In an article by the New York Times
this week, they discuss one of the biggest challenges I see every time I enter a classroom. I’m not a professor. I teach people of all ages to use social media to do whatever they’re doing in life better: In the classroom, to learn. Outside the classroom, to get a job, and to become the best in their industry or field. Every time I walk into a classroom however, I get the same frustrating tag at the end of an introduction, “It’s time to learn, turn off your phones and laptops.” I usually tell them to turn them back on.
In this article, they discuss the use of “backchannels” – or conversations driven by technology (twitter, and other chatting platforms) where students are free to ask and answer questions of the teacher and their peers without having to be embarrassed by speaking out loud in front of the whole class. One student stated:
“When you type something down, it’s a lot easier to say what I feel.”
Isn’t that what you strive for, a way to encourage classroom participation?
Sugato Chakravarty, who lectures about personal finance at Purdue University,said before the backchannel tools:
“I could never get people to speak up.” “Everybody’s intimidated.” “It’s clear to me,” he added, “that absent this kind of social media interaction, there are things students think about that normally they’d never say.”
What are your students thinking, but not saying?
The students who’ve been allowed to express themselves in a way that’s comfortable to them, digitally, have shared with us how they feel. In their own words:
“Everybody is heard in our class,” ~Leah Postman, 17.
“It’s made me see my peers as more intelligent, seeing their thought process and begin to understand them on a deeper level.” ~Janae Smith, 17
That would do it for me, but I’m not a professor. Yes, there are fears and risks to deal with. But what else is holding you back? What can we do to convince you to overcome these fears and give your students an opportunity to be heard?
Again the students say it best:
“We tend to have the attitude that someone else will do it. But what happens when everyone thinks the same as you?”
“It only takes one individual to change,” another typed.
“If you want something to change you have to be willing to be that voice.”
“It really shows the impact one change can make,” a third student wrote.
“I agree with Katie!” someone added. “This class has given us a voice!”
Please post your comments. Tell me what we (the Social Media Club Education Advisory Board) can do to help you overcome your fear, answer questions, offer support…. So that you can give a voice to one student more who might just be the voice that can make a difference in your class room, to a peer, or to make a major change in the world?
Join us as we discuss this topic on the regular weekly twitter chat: #smcedu Mon 12:30pm
Not sure how to participate in a twitter chat? Here is a simple guide on how to participate in a twitter chat .