Social networking....I mean don't students socialize enough in school already? Isn't that part of the problems in our schools today?These types of online "programs" or tools should be restricted to at home, after homework is completed time. I do think MySpace and You Tube could be excellent teaching and sharing tools, but they've been taken in a totally different direction. School officials have long since realized this and have blocked these sites from school computer access.
I know this is the position that most have taken regarding this issue, but as I mentioned earlier MySpace and You Tube could be used to teach and impart knowledge. Students could share math strategies; become homework helpers using YouTube especially. Teachers could basically do the same things; record mini-videos that students can access at home when they are stuck on homework or project assignments. Book reviews, oracles, and other types of presentations could be shared in a non-threatening way.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Having taught middle school for several years I know exactly how you feel about them socializing too much. However I found that if I could harness this adolescent need for expression, I could get an amazing amount of work out of them. It’s true you have to monitor carefully and there are other issues, but the results are getting middle school students to want to write, read, and communicate. These online tools are now not only being used by kids but also being utilized by professionals in all fields. Schools can tap this desire of students to create more intrinsic motivation. I agree that a lot of what they talk about is pointless, but we can tap that energy and guide them into discussing and networking for academic reasons. That might have some impact on their lives.
Post a Comment