Salutations!
My name is Angelina Miller, though almost everyone calls me Angi. I am 20 and though I attend college and am in many volunteer groups, scholarly groups and am currently contracted with Akron's Army ROTC, I still act like I am in 1st grade. That is not saying that I am immature and unable to act in a professional manner. It jut simple means that I choose to be care-free and imaginative. I choose to see the good in everyone and bring out the best. I love to read and am obsessed with art. I am an early childhood education major and hope to teach kindergarten once I am out of the army.
Currently I use an abundance of social media. I have a twitter, a facebook, a tumblr, snapchat, instagram and even a yik yak. I find myself on these almost everyday. Using them to stay in touch with family and friends. I use them to share about my life and to view everything that is going on in my peers and my close friends lives.
I read the article "A Teenagers View on Social Media" earlier this morning. I have to say I agree with him to an extent. Yes Facebook is pretty much dead to most people in my generation and yes, I find it award to use and even more awkward to delete. Instagram is better by far in every way mentioned. My favorite being "There are no links on Instagram, meaning I'm not being constantly spammed by the same advertisement, horrible gossip news article, or Buzzfeed listicle"
Twitter does have the three types of users, snapchat is the social media site with the least amount of social pressure, tumblr IS A SECRET SOCIETY (seriously though, I know none of my followers identity's personally), everyone does go on yik yak before class and during class and yes you guessed it..after class.
Social media is a growing thing that not only my generation is using. As mentioned by Mr. Watts (the author) even the older generation is finding themselves experimenting with the different outlets of social media. When on social media I tend to try and represent myself with some sort of dignity no matter what I am posting to. As a 20 year old I recognize that I have a future ahead of me. Being in the military, as well as a profession of education, conducting myself in an orderly and respectful way is expected of me. Teachers, military personnel and many other professions are seen as leaders, people who protect, serve and lead those around us to better and more intellectual and safe lives. I watch what I post, never do I post anything inappropriate and most importantly though a few curse words may find their way onto my sites, I never "bad mouth" anyone.
Technology in the classrooms can be a great thing. Look at the smartboard. It writes like a black board, but can also be used as a projector. It serves with a duel purpose. As far as social media, it could be used as a great way to keep people informed. It can hit a larger group of people faster than anything else. More and more people are grabbing hold of social media and running with it. I think that it is very important for teachers, instructors and professors to be personally linked with as many of their students as possible. As educators they are looked up too. Their students use them as examples of how to run their own lives.
I know from personal experience, the teachers that helped me the most were the ones that I was closest with. Being more COMFORTABLE with my teacher made me more CONFIDENT in that subject and in that class setting. Social media could be a great thing to use in the classroom.
