Real Reasons Why Social Media Matters for Educators

[Demetri Orlando]

Social network software is a potentially powerful tool for professional development, adoption of so-called 21st century skills, and the development of personal learning networks. I use the term eduSocial Media (eSM) to distinguish it from entertainment-oriented "social media." Key tools of eSM include list-servs, twitter, nings, blogs, wikis, google docs, diigo, skype, etc. The ideas below were generated as I re-read the last chapter of Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, & Podcasts. In that chapter, he outlines 10 ways the "Read/Write Web" is changing education. His ideas resonated with me in the context of eduSocial Media, so I developed this list which is a rationale for adopting the use of eduSocial Media at an institutional level for the purpose of teachers' professional development.

1) Most of our schools are seeking to adopt digital sources of content to supplement (or even replace) textbooks. eduSocial Media is a compelling pathway to access, gather, and build this content. At its core, the experience of eSM is one of sharing digital resources and experiences with like-minded colleagues. Our list-serv messages, tweeted links, ning discussions, blog posts, and social bookmarking revolve around teaching and learning resources. The collaborative wikispaces and google docs enable participants to easily share and publish work online. Doing all of this expands one's experience with the organizing and delivery tools that are used to access, manipulate, and share digital content. Effective manipulation of digital content has been identified as critical for 21st century students' success, so why not put teachers in the position of using this skill authentically? Jumping into twitter, blogs, and nings is a bit like going swimming- you need some instruction, but the only way to learn how is to get in the water!

2) eduSocial Media helps us build skills in finding answers and solving problems through a collaborative network. A core element of eduSocial Media is the willingness of people to help each other. Those of us swimming in this stream often use it to ask questions (via twitter, list-servs, and nings) which colleagues are happy to answer. With eduSocial Media, this sharing of knowledge is visible to many other participants, so the process of asking a question and receiving an answer often results in several people who didn't even know they had the same question benefitting from the answer. Some questions also evoke corollary questions from other askers that help define other aspects of a problem/situation. This collaborative process also encourages our "life-long learning skills" because we see the power of the collective knowledge pool and become participants in both asking and answering questions. Modeling this for students is a powerful practice, and experiencing it as teachers is necessary if we want to teach students how to use networks like this. This process of solving problems by tapping into human networks using collaborative digital tools is a critical 21st century skill.

3) Students need guidance on the ethical use of information souces in the online world. Teachers participating in the eduSocial medium will have an authentic ability to teach and model this, by properly citing sources and modeling intellectual honesty. Being respectful of the human network is important- it is assumed that an asker has first tried to google the question before turning to one’s learning network, so there is also an opportunity for instruction in ethical and appropriate use of this medium.

4) eduSocial Media is a “24/7” tool, accessible in our classrooms, at home, and in-between (on our smart-phones.) This anytime/anywhere accessibility can break down the artificial time constraints on instruction tied to class periods and school days. It may seem to open the door to impinging on teachers’ personal time, but if managed wisely has the potential to provide more “just-in-time” learning for our students. Most teachers I’ve met will go to great lengths to ensure their students’ opportunity for success. I do not mean to suggest that teachers should be available 24x7, but teachers often make time outside of class to answer emails, and this is the same type of interaction that can happen over eSM tools.

5) eduSocial Media by its nature exposes us to a global and highly diverse participatory universe. Both the global nature with its diversity of viewpoints, cultures, experiences, and the participatory/entrepreneurial nature of this medium contribute to our 21st century skillset. We build our social capital within these networks by being supportive and active participants and we weave entrepreneurial webs of relationships that can be tapped on demand for our own learning and problem solving needs. eduSocial Media also levels the participatory playing-field, allowing anyone to participate in conversation on an equal footing. As we have learned from studies of online courses, some students who are normally shy or reluctant to speak up in face-to-face conversation will thrive with online communication. eSM taps into this same dynamic--valuing relevance rather than established power relationships.

