This week, our class was lucky to hear from guest speaker Jesse Miller, who provided many perspectives on the rapidly evolving state of the internet and the effects of social media on educators and students alike.Ā He discussed topics including privacy, safety, bullying and consent online.

Jesse began his presentation by expressing the mass effect social media has had on our lives; he argued it has added a new layer to our means of communicating and sharing information, something that we as a society may not have been ready for. Jesse stressed the importance of recognizing that, while social media gives the illusion of a clear and complete picture, it is in part the responsibility of the educator to equip students with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate the internet thoughtfully while questioning the suggested realities they encounter online.

Jesse also introduced the idea of understanding the school expectations and policies of the employers, offering advice on how we as future educators can have effective and safe digital literacy, stressing that teachers must: 

  • Not share student information on personal media accounts 
  • Understand the consequences in the online sharing of personal information about students 
  • Assess ethical responsibility in social sharing 
  • Encourage co-workers to engage in open dialogues
  • Obtain permission before sharing valuable information

As someone born right at the cusp of the internet and smartphones, I have experienced a world with and without permenant connection. On the one hand, I see older generations, such as my parents, who grew up with radios, television and large computers predominantly used for office tasks like word processing, email and basic browsing. On the other hand, I have first-hand experience with the rise of social media, the rapid evolution of the internet and the emergence of microtrends. I have also witnessed how unprepared my parents–and society as a whole–were for a world where communication and information are virtually limitless. As future educators, I believe we should not only recognize the weight of online platforms as affecting our students but should be prepared to use them to our advantage.

Here’s a video on how utilizing technology in the classroom should be viewed as less of a choice and more of a responsibility for educators:

“It is our obligation to prepare students for the challenges of being digital natives. As teachers, we have students practice skills all the time, but navigating the digital world takes practice too, that’s why it’s our responsibility to be able to provide students with opportunities to develop their digital literacy skills and become lifelong independent learners.“

Due to the inevitability and relevance of the internet, educators must teach their students about safe conduct while also adapting their methods of teaching to suit their student’s changing needs and values. From a pedagogical perspective, the way youth acquire knowledge has fundamentally changed, therefore, teachers should be teaching their students about critical thinking and examining the information found on the internet, as well as shifting their methods of teaching to promote means of self-directed, experiential learning and passion projects.

Even more, in a world where the internet allows for multiple personas in social media, gaming, etc. young people are more likely to view identity as dynamic and changing. This aligns with guest speaker Jesse’s emphasis on educators helping their students operate in an ever-changing world while upholding stable identities as well as values, claiming that it is the educator’s job to help children make sense of their ā€œon-demand mediaā€ while ā€œteaching and guiding how to uphold enduring valuesā€.

Jesse Millers insights allow us as educators to understand our role in helping colleagues, students, and ourselves to navigate social media. As the digital world continues to evolve, teachers need to equip our students with critical thinking skills. By fostering digital literacy, promoting and following ethical online behaviour and encouraging open discussion about social media’s influences, educators play a role in helping students understand the complexities of an interconnected world while maintaining a strong sense of their own unique identities and values. As we step into our roles as future educators, embracing these principles will help us to prepare ourselves and our students for the realities of an ever-changing digital world.

Image Alt Text: