Ms.

Bests Personal Statement on Social Media

Social media has become prevalent in our lives. We often have access to it on our phones
and it is with us wherever we go. We share our lives on social media, talk to family and friends,
get information and access the news on social media. Teens and young adults
are at the forefront of this connected world. They spend around 200 minutes
per day on their mobile device, more time than any other age group
(Statistica, 2017). They are often visiting social media sites and apps
including Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. A survey of teens and young
adults found that 79% use Snapchat, 76% use Facebook, and 73% use
Instagram (Statistica, 2017). These high rates indicate what most people
already know, our society, especially teens, are absorbed in the online world.
This absorption is trickling down to younger, and younger children.
As an educator of young children, I believe they need to be introduced to
social media and learn about it in a safe and meaningful way. Educators are
in a unique position to teach children to use social media in a productive
manner not just a personal manner. I believe in introducing children to social
media early, so that they see social media as a resource to connect and
collaborate with others. First, they use social media as an educational tool
that connects them with the world outside of their community. Then as teens,
they wont just use social media in a personal manner, but also as a resource
to enrich their learning. With the permission of the district, school and parents, the students in
my classroom will use social media to connect and collaborate with others to become global
citizens.
Social media is a wonderful educational tool because it expands the boundaries of the
classroom. When students use social media, they can
communicate with others beyond the walls of the classroom.
Students can interact with others in the community or in
another town, state or country. The classroom is no longer
restricted to just the member of the class. I will use social
media to connect students with authors. Childrens authors
Elisa Gravel, Ame Dyckman, Elizabeth Schoonmaker, Todd
Parr and Peter Reynolds have all responded to students
tweets (Lirenman, 2014). Successful interactions with
authors and other public figures will motivate students to
connect with others outside the walls of the classroom to
enrich their learning. Allowing students to Tweet authors or
other public figures provides them with a meaningful
opportunity to share their thoughts, questions or knowledge.
The use of social media shows students that their learning is
meaningful to more than just the teacher and that learning
can happen beyond the classroom.
 As students are using social media to interact with others, they are also exposed to other
peoples thoughts and ideas. Students can share their experiences and learn from others
experiences. By using social media in the classroom, students can learn firsthand stories from
beyond their school. Students can learn about similarities and differences in cultures and
perspectives (Marsh, 2015). I will use Skype in my classroom to build relationships and
collaborate with classes around the world. Global
interactions show students the value of interacting
with others to extend their learning. It also creates
global connectedness. Students become aware of
different perspectives and are given a better
understanding of other cultures by using social
media. Therefore, using social media as an
educational resource encourages global
communication and collaboration within the
classroom.
However, introducing social media to young students can be upsetting to many people.
Opponents believe that it is unnecessary to introduce social media to young children. They
believe it isnt age appropriate and that children dont need to use social media yet (Holland,
2013). Others express concern that young children need to learn to communicate in person first
(Holland, 2013). However, our society interacts though social media, so teaching and modeling
how to interact on social media are just 21st Century social skills (Holland, 2013). Educators
need to model responsible, safe, and respectful online interactions to young children (Marsh,
2015). The more often educators model the proper use of social media, the more likely children
will be to use it properly as they grow up. Other opponents of social media may worry about
childrens exposure to inappropriate content and privacy concerns. The process of using social
media with young students is very safe when it is highly controlled by teachers (Marsh, 2015).
Teachers set up classroom accounts on social media sites like Twitter, Skype or Facebook.
Students use these classroom accounts, which protects their privacy and limits what they can
view. The teacher also manages when and what can be posted on the classroom accounts.
Teachers control young students actions on social media and model appropriate social etiquette.
Therefore, using social media in the classroom also benefits students socially.
I understand that many families may be worried about their childs use of social media in
school. However, introducing young children to social media is not a scary notion like parents
might believe. With proper instruction, young students can benefit from using social media. As a
teacher, I will use social media in the classroom to help students develop a global
perspective and see social media as a tool to connect and collaborate with others. By using
social media in the classroom, students see meaning in connecting with others and learning
outside the classroom. Social media offers an incredible way to enhance students learning and
prepares them to be successful global citizens in our society.
 References
Burns, M. (2014). Tweeting the read-aloud: Engaging and motivating readers. Edutopia.
Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tweeting-the-read-aloud-monica-burns
Holland, B. (2013). Introducing social media to elementary students. Edutopia. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland
Marsh, D. (2015). Leveraging social media in the elementary classroom. NAESP Communicator,
38 (6). Retrieved from http://www.naesp.org/communicator-february-2015/leveraging-
social-media-elementary-classroom
Lirenman, K. (2014, November 1) A positive use of social media strikes again [Web log post].
Retrieved from http://www.klirenman.com/2014/11/a-positive-use-of-social-media-
strikes.html
Statistica. (2017). Reach of leading social media and networking sites used by teenagers and
young adults in the united states as of february 2017. The Statistics Portal. Retrieved
from https://www.statista.com/statistics/199242/social-media-and-networking-sites-
used-by-us-teenagers/