What About Final Exams? January 21, 2013 by cultureofyes

 What About Final Exams?

January 21, 2013 by cultureofyes from and by Chris Kennedy

Changes in structure gives one an opportunity to step back and take a look at usual practices.  Last year, almost all Grade 12, Provincial Final Exams were eliminated. These exams, which at one point were worth 50 per cent of students’ final marks, were offered in courses from Chemistry to Spanish to Geography. With changing requirements from universities, a government policy decision to make the exams optional (among other reasons) the exams were poorly attended, and then eliminated.  At this point, most students will take five government program exams in their high school career: three in Grade 10 worth 20 per cent of their final grade (English, Science, Math); one in Grade 11 also worth 20 per cent of their final grade (Social Studies), and one in Grade 12 worth 40 per cent of their final grade (English).  There are a few other options for students, but this is a fairly common pattern.

As a History 12 teacher, I regularly complained about the Grade 12, Provincial Final Exams.  The History 12 exam was not a terrible exam. It had some opportunities for students to analyze documents, identify bias and think critically, but it was also quite focussed on content.  With a final exam focussed on coverage and facts, my class was (at least, on some days) a bit of a race to get through all of the required content. I would have liked to go into deeper discussion in some areas and allowing students to explore more areas of interest. So, one day it was Korea, and the next day was Vietnam, and then it was Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

The elimination of these mandatory exams, which so many of us championed, has been met with a variety of responses.  I regularly hear from teachers, who love the new-found “freedom”, who do not feel burdened by the final exam and are creating more inquiry projects, presentations, deep research opportunities they felt were limited with the content-based final exam.  It is not that content is not important, it is just it is not the only thing that is important. In terms of transferable skills for other courses and other life experiences, the skills of being able to analyze a historical document seem to trump the date of the start of the Suez Crisis (before you Google it, it was October 1956).

This said, another reaction has been to replace the ministry exams with school-based exams to “fill the void.”  And with all this as background, we get to the real topic of the post — are we moving to a post-standardized system in education that should lead to the elimination of the traditional “final exam” for most courses in secondary school?

While there are exceptions, in most schools and  in most districts across the province, most academic courses have a summative final exam from grade 8 to 12.

The elimination of the Provincial Final Exam has also brought about some new interchanges  – it has set a new model that final exams may not be the best way to assess performance at the end of the year, and has also led to the scaling back of “exam timetables” — the time required for doing exams is being recaptured by instructional time.  With more days in class and fewer exams at the end of June this leads to a lot of questions about what to do.

Some reasons (I have heard) for the continuation of final exams:

• they are an important part of many college and university programs; so the practice of exams in high school is important
• they help to instill good work and study habits in students
• work authenticity — in an era when cheating (or at least the suspicion of cheating) is high — everyone in the room at one time makes cheating almost impossible
• exams are a common test that everyone in a class, school, district or province can take to ensure there is a common measure of comparison
• by having exams at the end of the school year, this ensures students will stay focussed until course end, and not fade out in June
• their elimination is another example of coddling students and the weakening of standards in our education system
• they keep teachers honest — ensuring they cover the entire curriculum so students are fully prepared to write their final exams

Some reasons (I have heard) for the elimination of final exams:

• they often test superficial content and the multiple choice formats lend themselves more to trivia than a reflection of learning
• there are a number of other more authentic ways to determine what students have learned — such as portfolios
• those who excel at them are those who are best at memorization and regurgitation — two skills not widely seen as part of 21st century learning
• if we are truly moving from a “sorting system” to a “learning system” do we need to continue with standardized final exams for students?
• there is no feedback mechanism for students to understand their mistakes and learn from them
• they create an amazing level of stress, anxiety, and create a high stakes experience for students not necessary or conducive to learning
• they are actually very difficult to properly construct; they often don’t allow high-end students to push their thinking and are more about “gotcha” not learning, and there are many examples of poorly-created final exams
• by removing them, it forces us to have new conversations about learning, about what students know, how we know it, and how to demonstrate it

Just because we “have always done it,” is not a good enough reason to continue.  And when there are external changes that force a second look, it is a great opportunity to see if the reasons bear out.

