1. USING SOCIAL
MEDIA TO TEACH
AND LEARN
Kelli McGraw
Oct. 2012

2. Kelli’s story
 Teaches secondary English curriculum at
Queensland University of Technology
 Used to be an English teacher in NSW
 Blogs at www.kellimcgraw.com
 On Twitter as @kmcg2375
 I use social media to teach AND
learn through my Personal Learning
Network (PLN)

3. Successes and obstacles…
Online learning
success 
Online learning obstacle

• Students who do not normally
contribute start to get involved
• Young people developing
digital literacy in line with their
peers
• Increased motivation due to
publication of work online
• Teachers learn more about
student hobbies and literacy
habits
• Teachers can move beyond
their own staffroom for help
• Peer ‘cyber-bullying’
• Not all students have well
developed digital skills
• Not all students have reliable
access to the internet
• Publication = PUBLIC =
problematic
• Sites blocked by the school or
sector
• Some kids just aren’t into it!
• (Some teachers really aren’t into
it…)
• Workload implications for
 Can you suggest more?

4. Ethics…
Ethical
behaviour
is one of
seven
General
Capabilitie
s in the
Australian
Curriculu
m.
 How can we use social media and
digital-friendly pedagogies to help
students learn how to “manage
context, conflict and uncertainty, and
to develop an awareness of the
influence that their values and
behaviour have on others”
(ACARA)?
 How can we ensure WE behave
ethically with regards to student
safety and our own online conduct?

5. Social Media looks like…
In the classroom:
 Individual, group, or whole
class blogs
e.g.
www.edublogs.org
 Project wikis
e.g.
www.pbworks.com
 Virtual classrooms
e.g.
www.edmodo.com
 Carefully incorporating
 Twitter
 Slideshare
At home:
 Twitter
 @kmcg2375 (raid my lists!)
 @ETAQld
 @englishteachers
#ozengchat (Tues. nights)
#engchat #edchat #edtech
#austl #hiphoped
 Facebook  yes, this is a
learning environment!
 Youtube
 Shared bookmarks
 …what else?

6. RAID OTHER
PEOPLE’S
TWITTER
LISTS!

7. A case study from @BiancaH80
http://storify.com/missjessm/bianca-does-
hunger-games/slideshow
 Blogs, Twitter and The Hunger Games
(#HG2212)

8. Why not create a ‘teacher account’ on YouTube? Save videos for your
students to use socially (without ‘friending’ anyone) e.g.

9. Making your class a
blog/wiki is
easy…
Getting your class

10. http://englishteachinginoz.wordpress.co
m/

11. Using wikis to support project
work
TOP TIP #1
Allow at least 2 weeks
for all students to join
TOP TIP #2
Create screenshots and other
materials to scaffold

13. Digital and
online tools
allow teachers
to monitor
student work,
progress
and
engagemen
t in new and
different ways.

15. TOP TIPS:
• Be realistic about how long
students take to make a
profile
• Don’t ‘double up’ –
REPLACE written homework
with online tasks
• Be a responsive moderator

16. TOP TIPS:
• Ask students to use their first
name only in online profiles
• Get students to make an ‘avatar’
that isn’t a photo of them
• Promote student use/knowledge
of school email addresses
• Set boundaries for when you
will be responding online.

17. Love your technology
…and your sanity!
• One class at a time
Trial new ideas e.g. homework blog
with one class first.
• Talk to your family
Don’t underestimate how much ‘home
time’ you might be surrendering.
• Ask for help!
e.g. HoD, librarian, ETAQ, QUT links
You can contact me
too!
@kmcg2375
kelli.mcgraw@qut.edu.