Topic 6: Community, Culture, and Media
I think that there are many online avenues that could really help a teen get involved in the "real world". For example, as discussed in class, Linkdin is a great online tool, and it really helps people get involved in their communities. For example, many business and recruitment services have a linkdin account to promote networking, and it is often used to post/advertise job and/or volunteer opportunities available through them. This is one way that students can really get involved in topics that may be of interest to them. Furthermore, when teens get into their highschool years, especially in grades 11 and 12, and their undergraduate years, they start to become more interested in planning their future, in terms of further education, careers, etc. Linkdin provides access to opportunities such as student-summer research positions, job shadowing, etc. It is full of opportunities.
This can also be said for many other social media networks that we discussed in class. I'll use the very popular option of Facebook. Through Facebook, many teens can learn more about how to get involved in large or small volunteer or job organizations. For example, if a student is interested in going on an internship to another country, or volunteering with an organization, there are Facebook groups that actually connect students to those opportunities. These same Facebook pages can educate students about the different areas of difficulty, in addition to those major issues existing locally and globally. I have attached a picture below from the United Nations Volunteers page, which shows how different types of community involvement can have really significant impact on big problem situations in the world. Furthermore, the presence of companies and news-stations on Facebook can work to educate and inform students about current-issues or news happening in their communities. I have attached a resource below that I got from the CBC News Facebook page, which directly shows how news can be accessed through social media sites as well. News tends to get distributed at higher rates on Facebook, just by clicking a "like" or making a "comment." This resource also shows how much power youth actually have.
Another indicator that social media can be beneficial is present in our notes (slide included below). It brings us back to the idea of "Generation Z" students (I have attached the slide below); those students who will "change the world" (White, 2014). Sometimes what a teen sees on the internet can spark an interest or an idea in their brains, which can lead to great ideas or initiatives. For example, if you are a teacher, and have just assigned a current events poster, you could easily integrate social media into your poster example to show students another avenue of getting the news. You can use news clippings from social media sites, like the ones listed below, to show students that you can find much more than a brand name on media platforms. It would be one way of getting students to really engage with what is happening around them, while maintaining their need to have an online presence. As mentioned in Dr. Cormier's lecture on Thursday, adolescents between the age of 8 and 18 spent approximately 2.5 hours on computer media" (Cormier, 2015 (In notes, but an external source)). If we as teachers could channel that computer time into something useful, such as taking a look at current events, and/or providing students with the channels to get involved with their communities, we could really contribute to the betterment of the next generation.
Finally, using video-conferencing technology media, such as Skype, FaceTime, etc. allows teachers to really "bring the world to their classroom." By using this media, students have the opportunity to, as a class, talk to a person from another part of the world, or another class from across the world. This can bring very new insight, knowledge and opportunity to students all across the world. I have attached an article from Ed Tech Ideas, called "Rationale for Using Skype in the Classroom" (Ed Tech Ideas, 2011). It shows the benefits that using skype in the classroom, and how it can be really insightful to our students. This article also talks about ways of efficiently and effectively integrating social media, such as Skype, into the classroom.
I have attached a number of resorces below that demonstrate how teens can actually benefit from social media. I encourage you to take a look.
These two images provide insight into how social media sites, such as Facebook, can be really effective in sharing the current news and events to the younger generation who quite often do not actually spend the time to read the news. It also advertises the effect and significance that youth have in the community. Though it first comes up on social media, it takes you way beyond it into the "real world."
The site above offeres teachers insight onto how they can use Skype efficiently and effectively in the classroom. It offers insight onto why Skype can be used as such a beneficial tool in today's present classroom. I encourage you to take the time to scroll through this very informative article on how teachers and their students have responded to the addition of Skype conferences in the classroom.
The above article provides more insight into how we as teachers can effectively implement and integrate Skype conferences into the classroom, while also talking about the advantages of using it for today's 21st century classroom. Please scroll through the site and read the article for more information.
The two slides above are taken from Dr. Cormier's EDPY 304 Class Notes on Topic 6. The first slide talks about today's youth being the "world changers" due to their increased use and skill of digital media. The second slide refers to the data discussed in my post. It shows the "Total Media Exposure of Youth between the Ages of 8 and 18."
The above article talks about the benefits that social media can bring to the classroom. It uses insightful research and teacher/student experiences to really reflect on why it can prove to be an advantage in today's classrooms.
This article talks about the concept of "Generation Z" as I mentioned in my reflection. This article was provided to us to read prior to lecture. I would highly recommend reading through it to understand why this generation's media can benefit your students in the classroom, and how you can use it to your advanage.
Resources:
CBC News. (2015). Canadian Youth Call Out Justin Trudeau Before the World's Camera at Paris Climate Summit. Facebook.
Cormier, D. (2015). Class Notes on Topic 6. University of Alberta. Unpublished.
Ed Tech Ideas. (2011). Rationale for Using Skype in the Classroom. http://edtechideas.com/2011/04/05/rationale-for-using-skype-in-the-classroom/
Finding Dulcinea. (2013). How Innovative Teachers Are Using Skype In Their Classrooms. http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2013/Skype.html
McMahan, I. & Thompson, S. (2015). Adolescence: Canadian Edition. Toronto: Pearson.
Tomaszewski, J. (2012). Study Suggests Benefits of Social Media in the Classroom. Education World. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/study-suggests-social-media-has-place-in-classrooms.shtml#sthash.hH3kNqVo.dpuf
United Nations Volunteers. (2015). United Nations Volunteers: International Day to End Violence Against Women. Facebook.
White, S. (2014). Generation Z: The kids who’ll save the world?. The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/giving/generation-z-the-kids-wholl-save-the-world/article20790237/?page=all