My general view is there are far richer ways to have students demonstrate their learning than a two-hour, scantron-heavy test. My answer is also slightly nuanced, recognizing that math may lend itself more appropriately to a final exam than English or Social Studies.  If the exam period was to disappear tomorrow, and we were forced to find other ways to account for student learning, we would likely come up with some very powerful and effective models.  I agree with the current BC Teachers Federation advertisement that we should be working towards “more authentic means of assessment.”

I look forward to this discussion.

Regan Oey - http://www.projectnoteworthy.com/

http://www.projectnoteworthy.com/

"Hello everyone

Mikey Jose ('15) has started a project with his sister called Project Noteworthy, "a storytelling/songwriting project to bring recognition to unsung heroes in Vancouver".  People are nominated and then he and his sister write a bio, compose and record a song, and sometimes attach a video. 

This year, Regan Oey is being honoured.  Mikey is the composer composer, pianist, and singer.  Miguel Dalmacio is the guitar accompanist, also a grad of VC.  It is really an amazing project and I wanted to share it with you all.  Here is the link."  

Lilian Vernier is a teacher at Vancouver College Regan Oey is an amazing Human Being/student at Vancouver College, a real role model. Check this out - http://www.projectnoteworthy.com/

Mrs.Parker's Gr 1 class - #vclearns

Happy #100DaysOfSchool !!! 100 bead necklaces are being made & 100 object posters are being shared. #VCLearns

https://twitter.com/mrs_sparker/status/700077977757814784

The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JULY 10, 2012 | UPDATED: DECEMBER 22, 2015 

Mary Beth Hertz

HS Art/Tech Teacher in Philadelphia, PA

RELATED TAGS: Flipped Classroom,Online Learning,Technology Integration,3-5 Upper Elementary,6-8 Middle School,9-12 High School

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In 2012, I attended the ISTE conference in San Diego, CA. While I was only there for about 36 hours, it was easy for me to pick up on one of the hottest topics for the three-day event. The "flipped classroom" was being discussed in social lounges, in conference sessions, on the exhibit floor, on the hashtag and even at dinner. People wanted to know what it was, what it wasn't, how it's done and why it works. Others wanted to sing its praises and often included a vignette about how it works in their classroom and how it transformed learning for their students. Still others railed that the model is nothing transformative at all and that it still emphasizes sage-on-the-stage direct instruction rather than student-centered learning. I engaged in a few of these discussions offline and online, and while I'm still on the fence about my feelings toward the model, I can offer some insight and interpretation.

What It Is

According to the description on ASCD's page for the newly released book, Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day, by flipped-classroom pioneers Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, "In this model of instruction, students watch recorded lectures for homework and complete their assignments, labs, and tests in class." In part one of a three-part series of articles, Bergmann, along with two co-authors, tries to dispel some of the myths surrounding the flipped classroom. For instance, they state that the flipped classroom is NOT "a synonym for online videos. When most people hear about the flipped class all they think about are the videos. It is the interaction and the meaningful learning activities that occur during the face-to-face time that is most important."

The authors go on to explain that the model is a mixture of direct instruction and constructivism, that it makes it easier for students who may have missed class to keep up because they can watch the videos at any time. The argument also goes that since students watch most teacher lectures at home and are receiving instruction as homework, they can spend class time working through any gaps or misunderstandings around the content with the teacher acting as "guide on the side." Another flipped classroom educator, Brian Bennett, wrote a post explaining that the model is not about the videos, but about the learning. I had a chance to talk to Brian at ISTE, and it was great to hear him express his thoughts about the model in more than 140 characters. He also runs the #flipclass chat on Twitter every Monday night, which is a great chance to learn more about the model.

What It Isn't

As with any new fad or trend, there are plenty of people trying to either use the model to make money or jump on the bandwagon without really understanding what they are joining. For instance, the company TechSmith has an entire part of their site dedicated to the flipped-classroom model. Now, I happen to think that TechSmith makes great products and are pretty good at keeping a finger on the pulse of education. However, it's no secret why TechSmith, who creates screencasting software, would be interested in the flipped-classroom approach. For what it's worth, their site does focus mostly on methodology and pedagogy, and they have consulted educators for most of their content. What is disconcerting to me is to hear vendors on the exhibit floor at ISTE talking about how their product will help you "flip your class." If I were your average principal or tech director walking around the exhibit hall without much knowledge of the model, or a misconception of the model, I could really end up getting the wrong information.

