Digital Argument in Social Media
I don't know about you, but I often feel weighed down by social media. Sometimes I have to force myself take a break from it. It's my own fault because I have chosen to take part. Honestly, I feel like it is a necessary evil. I know I am being a little harsh about social media, but it is because I believe so many people use it in what I consider a negative way. For example, let's think about a random Facebook post. Maybe it's a picture of your family enjoying a day at the pool. You might get some "likes" or a comment about how much fun your family must be having. Then it happens. Someone makes a comment that you and your family are being selfish and wasteful because there is a drought going on. What a waste of water!
I know this is a silly example, but similar situations happen like this all the time. I believe that as much as social media connects us, there is still that distance between users in the community. Often, people say things in social media posts that they would NEVER say directly to someone's face. Turner and Hicks (2017) state that "Individuals often respond emotionally to what they read in social networks, posting or reposting without critically analyzing the argument being made" (p. 104). As teachers, it is our responsibility to teach our students to be mindful users of social media, and to produce information that is accurate (Turner & Hicks, 2017). Whether we like it or not, each post, comment, or repost we make is a form of digital argument that we are consciously or unconsciously making. What we post can shape others' perception of us.
It's not all bad, right?
No, not all forms and uses of social media are bad. In fact, there are some wonderfully positive ways in which to use social media in education. Because my students are only in 3rd grade, one way in which I use social media is for professional development.
In the past, the internet was available for users to "consume" information, but now social media provides us with opportunities for interaction. This can be especially powerful when teachers can use social media for professional development purposes. "Social media has been found to provide an environment in which professional learning can occur" (Bedford, 2019, p. 120).
Not only do I use Facebook to keep in touch with my friends and family, but I also use it to connect with educational groups to learn more about topics in which I am interested. One such example I found though Facebook is The Recovering Traditionalist. Christina Tondevold has dubbed herself "The Recovering Traditionalist" because she is learning and sharing new strategies and techniques to teaching math as opposed to the old "traditional" ways. She makes posts on Facebook that link to her blog and podcasts.
Here is a screenshot of one of her recent Facebook posts.
Click on the image to go to the blog post.
Because this is a Facebook post and links to her blog post, there is the opportunity for others in the community to share their thoughts and opinions, or to share opposing ideas.
Being MINDFUL
We must be MINDFUL when it comes to social media posts. That means critically thinking about anything that you read or post on social media. Turner and Hicks (2017) warn that "reading and writing are never neutral activities" (p. 108). They go on to further explain how readers and writers can use the acronym MINDFUL to analyze this form of digital argument (Turner & Hicks, 2017, pp. 109-110)
- MONITOR your reading and writing
- IDENTIFY the claim
- NOTE the evidence
- DETERMINE the framework
- FACTS
- UNDERSTAND the counterargument
- LEVERAGE your response
As I read the Facebook post above, there is definitely a claim being made, that teachers need to help students "build a deep, connected understanding of the concept". She is referring to how teachers teach the greater than, less than, and equal signs used in math. There is not specific evidence or facts listed in the Facebook post, but she does share these in her video posted on the blog. I think she does somewhat address the counterargument, because at the very beginning she talks about whether we should use terms like "alligator mouth" or not. For the last point, LEVERAGE, I feel like that is on me. After reading and viewing the video, it is up to me to decide if and how to share this information, or if I would like to make a response on Facebook or the blog itself.
I actually share her opinion on this topic and had recently had a discussion about this in my math PLC group. We had been discussing the importance of using correct vocabulary and terminology, especially in preparation for standardized testing. I decided to share this with my grade level as well as my PLC group by sending them a link to the blog post.
I had not considered myself a member of a virtual professional learning community, I now believe that by following The Recovering Traditionalist on Facebook, I really am. By using this social media platform, I am able to connect with other educators, some of whom are considered experts in the field, as well as develop my own learning related specifically to math content (Bedford, 2019).
References
Giphy. ABC Network. https://media.giphy.com/media/SVs6Lunie1ibAMK67A/giphy.gif
Giphy. Creative Courage. https://media.giphy.com/media/MoDBsTmOwGaXoMucwp/giphy.gif
Bedford, L. (2019). Using social media as a platform for a virtual professional learning community. Online Learning Journal, (23)3, 120-136.
The Recovering Trditionalist. (2021, May 20.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TheRecoveringTraditionalist
Tondevold, C. (2021, May 20). Alligator or no alligator in math class? Building Math Minds. https://www.therecoveringtraditionalist.com/alligators-or-no-alligators-math-class/?fbclid=IwAR3nSpw2821vsYycgELqUl7y9obENxq2q_Hp-zdMZN87Puh8aGF9qb1HGYk
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument
in the real world. Heinemann.
