When I decided to take US History Research Seminar this year, I was not quite sure what I was getting into. I knew it was similar to Age of Ex, which I took last year, and that it was a project based class, yet I was not sure how I would go about doing my work if there was not an assignment due daily. Within the first few weeks I have learned so much about how I work best and how I can best produce quality work. My teacher, Mike, showed me how technology and social media can play an important role in the learning process. Last year in Age of Ex he introduced me to blogging and right away I loved it. Most teachers are not as ready to jump into writing on blogs, or communicating through twitter, but Mike has shown how these tools are great resources for communicating with fellow classmates, and the world. I have learned where my best writing comes from, and found it is when I am not confined to a specific topic but I am able to pick things that interest me. One great part about blogging is the ability to reflect on your recent work and get opinions, which is why I was most drawn to the idea.
Technology is used by so many people on a daily bases, but for me I did not realize its full potential when it came to learning. I mostly thought of technology and social media as a form of entertainment, and I believe some teachers still do. In many of the classes I think social media could play an important role in helping students understand topics, improve writing skills, and learn great forms of communication, yet many teachers are still hesitant to try them due to the amount of kids who abuse social media privileges.Through social media and technology I have discovered how fun learning can be, whereas in previous years learning became more of a chore than anything else.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo
I enjoy blogging because it gives me the freedom to write about whatever I chose, to have a large audience, and to start a conversation with the world. Communication is a key part of our world today, and without technology and social media the world would not be nearly as educated as we are today.
The USHRS Blog 
shannonwiebe
October 2, 2012
I also initially thought that social media (twitter especially) was for following celebrities and athletes. I have learned a lot from other teachers on Twitter. I am now more likely to have my students blog when I read posts from other students. Sometimes I find the logistics of getting young students online a chore with too many questions and only 1 teacher! It’s clearly worth the time as you have shown in your post.
kirstenkelly
October 2, 2012
I think I have recently had the same epiphany as you. As a teacher, I really want my students to get something more than just entertainment from social media. Glad to hear that some may agree with me. At the same time…it can be a great time! Have a great school year!
christine wells
October 2, 2012
It’s awesome to hear that you are embracing social media as part of your learning. Many of my students are reluctant as they feel that social media is a personal thing they do with their friends and they want to keep school separate. I’m not giving up though!
lauragilchrist4
October 4, 2012
I really enjoyed your perspective and your post about social media and blogging. I am a 6th grade teacher getting ready to pilot iPads in the classroom next semester. I really want to introduce my students to blogging and give them an opportunity to think and express themselves–as you are doing. Reading your blogpost reaffirmed my hunches about the benefits of blogging for students. I am currently looking into platforms to use with them. I see you are using WordPress. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I’ll be looking for more posts from you!
catherine1cat
October 7, 2012
Hi Andrea! This post is really great, as I understand where you’re coming from. My school requires all students grades 5-12 to have a personal MacBook, and when I first started there it took some time to adjust. In AP Government this year, we’ve been using a lot of new sites (like blogging on WordPress!) and it’s definitely cool to see what we can do in a single class using these media sites.
Good job!
Cat
Kabrina Harris
October 8, 2012
I am happy to learn that a class like this is offered in high school.When I attended high school history was just another lecture class that required lots of note taking.I Didn’t learn anything about blogging until I reached college.Teaching kids that technology can be used for other purpose besides entertainment is wonderful. Technology can be used for many purposes and learning is one of them.I also think that your are correct when you say that blogging helps students improve their writing skills. I believe that the more that you do something the better you will become at doing it.Blogging can become fun once you get the hang on it. One great benefit of blogging is that you can get instead feedback for others around the world.
Will Smith
October 10, 2012
Hi Andrea,
My name is Will Smith and I am a student in EDM310(educational media) at the University of South Alabama. Before taking the course I am currently in, I too was skeptical of social media such as blogging or twitter, but it has turned out to be an extremely useful method of learning/teaching. You really hit the nail on the head when you talked about an advantage being able to receive feedback for the work that you post. In education, I believe we are often too sensitive to receive meaningful feedback that would actually benefit us if we would simply accept it. Outstanding post, I really enjoyed it.