TeachersFirst's Social Media
Social media in education offers students the ability to connect with learning groups and easily find useful information. As educators, it is pivotal to teach students the benefits of using social media, as well as the proper (and safe) way to use these types of tools. This collection provides professional learning for educators using social media in the classroom, tools to organize and share social media, plus some social media favorites (such as Twitter and Pinterest). View our collection to find a tool useful for you or your classroom. Plus, our “In the Classroom” suggestions offer ways to integrate the tool in your lessons.

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Teachers' Guide to Cranky Uncle - John Cook
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (135), digital citizenship (79), game based learning (168), internet safety (108), media literacy (91), social media (46)
In the Classroom
Add this game to your toolkit of lessons and activities when teaching Internet safety and media literacy skills. The Teachers' Guide already includes many ideas on integrating the game into classroom lessons and includes using technology to enhance and extend learning. Use these ideas as a starting point to build student engagement and help them understand the real-world applications for the information found in the game. For example, use the suggested Padlet, reviewed here, activity to compile quiz questions as suggested in Activity 5. After completing that activity, have students create their own videos, fake social media posts, or news articles that contain misinformation and create quiz questions for their peers to complete. Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for students to use when creating websites, flyers, and infographics. As a final project, and to extend learning, have students share what they learned with others by producing podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or digital books for younger students using Book Creator, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Koji - Koji
Grades
K to 12tag(s): coding (75), game based learning (168), gamification (77)
In the Classroom
Find templates by browsing the templates found on the home page, or choose the option to see what others are remixing to find examples to use in the classroom. Modify quizzes to include on your class website for quick review and practice on any device. Choose a "tap to reveal" feature to share before introducing a new unit. For example, before starting a unit on national landmarks, quickly create several "tap to reveal" games with United States landmarks and publish one a day on the week before the start of your unit. Have students create quizzes and games to review classroom material, then share the games with all students on your class websites. Share with students interested in software and coding applications, encourage them to create games that interact with current classroom materials. Koji includes options for viewing the source code for advanced coders to use in creating and modifying their interactives.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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YouTube - YouTube, LLC
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): video (245)
In the Classroom
YouTube provides opportunities for a variety of classroom uses. Create your own YouTube channel to provide instructional videos for your students. Make a playlist of videos that support your teaching and allow students to learn from different viewpoints. With proper permissions, have students create videos sharing their learning and understanding of concepts and share them on your class webpage. Flip learning by having students watch videos at home to provide context before classroom lessons. Are there too many ads and distractions on YouTube videos? Use VideoLink - Safe YouTube, reviewed here, and generate an ad-free version of the video. Use YouTube videos to create an interactive learning experience instead of passive learning by using a site such as EdPuzzle, reviewed here, to modify any video to your lesson. Add questions, clip out unneeded portions of the video, and add comments and information by adding a recording in your voice. One big bonus when using EdPuzzle is that YouTube videos are viewable through EdPuzzle even if YouTube is blocked through your district.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Social Media Test Drive - Cornell University and the Cornell Research Foundation, Inc
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): character education (74), cyberbullying (41), digital citizenship (79), social media (46)
In the Classroom
Share these modules for students to complete during any lessons on Internet safety. Ask students to contribute to a collaborative document sharing examples they have seen of cyberbullying or deceptive news practice. Replace pencil and paper notetaking by sharing an online tool such as Webnote, reviewed here, for students to use to take notes on any website. When finished, have them share their notes using the URL created for use in classroom discussions. Reinforce online safety concepts through gameplay using Baamboozle, reviewed here. Enhance student learning by asking students to create a game in Baamboozle for their peers to play to identify best practices in creating a safe online presence. After completing your digital safety unit, modify classroom technology use and extend learning by asking students to create explainer videos using FlexClip, reviewed here, with suggestions on how to identify fake news, how to create a positive digital footprint or ways to support peers when faced with cyberbullying. Share student videos on your class website and with younger students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TWiki - Peter Theony
Grades
K to 12tag(s): collaboration (87), wikis (15)
In the Classroom
In language arts or history classrooms use a wiki to create a favorite historical figures page, have students share their favorite person from history along with supporting evidence. Use a wiki to set up a debate between students. For example, create a wiki and ask students to debate the use of homework in schools, the effect of social media on society, or year-round school vs. traditional school calendars. As your class builds and adds to the wiki, extend student learning by having small groups of students select a topic to research further. A nice feature of TWiki is that it allows you to set up collaborative groups where students can share information and ideas about their research. Culminate the research by having students use a multimedia creation tool like Sway, reviewed here, transforming classroom technology by sharing information including text, images, videos, and more. As a last step have the small groups load their Sway creation to their collaborative page on TWiki. For more ideas and information on how to use wikis, visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through for a detailed, step-by-step explanation and starter help, including dozens of ideas for ways to use a wiki in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bad News - Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab and DROG
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (79), game based learning (168), internet safety (108), media literacy (91), social media (46)
