Can Student Writing Improve Using Facebook?
Students’ Writing Improved Using Facebook?
Can social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter help to improve writing or even better students’ interest in writing? I ask this question, not to be overly provocative, but to create a space for educators to think about innovative ways to inspire students’ ability and love of writing.
The article, by Andrew Simmons, acknowledges the problems that social media networking has created particularly with those all-important “writing conventions;” however, Simmons also cites increases in his students’ ability (especially his male students) to “self-reflect and to be emotionally honest” when writing. According to Simmons, “for younger high school boys particularly, social networking has actually improved writing – not the produce or the process, but the sensitivity and inward focus required to even begin to produce a draft that will eventually be worth editing.”
One of the biggest challenges for any writing teacher is getting students motivated and often interested enough to begin the writing process; therefore, I love hearing that for some students (especially young boys) using social media to jump-start the writing process has been successful. Ultimately, I want my students to love writing and to do it well. I think any tool that can inspire their love of writing is worthy of consideration. tlb
About principalaim
3 comments on “Can Student Writing Improve Using Facebook?”
Leave a Reply
Top Posts & Pages
Visual Q’s in Education
principalaim 
Thank you for sharing this piece. I became quite emotional reading it thinking of the ways that writing can prove as such a powerful outlet for humanity. I love the way that social media not only provides these children a way to express emotions (even, as the author says, in a trite manner) I find children today are showing more comfort with being honest in their own feelings because of the way technology has opened the door to sharing. What I think we must consider is how to we model/teach the balance between share and overshare AND how to do we clean up the “social media bad neighborhood”
Thank you! I really love the innovative ways teachers are engaging students through technology. I want to continue to share these kinds of articles/blogs with lots of educators. I am hopeful we can figure out a way to truly, fully integrate technology into the classroom. tlb
Pingback: Principalaim Top 13 Blog Posts of 2013 | principalaim