Social Responsibility With Social Media

Upon reflection of the George Couros “Innovation and Technology” professional development day, one main theme permeated throughout the learning experience. In one word, responsibility! We learned about and discussed several innovative aspects of technology and the day culminated in our group setting up individual Twitter accounts.

We learned the “what to”, “how to” and “why to” regarding social media. All of this is simply useful and relevant to our technological needs. However, what was most prevalent in my mind as the day progressed was the responsibility of it all. When contemplating all the various types of technology our students use throughout their days for various reasons, I kept wondering, “Are we being responsible for teaching social media responsibility first before we provide our students with pretty, shiny tech toys and accounts?” For all of the fabulously innovative and educational things we can accomplish with technology, the first and most important thing we can do is be responsible. Big toys require big responsibility. Clearly, issues such as cyberbullying have necessitated us to take a good look at what our students and children are using social media for. I am most pleased that George is addressing this and asking us to ask ourselves, “What should come first, our Smarts or the Smart Board?”

Ann Melnyk
Fort Rouge School
Cluster Group 1971

I’m Just Going to Say It…

…I am not a fan of technology.

Now, I do recognize the absurdity of this comment. I am surrounded by technology, and rely upon technology every moment of my life. I ride a bike. I use a computer. I use tools to garden. I use tools to build things. I play an electric guitar. To survive a Winnipeg winter I utterly depend on technology. The list goes on.

So, more to the point, I am not a fan of handheld doodads with glowing screens and I am not a fan of social media, because given all the possible ways one might waste vast tracts of precious life, these in particular seem the most tragically pointless to me. So, I have chosen to keep the time I engage with such technologies to a minimum.

It’s about choice, and recognizing when and how technology can be used in positive and productive ways in one’s life. What this looks like is different for everyone, of course, and requires information and critical thinking to weigh the information. This latter point is crucial. Otherwise, we risk becoming slaves to technology – especially in this day and age when the conveniences and opportunities for endless entertainment offered by these handheld doodads can be difficult to resist.

So, even though I hold a general aversion to these new technologies in my personal life, I believe I owe it to my students to help them develop the skills and attitudes necessary to choose if and/or when these technologies can serve a positive function in their lives, just as I choose. It is also imperative they learn how to use them ethically and responsibly.

More than this, if I surrender to my aversion of these technologies, I am shutting the door to many rich learning opportunities. Einstein once said something to the effect of, “When you stop learning you die.” I agree, though less morbidly. I believe learning is integral to truly living – to thriving. So, what kind of role model am I for my students if I choose not to live, and thus learn, in their world?  Their world of glowing personal doodads and online socializing might seem strange and new to me, but refusing to engage with them would do nothing but deprive these students of an effective teacher—not to mention deprive myself of opportunities to learn and grow.

Thus, I am excited by the learning opportunities presented by the ITLL sessions. I am starting to network with other teachers on Twitter, and am planning ways to use Google Forms in the classroom. Small steps, but, I think, important ones. The last thing I want to be is some old fuddy-duddy who dismisses what the “kids” are into simply because it is unfamiliar or outside my comfort zone. This is a fearful attitude. What is learning, after all, if not the courage to leave our comfort zones and enter the unknown?

I am still not a fan of technology, though…

David Guillas

Fort Rouge School

Cluster 1971