Social Media in the Classroom

As technology advances, digitally enhanced games multiply, and social media overtakes the internet, as well as our lives; it becomes increasingly challenging to engage students in something so basic as reading. I mean, how boring, right? Black words on a white page. If a book actually has images, they are limited, and simple compared to life-like graphics and 3-D images. To some, it seems like a lost hope, but in education we LOVE getting creative!

I've heard of teachers keeping book lists in their classrooms, where the teacher, as well as students can add books to the list as recommendations for their peers. I love that idea, I think it is great, but it is also bor-ing! (No offense to my fellow book listers, I too am guilty!) As previously stated, kids cannot get enough of technology! Why not digitize these books lists that we have all grown to love, and make them interactive?

Meet GoodReads, a social media application that is geared towards book worms and non-book worms alike. A place where we can come together to rant, rave, and rate our current reads; as well as make lists, yes I said lists, of books we have read, books we are currently reading, and books we want to read!   But, because technology is oh-so-wonderful, there are more!  We can also add to this list (get the theme) Shelfari, LibraryThing, BookCrossing, Reader2, Revish.  To get a synopsis of each site and their individual advantages/disadvantages visit this site.

I have personally only used GoodReads and I can attest to its greatness.  Though I teach 4th grade, and I feel it would be somewhat inappropriate for some of my students to be on this site (due to the language used on some reviews and the content of some higher level books), I feel that teachers of the upper middle school and high school level could definitely use this site.  Here are some ideas:

• Student can download this "App" on to their cell phones, or they could access it on the internet, if they do not have a cell phone.
• Students can create their own account and username.
• Student can add their classmates and friends to their "friends lists."
• Students can create lists for books they have already read, books they are currently reading, and books they would like to read.
• As a teacher, you can also monitor a students progress of their book through users updates. (Through this, users share what page number they are currently on)
• Students can rate books when they finish reading them.  This way their classmates can see if the book was good or bad, and maybe they would want to read it too.
• Teachers could assign students to write a book review that would be posted to GoodReads.
• Students can also see their teacher's GoodReads account.  The teacher can recommend books through his/her personal ratings of those books.
• By showing that you, as their teacher, are also reading, you will serve as a positive role model and advocate for reading, even as an adult.

I would love to hear your thoughts related to this form of social media.  If you have additional ideas for incorporating this into the classroom, I'd love to hear it.  Also, if you know of any other sites that are similar, but more appropriate for elementary level students, please share!  Lastly, if you have a GoodReads account, add me! You can find me here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jamie