Valeria, I think that's so awesome to be part of a community to share ideas! I personally like the idea of our class Facebook page, so that we can support and help each other when needed. I wholeheartedly agree with your points about social media being good and bad. I am often torn at times too. I have found myself before accidentally liking something and trying to take it back, because I didn't want others to see. My "like" insinuates that I agree with what is being posted (Turner and Hicks, 2017).
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder, even though technology users like us enjoy engaging in professional development on social media, I can think of several faculty members who wouldn't dare engage in that. Even simple uses, like using a Facebook group for communication with parents, was a battle we had to fight when COVID caused our school to shut down. Not to mention, the parents that didn't have social media wanted to receive announcements too, but refused to create Facebook accounts. The older generation seems to have the most refusal to adopt social media platforms, mostly due to the unwillingness to adapt to the culture is has created (Ramawela and Chukwuere, 2020). If we were to move strictly to using social media platforms to communicate, how many people would we leave behind?
Thanks for your post!
Katie
References
Ramawela, S., & Chukwuere, J.E. (2020). Cultural influence on the adoption of social media platforms by employees. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 12(3), 344-358.
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann. Technology and Engineering Teacher 80(20), 8-12.
I share your same thoughts about social media. I like how you call it a “necessary evil.” Last night, I took part in the Calera High School’s band booster board meeting. Social media was brought up a lot. The band has a Facebook and Instagram page where we, the board members and the band director, can share upcoming information. Anyone can post on the Facebook page, but we have it set up to where everything must be approved by an administrator of the page first. We have a certain parent who likes to “ask” questions in a way to “stir things up.” The page is a necessary way to get information to people quickly and efficiently, but like you said, “then it happens.” The band director reiterated to the new board members that everything someone posts does not have to be “approved.” If something is not going to be approved, he wants a private message sent to the person telling them to email him. It is like Ramawela and Chukwuere (2020) state, social media has made communication easier, because we can communicate with different groups of people about many issues.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I am just like you in the fact that I have not thought of myself as a member of a virtual professional development community. Like you, I follow several educational groups. One group that comes to mind is a first grade teacher group that I joined when I moved to first grade. This group is a place for teachers to help and encourage others, to ask questions, and a place to collaborate and share resources. There have been several times that I have answered questions and even given some encouragement. I also have seen some great resources shared on this page that I have shared with my grade level. Like you, before sharing, I too was mindful of what was being shared. Like Turner and Hicks (2017) say, we want everyone to “monitor their reading and writing, analyze the argument being made, and think carefully before sharing with other readers” (p. 108).
References
Ramawela, S., & Chukwuere, J. E. (2020). Cultural influence on the adoption of social media platforms by employees. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 12(3), 344–358.
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann.
Hey Valerie! That's really cool that you're a member of a professional facebook community. I think more teachers should do this! Leverage is definitely one of the more powerful components in the MINDFUL framework. Depending on your social media platform, this might lead to even further action being taken from different groups and you may be able to reach other networks in the process (Turner & Hicks, 2017). Students sometimes tend to think more highly of themselves than they should and I believe this is because they feel as if they have more social media "leverage." But in reality, they really aren't educated enough in this capacity to understand how to use it properly. I will definitely plan to show them the difference!
ReplyDeleteTurner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann.
Valerie,
ReplyDeleteI love the Gif you chose at the beginning of your blog post. How counterculture this idea truly is in reference to the social media driven world we live in. Turner and Hicks (2017) state, "Day after day, individuals fall prey to them, hope they are true, and share the misinformation with their friends" (p. 104). I feel like we must remember we are associating ourselves with every careless click we make on social media and what that means to people that follow us. I agree with your statement about every comment, like, share, and repost we participate in involves us in a digital argument. I have seen this firsthand with someone I know. After “liking” a post on Instagram that was a careless gesture, they were attacked from all angles because of the political post they were seen agreeing with. As an educator, it is our job to help facilitate conversations in our own classrooms about digital citizenship when it comes to posting or commenting on any platform. This could be as simple as teaching students about posting a comment to a Google Classroom assignment. Turner and Hicks encourage educators to begin the conversation by having students understand that their participation on social media is real reading and writing (p. 113). I personally think that teachers could even share appropriate examples and non-examples of what this looks like in the real world. This could help show students the power that is in their words.
Thank you for sharing!
References
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument
in the real world. Heinemann.