Social media apps and websites can be
found in nearly almost everyone’s cell phone. Regardless if you are in a
classroom, at the doctor’s office, in a grocery store or at home, chances are
some one is using social media around you. There are a variety of reasons
people use social media. Most often it is to stay connected with others. How
can social media be used to help students in the classroom? One trending tool
that I see students on most often is Snapchat. At first, I did not think
Snapchat could be used to incorporate within a classroom. The application is
used to post videos and pictures on the user’s story for a 24-hour time period.
After the 24 hours, the video or picture disappears. It can also be used to
send messages to a single user. Once the message is opened by the user, it will
then disappear. There is an option to view the message a second time but it
cannot be reopened after that. This application also gives the user options of
a variety of filters to apply to the picture or video. If I were to incorporate
Snapchat in the classroom, I would use it as a tool for communicating
information to students, like a bulletin board. I would create a group where I
would post announcements regarding assignments, tests, or other information
that may usually be sent home on a newsletter. I could also use it as a place
for a discussion board. I would post a question and students would be able to
submit a video responding to the question. I think this would be fun for
students since they would be able to use the different filters within the app. Another
activity I can use Snapchat for would be to have student create a video or a
series of photos to give their interpretation of a specific section, chapter,
or passage from a novel or literature piece we are working with. Students would
have the freedom to act out or create a series of photos with stickers or captions
that the app offers. This would also give students the freedom to use their
imagination to create a 60 second presentation that would demonstrate their
understanding of the reading. Although I think this would be a fun activity for
students to complete especially since a lot of students are familiar with
Snapchat, there would be some ironing out of specific issues regarding approval
of the parents and monitoring student accounts since they would be used
specifically for the classroom or assignment. I would have students create a Snapchat
account specifically for school, using their school email addresses. Of course
I would need the support of my administration to use Snapchat for assignments
but at the very least I would use Snapchat as a resource for students to get
information about the class, assignments, and other important announcements.
