Social Media in Science

This weeks assignment was to conduct some research into successful ways teachers have implemented social media into their classrooms, and in my case specifically in science classes.  Initially, I thought I would find a lot of teacher examples of how they employed the use of social media, but I actually didn’t find as many in the k-12 realm as I thought.  Which I guess does make sense in a way. Many districts and schools do not allow the use of social media in schools, often blocking these open networks or limiting students use of personal devices.  In the three different schools that I have taught (both Idaho and Colorado), this was most certainly the case.

There may be a lot of fears, but why not face those fears and use technology and social media to our benefit. We all know teachers and students are using social media outside of the classroom, so why not bring it in and leverage it to our advantage in helping students critically think, engage in thoughtful discourse, collaborate with peers, and be more engagement in classes.  And now that I think about my own experience as a classroom teacher, why not let kids use their phone to engage in the content.  I will always battle those that will not use them for good, but I think it is our responsibility to teach students how social media can be a learning tool and a method to connect to real news and discoveries- not just the latest trend.

Through my research this week I learned that teachers are primarily implementing Facebook, Twitter, and blogging in the science classroom. All projects were found to increase student engagement, activity, and some reported better learning outcomes.

Blogging would be a great method for students to communicate their learning and reflect on their own work.  Blogging doesn’t have to be formal but can introduce students to more formal, scientific writing.  I also like the idea of students reading more blogs by scientists and researchers; however, in the past, I have had issues with some sites being blocked at the school.  Hopefully as time

Many teachers have used Twitter for debates, sharing ideas, and creative writing.  When students have only 140 characters to write their thoughts, they really need to know what they are talking about to get their clear message across.  I especially liked the idea from some teachers, where students create a profile for a notable or historical figure.

Facebook has been noted as a great way to build community online, setting up groups for students to discuss ideas, ask questions, report and compare data, etc.  Some current learning management systems, like Schoology, mimic facebook in appearance and features which could be a solution for those schools that block Facebook and other social networking sites.

All the innovative projects and ideas that I found encourage me to implement more social media into my sciences classes.  Kids at all levels are social by nature and want to connect with their peers, so why not let them interact with science content within those platforms.  Not only will this promote more critical thinking and engagement, but will also bring about lessons with responsible use of technology. 

I tested out Pinterest to curate my selected resources for this assignment.  I found this platform very easy to use and would recommend this for my students to use for their curated projects  (that is if it isn’t blocked :/ ).

Check out my curated resources on social media use in science here.