Teaching Social Media Etiquette in the Classroom

I believe it is important to teach students about proper social networking tools in order to fully prepare and protect them from the multitude of opportunities and dangers associated with the worldwide web. We would never allow students to start as a quarterback without first teaching them the rules about football. The same logic should apply with social media and networking- as this field is even more complex and potentially harmful if students venture out onto the web without any skills or knowledge. Susan Elkin reaffirms these ideas when she wrote an article for The Independent, where she states that it is “much better to guide and teach than to leave vulnerable children and teenagers to find out for themselves without warning them of the potential dangers, pitfalls and problems." As teachers we don’t always need to have a computer or device in order to instruct students about proper social networking etiquette. Simply having a conversation with students about what types of information they should or should not be posting online can be included into any lesson, at any grade level. Students should understand that they should not be posting anything that their teachers, parents or friends would not be comfortable viewing. This type of lesson could easily be discussed in a health class or wellness course, particularly when talking about safety or bullying. Talking about the dangers of social media and the web would also be a good exercise in order to discuss the implications of posting pictures and talking with individuals who they may or may not know online. For instance, when talking with a group of high school students in a law course, teachers could easily explore privacy laws to discuss their applications to social media. If teachers have access to social media and networking tools, they could have students use some of the devices for assignments in order to educate students about the positive tools these sites offer, while also modeling how to positively develop their digital footprint. For instance, by learning how to use Google Docs or online bulletin boards, the teacher can allow students to work in groups and positively share their ideas with one another. Even having the students use Twitter or Pinterest to capture their ideas and post their comments about a class book that they were reading can allow students to learn how to effectively communicate and organize their ideas using 21st century skills. There are also many mock sites that can allow teachers to teach these lessons without actually having students create accounts on public forums, such as Edmodo which allows students to create private educational profiles. By using mock websites, the teacher can better monitor students’ postings and provide immediate feedback if they have control over what is posted. As teachers we are exposed to students’ interests and activities each day, and as a result, I believe it is part of our job to make sure that students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed when they graduate – which includes being able to effectively and safely use 21st century skills and technologies. We must be continuous learners ourselves in order to learn and modify our teaching to reflect new ideologies and technologies, such as social networking and social media.