Bringing Social Studies to Life with Social Media

Social media includes web- and mobile-based technologies to support interactive dialogue and communication between organizations, communities, and individuals. (Wikipedia) The ways in which students communicate and learn are changing because of social media tools. The classroom is no longer limited by four walls. Social media expands possibilities for teaching and learning.
This page contains information about using Social Media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Weebly, and Blogs to bring your Social Studies classroom to life!

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Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere - Social Media Poll

What is social media?

• Social Media in Plain English by Common Craft

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Facebook

What is Facebook?

• Social Networking (Facebook) by Common Craft on YouTube
  
• Social Networking (Facebook) by Common Craft on commoncraft.com

Using Facebook in the classroom:

• Facebook - Can be used to communicate with students about what is happening in your class. Be cautious! Friending students is not a good idea. Try creating a class fan page instead.
  
• 8 Real Ways Facebook Enriched Ms. Schoening's First Grade Class -- The Innovative Edcuator
• Edmodo - This is an education friendly Facebook-like option for managing your class on a social network site.
  
• Fakebook - Create profiles for historical figures. (Watch the video!)

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Twitter

Twitter
What is Twitter?

• Twitter in Plain English by Common Craft

Using Twitter in the Classroom:

• Visible Tweets
• Twijector
• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom

Twhistory

• Retweeting History Brings Those Stories to Life

• Tweeting from the Titanic: All Hands on Deck
• The Titanic
• Titanic Questions
• The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
  • Students worked in groups of 2-3
  • Each group was assigned a Pearl Harbor character
  • Each group:
    • read the eyewitness account of their assigned character
    • composed tweets as if they were that person experiencing the bombing of Pearl Harbor
    • Recorded their tweets on the google spreadsheet
    • Each group needed to record the date, time, and the tweet with the hashtag #csdendorse
• Tweets were scheduled using SocialOomph

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Blogs

What are blogs?

• Blogs in Plain English by Common Craft

Using blogs in the classroom:

• Blogger
  
• KidBlogs
  
• Edublogs
• Edublogs Curriculum Corner -- History and Social Studies
• Edublogs Directory - History and Social Studies

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Weebly

Weebly
What is Weebly?

• Weebly for Education Demo
  education.weebly.com
  

Using Weebly in the Classroom

• Student Website Portfolios
• Weebly Websites Created by Students Grades 6-8 and 9-12

           Revolutionizing Industry: Henry Ford's Moving Assembly Line
           Marching for Civil Rights

• Weebly Country Reports
  Spain
• Professional Development
  Prolearning.canyonsdistrict.org

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YouTube

What is YouTube?

• "YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos." -- Wikipedia

Using YouTube in the Classroom:

• YouTube for Schools
• Teacher Tube
• Dowload Helper (Follow copyright laws!)
• The History Teachers
  
• Renaissance Video
  
• Bad Romance: Women’s Suffrage Video
• The Ad Council - PSAs
• Falcon Facts on YouTube or Falcon Facts on iTunesU

Students create their own music videos, movies, and presentations:
Example: Ancient Civilizations Video

• Blabberize
• Voki
  
• Vocaroo
  
• Storybird
  
• Comic Creator
  
• Animoto
  

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And Much, Much More...

Articles:

• Wonderful Weebly Country Reports
  
• Twhistory - Reenacting the Bombing of Pearl Harbor
  
• Engagement Emergencies
• Social Networking Best Pracitces for Educators
• The Ultimate Guide to Using Twitter in the Classroom
• The Nerdy Teacher. Dropbox: A Must For All Teachers 
• Wikipedia in the Classroom: Tips for Effective Use
• Skype in the Classroom
• 7 Things You Should Know About.... Voicethread
• Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines
• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
• 35 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
• Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype
• Voicethread Extends the Classroom with Interactive Multimedia Albums
• 26 Interesting Ways to Use Voicethread in the Classroom
• Lift the Cell Phone Ban
• Some School Rethink Bans on Cell Phones
• Social Media Today: On Attempting an Updated Definition of "Web 2.0"

More Classroom Ideas and Resources:

• Skype - Skype in someone who is an expert or an actor/historian pretending to be an historical figure
  
• QR Codes - QR Code Generator to enhance physical displays
• Today's Meet
• Wikispaces
  
• Instagram
  
• Glogster
  
• Prezi
• Pinterest
  
• VoiceThread
  
• Word Clouds - Word Clouds: Have students view murals, timelines, infographics, word clouds, and word shapes online, like the Lincoln Douglas Debates, Student Bullying, and The Presidential Timeline. Then have students create their own using sites like Wordle, Tiki-Toki, Image Chef's Word Mosaic, Tagul, and Tagxedo
  
• Wikipedia - Students contribute - Opportunity to talk about accuracy of information and checking sources

• Cell Phones/Texting
  
• Teacher Tube
  
• Popplet
  
• storyjumper
  
• Google Docs
  
• wallwisher
  
• KerPoof
  
• Audioboo
  

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Documentation:

Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines

Links:

Resources:

• Poll Everywhere
  
• Fakebook
• Edmodo
• Twhistory
• Visible Tweets
• Twijector
• Blogger
• KidBlogs
  
• education.weebly.com
  
• The History Teachers
  
• Renaissance
  
• Bad Romance: Women’s Suffrage
• The Ad Council - PSAs
• Falcon Facts
• Blabberize
• Voki
  
• Vocaroo
  
• Storybird
  
• Comic Creator
  
• Animoto
• Skype
  
• Today's Meet
  
• QR Code Generator
  
• Wikispaces
  
• Instagram
  
• Glogster
  
• Prezi
• Pinterest
  
• VoiceThread
• Wikipedia
  
• Cell Phones/Texting
  
• Teacher Tube
  
• Popplet
  
• storyjumper
  
• Google Docs
  
• wallwisher
  
• KerPoof
  
• Audioboo

Word Clouds:

• Lincoln Douglas Debates
  
• Student Bullying
  
• The Presidential Timeline
  
• Wordle, 
  
• Tiki-Toki
  
• Image Chef's Word Mosaic
  
• Tagul
  
• Tagxedo

Articles:

• Wonderful Weebly Country Reports
  
• Twhistory - Reenacting the Bombing of Pearl Harbor
  
• Engagement Emergencies
• Social Networking Best Pracitces for Educators
• The Ultimate Guide to Using Twitter in the Classroom
• The Nerdy Teacher. Dropbox: A Must For All Teachers 
• Wikipedia in the Classroom: Tips for Effective Use
• Skype in the Classroom
• 7 Things You Should Know About.... Voicethread
• Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines
• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
• 35 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
• Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype
• Voicethread Extends the Classroom with Interactive Multimedia Albums
• 26 Interesting Ways to Use Voicethread in the Classroom
• Lift the Cell Phone Ban
• Some School Rethink Bans on Cell Phones
• Social Media Today: On Attempting an Updated Definition of "Web 2.0"
• Cell Phones in the Classroom