6) Interacting with eduSocial Media helps keep the knife edge sharp. It "ups the game" because you are interacting with a real (and potentially expert) audience for your ideas and conversation. This is as true for teachers as for students. Incidentally, but also importantly, it is OK to make mistakes in this medium. In fact a healthy and humble recognition that occasional missteps may occur is good because if we waited until every idea were perfectly polished before presenting it, we’d have a much lower frequency of interaction. Being willing to venture ones’ ideas into the digital dialog is a key to taking value from the experience. You have to be willing to try, and to take a risk, in order to learn. In life we often learn more from mistakes than successes, so the notion of risk being involved with eSM should not be a barrier to entry; instead, it’s an opportunity to put your best foot forward and stay sharp. Interacting with colleagues online can be energizing, and has the potential to make professional development a very personally rewarding experience.

7) Will Richardson points out that because the web allows anyone and everyone to publish content, it is necessary for our students to be able to read with a more critical eye than in the past. With the abundance of information online, it is also valuable to be able to write and convey ideas efficiently, effectively, and persuasively. We can practice both of these skills when participating in the world of eduSocial Media. Will also points out that our students inhabit a multimedia and a mobile world in which our educators need to become more fluent. Will notes that the cultural transmissions of experience and knowledge now transpire across video sites like YouTube. eduSocial Media embraces and gives us experience in this new world.

8) Using eduSocial Media can be a fun and intrinsically rewarding experience on a number of levels. This element of enjoyment makes it more likely to take hold as an authentic pathway to professional development.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts or questions on this topic, and if you have more examples of why eduSocial Media is worth pursuing on an institutional level. [Please note that in my blogging I like to incorporate comments back into the original post, so if there is something you do not want added to this list, please say so.]

While we're on this topic, I suppose it might also be useful to outline some of the pitfalls of embracing social media in a professional context which could include:

• being off-task, procrastinating, or exploring personal interests as opposed to school-related interests
• potential for inadvertent disclosure of personal, proprietary, or confidential information
• potential for misinterpreted intentions or emotional responses inflaming sensitive situations
• potential for inappropriate or malicious posting reflecting on the school

Ok, putting the rose-colored glasses back on now... I think we could work to reduce the risks by establishing clear guidelines and educating ourselves.

[Jim Heynderickx]

Not really a comment, but a question:

Does a teacher who is an expert communicator need to add social media tools to his/her toolbox?

I think of Shirky's Promise - Tool - Bargain model for judging social media tools. It could be that some teachers are doing a great job of communicating face to face, interacting with students in and out of class, challenging learning outside of the classroom and school day. The promise of social networking tools is that communication is improved, but is the bargain always there?

Obviously, students feel social networking tools are a bargain in the development of their social lives, but they are at the start of a long road and very few are expert communicators at age twelve.

Now, my favorite argument for social networking (or even simply online threaded discussions) is that it can often enable the quietest students in class to speak out with often brilliant ideas that otherwise would have never been heard. Sometimes I think that Plato probably felt lucky if half of his students actively participated in a class discussion... In online threaded discussions, however, it's worth noting that students interacting with each other is where the magic typically happens, and the teacher is more of a facilitator.

You may rightfully say that is the way it should be, but I would note then that the teacher really isn't social networking. It's the students building their own future. Thus, maybe social networking isn't for teachers after all, other than for building personal learning networks among colleagues.

(Just a different view...)

[Demetri Orlando]

Simon,
Thanks for your thoughts on this. Per copyright, I doubt it's permissible to post the entire NYT article here. It would probably be better to just include a link to it, and/or include a few excerpts with your analysis [You can copy your comments into a new comment response, and then delete your original]. I do agree with the danger of electronic overstimulation, but my intent is to outline why I think eduSocial Media is an important development from the standpoint of professional development. I am not trying to be a rah-rah cheerleader here, but rather attempt to identify pedagogical reasons why this has value. Certainly the term "21st c. skills" has become almost a faux pas in our circles, but you do identify a core element of this movement- the collaborative nature of our current environment.