I have often seen and heard the Khan Academy come up in discussions around the flipped classroom. (I can hear a vendor saying, "With our amazing display quality, your students can watch videos in crisp detail!") While some teachers profess to using KA videos to present content to their students, the idea is not that KA will replace the teacher or replace the content as a whole. From my experience with KA, the content is taught in only one way. Good instruction, especially for math concepts, requires that ideas be presented in a number of ways. In addition, not all math is solving equations. One of the hardest parts about teaching math is making sure that students are not blindly solving equations without really understanding what they are doing with the numbers. For students to be successful on their own, videos used in the flipped-classroom model must include a variety of approaches in the same way a face-to-face lesson would, and they must also have good sound and image quality so that students can follow along easily. These videos must also match the curriculum, standards and the labs or activities the students will complete in class.

Why It Works

Most of the blog reflections I have read and the conversations I have followed point to the way that the flipped classroom has truly individualized learning for students. Teachers describe how students can now move at their own pace, how they can review what they need when they need to, and how the teacher is then freed up to work one-on-one with students on the content they most need support with. They also point to the ability for students to catch up on missed lessons easily through the use of video and online course tools like Edmodo or Haiku Learning. In addition, a 2009 meta-analysis done by the Department of Education showed that in many cases, online learning has some advantages over face-to-face learning.

Why It Doesn't Work

When I first started learning about the flipped-classroom model, my immediate reaction was, "This won't work with my students." This continues to be an argument made by a lot of rural and urban teachers. Our students just don't have the access required for the model to really work. I've had people tell me, "They can use the public library." To which I explain that there are usually three computers available and there is usually a 30-minute limit per user. I've had people tell me, "You can burn DVDs that they can watch in their DVD players." To which I ask how much of the day can a teacher devote to burning at least 10-15 DVDs at a time? I've also been told that students can use the school computer lab after school to watch the videos. To which I explain that we have only 27 computers available for the whole school, and that it would require an after school program to be put into place. (This last option, by the way, is the most realistic.) Another tough sell for me is the fact that if everyone starts flipping their classrooms, students will end up sitting in front of a screen for hours every night as they watch the required videos. And as many teachers can tell you, not everyone learns best through a screen.

Why It's Nothing New

Listening to Aaron Sams talk about his experience with the flipped-classroom model, one can't help but imagine that what he is describing doesn't require video at all. What he describes is, in essence, what John Dewey described at the turn of the 20th century: learning that is centered around the student, not the teacher; learning that allows students to show their mastery of content they way they prefer. These are not new concepts. I am often brought back to the question: "Are we doing things differently or doing different things?" As educators around the globe try to flip their class, it's an important thing to reflect on.

Why It Matters

So in the end, why should we care so much about the flipped-classroom model? The primary reason is because it is forcing teachers to reflect on their practice and rethink how they reach their kids. It is inspiring teachers to change the way they've always done things, and it is motivating them to bring technology into their classrooms through the use of video and virtual classrooms like Edmodo and similar tools. As long as learning remains the focus, and as long as educators are constantly reflecting and asking themselves if what they are doing is truly something different or just a different way of doing the same things they've always done, there is hope that some of Dewey's philosophies will again permeate our schools. We just need to remember that flipping is only the beginning.

MARY BETH HERTZ'S PROFILE

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Digital Citizenship: Resource Roundup

Check out Edutopia's collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

http://www.edutopia.org/article/digital-citizenship-resources?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=102815%20enews%20DC%20ngm%20%20remainder&utm_content=&utm_term=fea2hed&spMailingID=12802831&spUserID=NTUzNDkwNzA2MzgS1&spJobID=641924451&spReportId=NjQxOTI0NDUxS0

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: AUGUST 19, 2011 | UPDATED: OCTOBER 21, 2015

Resources by Topic:

• Internet Safety and Cyberbullying
• Digital Responsibility
• Media and Digital Literacy
• Other Resources From Edutopia
• Additional Resources on the Web