In the Classroom
This game is perfect for use as an introduction to lessons on digital citizenship, media literacy, and social media. Share the site with your students to explore on their own and encourage them to play several different times using the different options provided. Your students won't mind playing over and over; it is easy to get hooked on trying to find the best way to gain as many followers as possible! Once students become familiar with the game and the different options presented for spreading misinformation, ask them to apply their findings to online content. Have them do some online research to find sites or information using tactics such as emotion and the others featured in Bad News. As they research sites and online information, have them add links to the sites they find on a class Padlet. Padlet, reviewed here, offers an option to create columns, use this option then label a column for each badge found in the game and ask students to share a link to their sites in the appropriate column. In addition to adding a link, have students include a comment providing information on why their site belongs in the category. Instead of assessing learning with quizzes or a written report, enhance learning and transform your assessment by having students create infographics to share information learned. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, provides easy to use templates to create interesting and informative infographics. Extend leaning and ask students to become the teacher using Symbaloo Learning Paths, reviewed here, to create an online learning activity teaching others on how to recognize and avoid disinformation found online. Be sure to share your assessment rubric with students as part of your assignment. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Teen Safety - StaySafe.org
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cyberbullying (41), internet safety (108)
In the Classroom
Include the information from this site with your other resources for teaching about online safety. Instead of creating a list of links for students, share safety tips with students by replacing the list using a bookmarking tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to share all resources including videos, websites, and more in one place. Invite students to add their own resources to the Padlet as a collaborative activity on internet safety. Create quizzes using Baamboozle, reviewed here, as a formative assessment during your online safety unit. Baamboozle is a quick and easy quiz creation tool to replace paper and pencil. Divide the class into groups to research the different topics found on this site then let them create their own Baamboozle quizzes for their classmates. Instead of teaching online safety in individual lessons, consider using Symbaloo Learning Paths, reviewed here, to create a learning path including all of your lessons. Have students follow at their own pace and use tools with the Learning Paths to offer differentiation for the abilities and interests of your students. To modify learning and further challenge students, have them create their own internet safety Learning Paths for classmates to complete.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Headliner - SpareMin
Grades
K to 12tag(s): communication (136), editing (89), multimedia (40), video (245)
In the Classroom
Use Headliners to create and share videos in multiple ways. Set the stage for upcoming lessons by creating a video from an upcoming text, post the video on your class website for students to view before reading. Include the transcription feature when sharing videos of student discussions or classroom activities (with appropriate parental permission, of course). Promote your classroom podcast using the Audio Wizard to share a short preview of an upcoming podcast. As an alternative to a research report, use the Find My Content feature and have students redefine their technology use by creating a multimedia video filled with images and video based on their research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Twitter Chat: Using Social Media to Build a Sense of School Community - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): climate (78), communities (32), social media (46), twitterchatarchive (151)
In the Classroom
Find resources and explore ways to use social media effectively to build school climate, culture, and community. Share this chat with your colleagues looking for sites and information related to social media implementation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Twitter Chat: Using Social Media to Increase Student Engagement - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): social media (46), twitterchatarchive (151)
In the Classroom
Find tools and resources to create lessons that incorporate use of social media. Share this chat with your colleagues looking for sites and information related to social media use in the classroom. Explore the various tools that are shared.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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vistacreate - Depositphotos
Grades
K to 12tag(s): digital storytelling (138), graphic design (50), images (257), infographics (52), posters (45), slides (41), social media (46), timelines (44)
In the Classroom
Share vistacreate with students as a tool for creating posters, infographics, videos, and other visual media for any project. Begin by displaying this site on your interactive whiteboard and demonstrating how to use the different features and discussing how to find the free materials available. Have students create a screencast using Free Screen Recorder Online, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to use the different features of vistacreate and include their screencasts on your class website for student use at home and at school. Instead of a book report, have students create a simple webpage; use WebNode, reviewed here, and include a banner or poster created using vistacreate to share their ideas. Ask students to use this site to create an infographic sharing nutrition facts, events in world history, or any other information learned in class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Media Literacy - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (102), cyberbullying (41), digital citizenship (79), evaluating sources (13), internet safety (108), media literacy (91), news (230), primary sources (106), professional development (319), social media (46)
In the Classroom
Today's messages come in many forms and literacy can no longer refer simply to the ability to read and write. Prepare your students to be literate citizens with this collection. Many are ideal for whole-group instruction, while others would work best on individual devices. Read the reviews to find classroom use ideas with each review. Although the list of tools is mainly geared towards grades 4-8, there are a few resources for the primary grades.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Above the Noise - KQED
