie when students are using social media in relation to the school?
See previous answer: the big one for me is that access is required to sites that could be used in
the future for malicious purposes.
It is challenging to place a view as agreeing or disagreeing for this one. Because there is no set
formula or example of how it would be implemented, it is impossible to say that it would be
either. I think that social media can function as a powerful tool in the classroom to either enhance
or devalue learning outcomes depending on the way in which is it is implemented and students
reaction (prior experience with) the tools.
Social Media is a very tricky topic and there is a lot of contraversy. It needs to be thoughout
carefuly.
I think the above statement is fear based.
See the "confidence" question.
It depends how social media is used. Students have to be given the criteria and expectations for
them to follow. They also have to be taught how to be a responsible digital citizen and practice
posting about their work in appropriate ways. Parameters have to be set for what the goal of the
social media is used for.
With the proper scaffolding and support from leadership (administration or technology coaches),
any teacher can be successful with social media use. We have to understand that mistakes will
happen in this domain as they happen in the classroom, and we should deal with these as fairly
and as proactively as we do in more private spaces.
mmm
This is highly dependent on context

Are students allowed to bring their own devices to use in the classroom?
Yes

12

70.6%

No

29.4%

In what country do you work?

Canada
mmm

What is your role?

Teacher, Tech Learning Leader
Librarian/Tech/resource teacher
Teacher
Previously Supply/home instruction
Instructional Designer - Higher Ed
teacher
Special Education Technology Coordinator
mmm
Teacher & Technology Coach