Finding the Time

With our busy lives as teachers, meeting all the demands on our plates, the question arises as to how to fit social networking into an already busy schedule. Dr. William Kist addresses this issue from his interviews with teachers in the field as well as his own classroom experience. (W. Kist, The socially networked classroom: Teaching in the new media age, pp. 120-121)

My reactions to his suggestions are as follows:

1) Choice in media use is important for student creativity but they need to have many tools to draw that creativity from. We need to reduce the technological barriers in our classrooms.

1) Students can be excellent resources! They have a wealth of experience to offer, capture the engagement of their peers, and appreciate being respected.

2) Not all students are "digital natives" as some may claim. This is a dangerous misconception. It truly is the responsibility of classroom teachers to teach these 21st century skills. If I am unable to do it, then who do I know who can teach me?

3) Many schools offer some sort of computer class for students. Collaboration with the media specialist or other teacher can help these skills be taught in one class period and then applied in others.