Jim,
Thanks, as always, for your comments. I don't think the promise of eSM for teachers is "improved" communication, but wider communication possibilities, and agreed, it is not for everyone. But imagining an incredibly eloquent semi-Luddite English teacher who has no use for electronic media... If s/he continues to be an inspiring force in the classroom and models lifelong learning then sure, no need to try to cram eSM into that space. On the other hand, how powerful might it be is s/he were to experience connecting online with another like-minded teacher somewhere else on the globe? How might that impact his/her professional development, energy for teaching, and instructional use of eSM?

[Simon Jeynes]

Do we have a choice when the research tells us that the only time students aren't online is when they are in class? Here are some extracts from an interesting recent article that parallels a number of interesting research studies being carried out.
June 6, 2010
Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price
By MATT RICHTEL
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?src=busln

Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.

These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.

The resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks. And for millions of people like Mr. Campbell, these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life.

While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.

And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.

“The technology is rewiring our brains,” said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse and one of the world’s leading brain scientists. Mr. Ophir, like others around the country studying how technology bent the brain, was startled by what he discovered.

The Myth of Multitasking

The test subjects were divided into two groups: those classified as heavy multitaskers based on their answers to questions about how they used technology, and those who were not.

In a test created by Mr. Ophir and his colleagues, subjects at a computer were briefly shown an image of red rectangles. Then they saw a similar image and were asked whether any of the rectangles had moved. It was a simple task until the addition of a twist: blue rectangles were added, and the subjects were told to ignore them. (Play a game testing how well you filter out distractions.)

The multitaskers then did a significantly worse job than the non-multitaskers at recognizing whether red rectangles had changed position. In other words, they had trouble filtering out the blue ones — the irrelevant information.

So, too, the multitaskers took longer than non-multitaskers to switch among tasks, like differentiating vowels from consonants and then odd from even numbers. The multitaskers were shown to be less efficient at juggling problems. (Play a game testing how well you switch between tasks.)


Mr. Nass at Stanford thinks the ultimate risk of heavy technology use is that it diminishes empathy by limiting how much people engage with one another, even in the same room.

“The way we become more human is by paying attention to each other,” he said. “It shows how much you care.”

That empathy, Mr. Nass said, is essential to the human condition. “We are at an inflection point,” he said. “A significant fraction of people’s experiences are now fragmented.”

My thoughts.....

This doesn't prove one thing or the other - it does ask some interesting questions, for example:
1. do we always lose something of value when we gain something of value?
2. is social media a 21st century skill?
3. is it teachable?
4. can faculty possibly keep up with children in the technology environment? If not, what are the implications?
5. who is the expert in 21st century classrooms?
and so on. I am not particularly impressed by so called lists of 21st century skills. I am impressed by the way in which social media is changing the ground of teaching beneath our feet. For example, the whole concept of private work is becoming obsolete. It is looking more and more like the 20th century concept of the autonomous teacher (in the bad sense). If students are not networking to learn, they are not learning fast enough. "My work" is not nearly as powerful as "Our work". Strangely, this is exactly the environment in which we work as adults. Hmmm.

Simon Jeynes
[e-mail]

P.S. http://withoutmedia.wordpress.com/study-conclusions/
Here is another interesting study that includes (in part) the following conclusion:
The major conclusion of this study is that the portability of all that media stuff has changed students’ relationship not just to news and information, but to family and friends — it has, in other words, caused them to make different and distinctive social, and arguably moral, decisions

[Demetri Orlando]

I'm interested to read the quote of Mr. Nass above about empathy, because it is one of the six elements of Pink's Whole New Mind (along with Play, Symphony, Story, Creativity, & Meaning) that he identifies as valuable skills. This shows an interesting challenge that independent schools may be uniquely positioned to embrace... using digital tools in a way that incorporates these skills as learning outcomes. It is frightening to imagine the internet causing a world without empathy and a world that Larry Sanger describes as: "a society of drones, enculturated by hive minds, who are able to work together online but who are largely innocent of the texts and habits of study that encourage deep and independent thought. We will be bound by the prejudices of our 'digital tribe,' ripe for manipulation by whoever has the firmest grip on our dialogue." So it's all the more important upon us to design learning experiences that foster the skills and traits we seek in our graduates as citizens. In order to do this, I think we need to look critically at the assessments we use, because it seems like our current set of assessments (AP test, ACTs, SATs, final exams, etc.) do little to measure the traits that Pink and Sanger have identified. An argument could be made that these traits are the responsibility of parents not schools, but I view it as a partnership.