Internet Safety and Cyberbullying

• Tool or Weapon? Addressing Cyberhate in the Classroom, by Jinnie Spiegler (2015)
  Classroom strategies to fight cyberhate include not supporting or reinforcing it, reporting it, supporting the targets, speaking out against hate, and engaging in activism. For more resources on preventing cyberbullying and other forms of bullying, see Edutopia's "Resources to Fight Bullying and Harassment at School."
• Social Media at School: Teaching Safety on the Virtual Playground, by Mary Beth Hertz (2015)
  Responsible digital citizens emerge from schools where students are taught about the rules, risks, and trust involved in the safe, respectful use of social media.
• What Your Students Really Need to Know About Digital Citizenship, by Vicki Davis (2014)
  Teach your students about the "9 Key P’s" of digital citizenship as you help them acquire both proactive and experiential knowledge of the online world.
• A Starting Point for Ensuring Student Online Privacy, by Anne O’Brien (2014)
  The online privacy debate has started to gain momentum in the education community and protecting students is an important and necessary conversation to be had by schools and districts.
• The Importance of Internet Safety, by Heather Wolpert-Gawron (2012)
  Wolpert-Gawron discusses the importance of teaching students online safety and netiquette and how to partner with parents in this effort.
• How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students, by Mary Beth Hertz (2012)
  Hertz shares some insights into adapting Stranger Danger lessons for the virtual world. For more about teaching internet safety and digital citizenship at the elementary level, also read her post, "Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Elementary Classroom."

BACK TO TOP

Digital Responsibility

• The Basics of Open Technology, by Ira Socol (2015)
  From abundant tools and smart budgeting to accessibility and trust, the Albemarle County Public Schools maintain a district-wide tech program that leverages digital literacy for all students.
• Five-Minute Film Festival: Are We Addicted to Technology? by Amy Erin Borovoy (2014)
  Can't put down your device? Obsessing over social media? You may want to dig in to this playlist of videos and resources to help educators, parents, and students reflect on their relationship with technology

• Common Core in Action: Teaching Online Ethics, by Heather Wolpert-Gawron (2014)
  Wolpert-Gawron looks at a key element of digital citizenship -- responsible use of intellectual property -- and slots it into the eighth grade Common Core Standard for gathering, using, and attributing relevant information.
• Five-Minute Film Festival: Copyright and Fair Use for Educators, by Amy Borovoy (2013)
  In K-12 education, it's a challenge to navigate the copyright and fair use waters. What can educators use? How can they use it? VideoAmy has collected some fun, engaging videos to help teachers and students understand the confusing subject.

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Media and Digital Literacy

• Empowering Student Relationships With Media, by Josh Weisgrau (2015)
  Consider this working with this new taxonomy or ladder of engagement when assigning your students media projects: consuming, curating, creating, critiquing, and publishing.
• The Strategic Imperative for Schools: Technology as Connector, by Matt Levinson (2015)
  If schools hope to prepare students for an unknown future, they must make technology easy to use -- through hardware, software, mindset, and practice.
• Amplifying Student Voice Through Digital Literacy, by Andrew Marcinek (2015)
  For students to grow into their digital voices, they must understand the value of personal communication and projecting their own work on the global stage.
• Introducing Social Media to Elementary Students, by Beth Holland (2013)
  Holland, communication coordinator and instructor at EdTech Teacher, gives three age-appropriate examples of introducing social media to children in the lower elementary grades.
• Digital Native vs Digital Citizen? Examining a Dangerous Stereotype, by Mary Beth Hertz (2012)
  Hertz invites us to look at our assumptions that all kids are born tech-savvy and encourages us to think more globally about how we can teach them to thrive as citizens in a digital world.
• Plan a "Digital Family Summit" to Engage Students and Parents, by Joe Mazza (2012)
  Principal Mazza recounts his visit to the Digital Family Summit and talks about how, with digital media, children and their parents can learn and play together.

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Other Resources From Edutopia