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): character education (74), drugs and alcohol (26), social media (46), social networking (75), social skills (23), sociology (23), video (245)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the classroom guide to explore big questions found within each episode. Subscribe to this channel to receive notifications of new video additions. Use a tool such as MoocNote, reviewed here, to add questions directly into the YouTube videos for students to complete as a blended, flipped, or remote learning lesson and before (classroom) instruction. Use a tool such as Voxer, reviewed here, for students to discuss their thoughts on the topic of each video.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wakelet - Jamil Khalil
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), collaboration (87), communication (136), curation (27), DAT device agnostic tool (135), multimedia (40), news (230), social media (46), social networking (75)
In the Classroom
The possibilities for using Wakelet in the classroom are endless! Create collections with tips for writing in different genres, current events, information about specific countries or cities, math games, and much more. Have students set up their own wakes as part of a research project. Put together a wake scavenger hunt to introduce a new unit or as a review at the end of a unit. Share wakes on your class web page for student use at home to review and practice class content. Having the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes makes them much more interesting and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Creator Academy - YouTube
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): creativity (92), journalism (71), social media (46), video (245)
In the Classroom
View videos with a projector or on an interactive whiteboard before assigning multimedia projects. Include a link to the videos on your class web page for students to view at home. Set up a video chat time for one of these YouTube videos using a tool such as Watch2Gether, reviewed here, to discuss the video lesson. Be sure to share with your school's journalism teacher for use with writing and video projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Guide to Pinterest for Educators - USC Rossier/Leah Anne Levy
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (47), professional development (319), social media (46)
In the Classroom
Use this resource to understand how to use Pinterest for your personal and professional use and also for student collaboration. Share ideas with other staff members to collaborate on shared interests. Discuss one section a month with your professional learning network (PLN) and reflect together how to make the most of Pinterest in your educational setting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Voxer - Tom Katis
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (37), communication (136), DAT device agnostic tool (135), listening (65), microblogging (23), social media (46), speaking (21), speech (68)
In the Classroom
Extend classroom technology use by using Voxer with early readers in your Daily 5 literacy structure for oral reading and listening to others read. Archive students' reading fluency at the beginning of the year, making comparisons throughout the year. Send the Voxer sample readings to parents via email so they can hear the progress and your comments, too. Use Voxer with any language learning students, both ENL/ESL and world languages. Students can practice speaking and listening in their new language. Connect with another class in a country speaking the language your students are learning for rich, real-world discussions. Create small groups to discuss anything from current events, to how to complete a math problem, to contributions for group research projects. Middle and high school teachers can use Voxer for communication between classes posting a question about the reading they are doing, an equation in math, or a lab in science. Collaborate with another classroom across the state or in another country allowing students to discuss with other students not in their school. Reluctant writers could use this tool to brainstorm their thoughts for a writing piece. With students under 13 consider setting up a class account using a global login. Students would need to give their first name when contributing so you will know who is speaking.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Pablo - Buffer
Grades
K to 12tag(s): back to school (63), graphic design (50), images (257), posters (45), quotations (20)
In the Classroom
Engage your class by creating a teaser for upcoming units using an image created with Pablo. Create images with favorite quotes as an introduction to any lesson. At the beginning of the year, print out images with inspirational quotes to put on bulletin boards. Share what you created on your website or blog. Have students create an image to "introduce" themselves to the class during the first week of school. Link or embed the introductory presentations in your class wiki, and have others guess who is portrayed. Use this tool to create short story summaries.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Wonderment - Kidnected World
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): communication (136), cross cultural understanding (149), enrichment (9), gifted (63), listening (65), Problem Based Learning (11), problem solving (214), social media (46), social networking (75), social skills (23), speaking (21), sustainability (38)
In the Classroom
The Wonderment is a problem based learning adventure for each student around the world to communicate and collaborate with other students. This venue allows great lesson ideas for digital citizenship and digital footprints. Begin by choosing a path for the entire class and feature on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. Have students work in small groups to choose their best response. Discussions can focus on creativity, problem solving, and collaboration between the group and others from around the world. In a gifted class, use as a way to challenge kids to break through the "right answer" and find the "best answer." Use this as a model for finding authentic needs in your community. Be sure to share a link to this tool on your class blog, website, or learning management system (LMS). Use this tool as the answer for the parents who always want more challenge and enrichment for their students at home. Be sure to share at a staff meeting to spread the wonder for other students and adults.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Tweet Topic Explorer - Neoformix
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (162), social media (46), twitter (31)
In the Classroom
This would be fantastic projected on a whiteboard (or projector) for the class to see. Use this resource by entering a Twitter username (such as a politician's) to stay up to date about what they are discussing (or to realize the overuse of certain talking points!) Enter an author's user name to follow current discussions. Use this resource over a period of several weeks to identify the changing trends or changes in stories over time. Follow any Twitter name that can shed light on any academic topic for use in a class. Does your class use twitter? Enter the username(s) to create a word cloud of what your class has done. Use the word cloud and Tweets to reflect on what has been learned in the class. Follow what a famous person or writer is tweeting. See this list of tweeting authors for some possibilities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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