[Simon Jeynes]

Thank you for the reference to Sanger whom I had not read as yet - at least not to remember! Is that a reflection of societal drone likeness?

One of the difficulties we are facing at ISM in approaching this whole arena of thought and action is that research is still in its infancy and "well-established" tends to mean what was published last year. And those in technology seem to be somewhat siloed from other important areas of research that impact that way we work with children in our schools.


So we are certainly imagining a new world of education in a way that we haven't seen since the invention of the blackboard in 1801. And the question for us is a leadership question. Stuff is happening. We have no control over that. So what does leadership look like in the whirlwind? When you talk about assessments and Sanger talks about liberal education, arguments (strong and powerful ones) can be made in favor of each of these things. The reality is that they have not met the needs of all, but the needs of those who can attune to their demands within the architecture of education as it currently exists - autonomous teachers who are not universally committed to growth and renewal, classrooms that segregate students according to preordained determinations of what constitutes excellence at age x on September 1st, an elimination process that produces winners (a few) and losers (the many), and continuing generations of students who, the research tells us, are less and less impressed by their schools and who lie, cheat, and steal their way to success in all kinds of schools including our own.

And I say this is as someone who was fully embraced by the system and became successful. So all systems are going ultimately to be deeply flawed and Sanger's liberal arts utopia is no exception. So what to do about social media? A Significant piece of the argument needs to be about the people who are the intersect of our schools' mission with the students - faculty. What do they do? And how can we help them?

[Susan Carter Morgan]

Hmmm, "lack of control." That's it, isn't it Jamie? Yes, this is a new world, and I argue that social media is essential for all of us (and if we aren't successful teachers w/out social media, we shouldn't be teachers; social media will only exacerbate the problems.)
For independent schools who need to market themselves (and who doesn't?), involving themselves in social media will mean gaining some control. We can't dictate the message any longer, but we can send our own message through Facebook, Twitter, Vodpod, etc. It is essential to be "out there."
However, even more, as a teacher, I know now how social media changes what we do. I have spent a couple of years now working online with students in blogs, wikis, and podcasts (there you go, Will), all yielding surprising, powerful results in my classroom. This year I collaborated with a school in Canada. We worked together researching social justice issues, and students used Voice Thread to "publish" their work. Out of my 41 8th graders, four could not manage the assignment for various reasons. Most excelled and learned far more than the research shows.
With an eye on research about multitasking (I do worry) and constant focus on reaching all students, I believe we need to embrace social media for all it offers. After teaching for 30 years now, I will say my best have been the past two when I've been intimately involved with using tools in the classroom (and 24-7).
Peter Senge wrote:
While all people have the capacity to learn, the structures in which they have to function are often not conducive to reflection and engagement. Furthermore, people may lack the tools and guiding ideas to make sense of the situations they face. Organizations that are continually expanding their capacity to create their future require a fundamental shift of mind among their members.
Though I read his book nearly 15 years ago, social media and the shift that is now possible for our schools made his words make sense to me. Building of the teacher's PLN is critical, but we must also help students understand the "systems thinking" involved in building and using their own PLN. We must also include in our "curriculum" ways to help student manage their online identities. I love what he says about leader as teacher, leader as designer, and leader as steward.
I certainly don't minimize the risks you all mention. But I also believe this new world is now--and we must all learn to live in it successfully. For schools, that's a huge shift in mindset considering yes, the way students read, live, work, and play.