• Digital Citizenship Week: 6 Resources for Educators, by Matt Davis (Updated 2015)
  Digital Citizenship Week is the perfect time for students and teachers to talk about online responsibility and safety. Davis has collected some of the best resources to bring digital citizenship into the classroom.
• Social Media in Education: Resource Toolkit, by Ashley Cronin (Updated 2015)
  This collection of blogs, articles, and videos from Edutopia aims to help teachers deploy social-media tools in the classroom to engage students in 21st-century learning.
• Five-Minute Film Festival: Teaching Digital Citizenship, by Amy Erin Borovoy (Updated 2014)
  VideoAmy explores the topic of digital citizenship with this playlist of videos on the importance of online safety, manners, privacy, and responsibility.
• Digital Citizenship: Developing a Culture of Trust and Transparency, by Andrew Marcinek (2014)
  Turning a forbidding acceptable use policy into a friendlier digital empowerment guideline can shift your school culture into a more tech-friendly place.
• The Path to Digital Citizenship, by Andrew Marcinek (2013)
  Marcinek looks at the ethical and practical sides of digital citizenship and suggests a mindful path for teaching the necessary skills in the elementary grades.
• Ideas for Digital-Citizenship PBL Projects, by Andrew Miller (2013)
  Miller suggests using the PBL model to teach students the values of digital citizenship.

How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=102815%20enews%20DC%20ngm%20%20remainder&utm_content=&utm_term=fea3hed&spMailingID=12802831&spUserID=NTUzNDkwNzA2MzgS1&spJobID=641924451&spReportId=NjQxOTI0NDUxS0

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JUNE 4, 2012 | UPDATED: OCTOBER 21, 2015

Mary Beth Hertz

HS Art/Tech Teacher in Philadelphia, PA

Photo credit: Amelia Wells via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Back in October, I wrote a post about Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Elementary Classroom. As it is Internet Safety Month, I want to share a sample lesson for teaching internet safety to students as young as kindergarten. Yes, you read correctly . . . kindergarten.

With children spending time online at younger and younger ages, it is vital that we explicitly teach young children how to protect themselves online. Most young children get the "Stranger Danger" talk at school, so they know about how to handle strangers in their neighborhood and in face-to-face situations.

There are three considerations when addressing Internet safety with these students. First, the transfer of handling strangers in "real life" to those in virtual environments is not automatic. It needs to be taught. Second, while most "Stranger Danger" programs teach that strangers are scary, mean and want to hurt or abduct children, this contradicts the way collaboration occurs between strangers online. Not all strangers are dangerous. Lastly, in "real life," students can walk or run away from a potential threat. In an online environment, the danger is inside a student's home and hard to escape without the necessary skills for handling tough situations.

This is a lesson that I have done with my kindergarten and first grade students to introduce the idea that strangers exist on the Internet and to discuss how we should interact with them.

Protecting Private Information Online

Materials

• Projector
• Computer
• Internet access

Introduction

(If a projector and/or interactive whiteboard is available, these questions can be projected on a screen during the discussion.)

1. Ask, "What is a stranger?" After soliciting various answers, ensure that students understand that a stranger is someone we don't know. Remind students that some strangers may want to hurt students, but not all strangers are bad people. You can give an example of a stranger who opens a door for you or picks up something you may have dropped and returns it to you.
2. Ask, "What kinds of things should we not tell a stranger?" Solicit a variety of answers, ensuring that things like "address," "phone number," "full name" are mentioned.
3. Ask, "What kinds of things are OK to tell a stranger?" This question tends to be harder for students to answer. You may get answers like "Hi" or "How are you?" If students are stumped, have them vote with their thumbs about various things like "your favorite color" or "your favorite ice cream flavor." Explain that certain kinds of information won't put students in harm's way.
4. Ask, "Are there strangers online?" Some students may have played games online before and may offer answers related to those experiences. I've had students as young as kindergarten say that they think there are strangers online because you don't always know who you are talking to online. After a brief discussion of different ways we can connect with strangers online (this can also include game systems), explain that students will be watching a video to learn more about how to handle strangers online.

Video

Have students watch the Internet Safety video at BrainPop, Jr.

Discussion

After the video, ask students to share what they learned from the movie. After soliciting some answers, review vocabulary from the video using the "Word Wall" activity on the site. Then, to wrap up the discussion, complete the "Write About It" activity.

Assessment

• Print out one of the quizzes (easy or hard, depending on your students) to assess what students have learned.
• Have students act out scenarios that show their understanding of the main concepts from the video.
• Have students create an internet safety poster using a drawing program like TuxPaint.
• Have students act out scenarios to practice handling strangers online.

Next Steps

Discuss places online where students may run into strangers, and let them share stories of times that they "met" a stranger online and how they handled the situation.

