How I Use Social Media in the
Classroom
TISH LOPEZ
ENGLISH FACULTY
Context
 Over the last two years, social media and networking websites
have emerged as the a dominant force on the internet.
 According to a Nielsen Media Research study in June 2010,
almost 25 percent of time on the internet is now spent on
social networking web sites—a 43 percent increase from just a
year before.
 According to a recent study a UNH, students reported that
they used social media for social reasons (89 percent) and
entertainment (79 percent). About a quarter of students said
they use social media for educational reasons (26 percent),
and 16 percent for professional reasons.
Sources: http://smeharbinger.net/news/increasing-use-of-social-media-hampers-efficiency-of-students and http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/trends-inhigher-education/do-college-students-spend-too-much-time-on-facebook-youtube-and-other-social-networking-sites/
In the beginning…
Why I changed my mind
 The evolving world of Internet communication—blogs,
podcasts, streaming video, hyperlinks, file swapping—offers
students interesting new ways to research, create, and learn.
 It’s where many students enjoy spending most of their time.
When our students are engaged, they learn better.
 It encourages collaboration and fosters community both
inside and outside of the grounded classroom.
 It’s becoming an important “life skill” for students to have.
 It’s here to stay.
Here are just a few ways that I’ve used Social Media
in my classroom…
Facebook Character Analysis
Assignment
It’s an interesting question…
 What if Captain Ahab had a
facebook account? What
would it look like? Who would
be on his friend list? What
would he say to his
friends? What would they say
back to him? Of which groups
would he be a member? What
would he say in notes he
might post? What pictures
would he upload? What
events would he list on his
wall?
Facebook Character Analysis Assignment
 For this assignment, I
had students sign-up
to be characters from
various novels,
poems, and plays we
read in English 111
and interact with one
another in character
for a week using
facebook.
Students added details such as the character’s
favorite movies, books, and quotes…
Posted articles that the character might share
with others…
Elaborated on important plot elements using
facebook’s “note” feature…
and conversed in character…
Tips and Suggested Links
 Tip #1: Don’t assume everyone in your class knows how
to use facebook. You’ll likely need to perform a brief
tutorial is class or online before the start of this
assignment.
 Tip #2: Couple this assignment with a reflection paper
that asks students to defend the choices they made in
character and/or to reflect on how the assignment
furthered their understanding of character, narrative,
etc..
 Helpful Resource:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lessonplans/there-small-parts-minor-1154.html?tab=1#tabs
Invite Guest Lecturers/Experts
Into Your Classroom Using Skype
Skype With Guest Experts/Lecturers
While it may not be
financially or geographically
feasible to have guest
lecturers or special guests
visit our classrooms, they can
visit for free using Skype.
In a film class I taught…
In a film class I taught, students were able to ask
questions, converse, and “meet” with a professional
stunt coordinator, production designer, and
screenwriter using Skype.
Tips
 Download Skype or other videoconferencing software at home, and
try it out with someone you know. While Skype may be the bestknown program, it’s certainly not the only option. Apple’s iChat and
Google Video and Voice also offer free videoconferencing
capabilities. Your classroom and the expert you’d like to connect
with must use the same platform, so that needs to be arranged in
advance.
 Contact the Help Desk or the LMC Media Center to obtain the room,
equipment and/or software you need. At the very least, you’ll need
a computer with broadband internet connection, a webcam, and a
microphone.
 If you are not comfortable using technology, I suggest you have
someone on hand to troubleshoot and make sure all necessary
equipment and is available and working.
Tips Cont.
 Contact the guest to arrange your virtual visit (morning
and evening is best to avoid high internet usage). Set a
date and time and decide which videoconferencing
program you’ll use and who will initiate the call.
 Plan your meeting. How long will it last? Will students
gather around a computer or will the guest be projected
on a big screen? Where will students stand or sit so they
can be seen and heard? With adequate preparation, you’ll
avoid confusion and make the most of discussion time.
Have students write questions on index cards in advance
to keep things moving.
Helpful Resources
 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom
http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/
 Skype an Author!
http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/
Use Social Media to study
current events
Life outside of the classroom
 This week, thousands of protestors took to the
streets in Cairo to demand the end of Hosni
Mubarak’s nearly thirty years in power.
 In recent years,
during events of
political unrest like
this, social
networking sites
such as Twitter,
Facebook, and
YouTube have been
used as
communication tools to rally dissidents as well as
communicate the situation globally.
Link: https://socialcapital.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/twitter-facebook-and-youtubes-role-in-tunisia-uprising
/
In a recent class I taught…
 I created an assignment that encouraged my
students to perform an analysis of the mainstream
press’ coverage of the Iranian protests in 2009 and
the coverage in new media platforms such as Twitter,
personal blogs, and YouTube.
 Discussion centered around two major issues:
1.
The public’s trust of traditional media outlets.
2.
The manner in which news is and will be covered using social
media.
Links to Help You Get Started
 http://mashable.com/2009/06/14/new-media-iran/
 http://zeroanthropology.net/all-posts/annotated-
bibliography-twitter-and-the-iranian-electionprotests/
 http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/202/1/thesocial-media-revolution-exploring-the-impact-onjournalism-and-news-media-organizations
 http://www.pearsonhighered.com/showcase/levinso
n1e/assets/levinson_ch8.pdf
 http://www.classroomlaw.org/files/postspages/resources/youth_summits/09-Lesson08.pdf
Other Ways I Have Used Social
Media in the Classroom
Online Videos
 Watch YouTube and other streaming videos in class
or assign them as homework.
Class Wikis
 Have students post questions and add content to
class wikis
 In my case, we created pages for common writing
terms/concepts such as “thesis statements” and
“how to perform a close reading.”
Poll Your Students
 Create and respond
to class polls using
Poll Daddy
 Schedule conferences using Doodle.
Record and Post Videos
 Create and post video tutorials using Camtasia. This program
allows you to record audio, capture (full screen, window, or region)
whatever you’re doing onscreen, add music tracks, and more.
Videos can be uploaded to YouTube or a private video server that
only you and your students can access.
Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr0-Kmcu5uc
Text Messages
 Send me text messages.
For More Information
 For more information on how to use social media in
the classroom, please check out our online digital
handout:
http://bellevuecollege.edu/webpublishing/tutorials/so
cial.html
Thank you!