MARY BETH HERTZ'S PROFILE

Modeling Constructive Online Behavior

OCTOBER 22, 2015

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/modeling-constructive-online-behavior-david-cutler?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=102815%20enews%20DC%20ngm%20%20remainder&utm_content=&utm_term=fea1hed&spMailingID=12802831&spUserID=NTUzNDkwNzA2MzgS1&spJobID=641924451&spReportId=NjQxOTI0NDUxS0

Photo credit: hackNY.org via flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Plenty of students may know how to create digital media, but too few know how to produce engaging, high-quality content, the kind that makes them stand out not only to college admission officers, but also to potential employers. What does that kind of quality involve? We need to teach and encourage students to post original, outstanding content that will distinguish their unique identities in a sea of increasingly indistinguishable resumes -- which are going the way of the typewriter.

To help accomplish this task, I model creating a positive digital footprint by making effective use of social networking and blogging. I owe my students that much -- after all, if they don't take control of their online identities, someone else will.

Facebook

Educators do students a tremendous disservice by demonizing Facebook, which can enhance a student's online presence and real-world prospects. To maintain appropriate boundaries, I do not accept friend requests from students or recent graduates. Still, I'm a firm believer in using class time to show students my profile. I explain how my page makes a strong, lasting statement about who I am and what I value. I always think twice before sharing any content, and I tell students that before I hit "Post," I imagine friends or loved ones looking over my shoulder. What would they think? If I feel a shred of unease, I either ask a trusted friend for her thoughts or refrain from posting. My aim is not to frighten students away from Facebook, but rather to help them see how their profile can lead to positive connections and real-world opportunities.

Twitter

I also show students my Twitter account, which includes links to articles that I've written, content that I've enjoyed, and causes that I support. I explain how Twitter has led to a long list of opportunities, relationships, and exchanges -- both online and in person -- contributing greatly to my personal and professional success. I encourage students to follow people that they genuinely admire and from whom they want to learn, not just celebrities, thereby contributing to a positive digital identity. The same holds true for any content that they share, as well as whom and what they tag. I don't follow current students on my Twitter handle, nor do I accept private messages from them. I do, however, encourage them to observe how I engage with others to expand my network. I hope they follow suit.

LinkedIn

When it comes to creating a dynamic curriculum vitae, all students (especially seniors) should direct admission officers and potential employers to LinkedIn. This social networking site is often described as the "Facebook for professionals," but its potential is just as rich for students, who should use it to highlight their accomplishments and interests. It's also simple to upload multimedia content, and I urge students to share digital versions of their best work to highlight their unique passion and potential. LinkedIn allows other users to vouch for a student's skills, lending credibility to self-reported abilities. With that in mind, I'm often torn about accepting LinkedIn requests from current students -- though I err on the side of caution -- but I have no qualms about showing students my LinkedIn page and how I use it to enhance and grow my network.

Snapchat

Educators have an obligation to investigate and talk with students about social networking sites, some of which promote inappropriate, illicit behavior. Snapchat, for example, offers users the ability to send text, photos, and video, which (supposedly) disappear shortly after opening. Of course, nothing ever really disappears on the internet. With limited technical knowledge, anybody can save or recover Snapchat messages. I disdain this tool, but I don't tell students not to use it. Such an authoritarian approach, however well meaning, rarely proves fruitful. Instead, I ask my students to discuss what assumptions, true or not, could be made about anybody who has an account. Moreover, what types of people might make such assumptions, and how could this impact a student's future? Relative to other social networking sites, I also ask if Snapchat can greatly enhance a positive digital footprint. The answer is usually a resounding "No," and I leave it to students to decide if they wish to register or keep their Snapchat accounts active.

Blogging

More than anything else, I want students to share their passions and interests with the world. Along those lines, it has never been easier to create a blog and help make that sharing a reality. Wix and Weebly offer an array of templates with intuitive drag-and-drop options. I teach WordPress in my online journalism class, which involves slightly more brainpower. The technology is the easy part, though. The real challenge is producing quality content on a regular basis, and making wise use of social networking to promote one's work. I share with students how much work and love went intoSpin Education, my blog. Often, I relied on my editor, also a talented teacher, to inform me of when I was being unfair, overly harsh, or too kind. I want students to learn from my blogging experience, which has opened the door to even greater sharing opportunities.

How should teachers go about modeling effective use of social networking? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

DAVID CUTLER'S PROFILE