Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1487796
and converts technology into a canvas on which they can solve problems, rather than simply using tech to find quick answers. In the process, students start to see themselves as producers — not just consumers — of knowledge. Here are some ideas for infusing students' favorite apps into your lessons: Show what you know Social media platforms are riddled with misinformation, but students can be agents of positive change and join a broader community in conversation — creating content that educates others on topics they 've learned in class, while providing a quick glimpse into what they know and still need to learn. • In 280 characters or less: Twitter 's character limit could be an interesting challenge for students tasked with summarizing what they 've learned, writes edu- cational consultant Jay McTighe. Ask "What is the big idea that you have learned about ?" and have kids share their responses in the application. Utilizing a class hashtag, such as #DrSmith- ScienceClass, for each class or assignment will help you retrieve responses quickly. • Teacher for a day: TikTok allows users to create videos ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in length, plenty of time to sum- marize key points from a lesson, highlight important takeaways from assigned reading, or teach a concept to others. Perusing the hashtag #finalproject brings up a trove of student explainer videos on topics ranging from the danger of logical fallacies to the importance of accuracy and precision. "I'm having students do TikToks or create memes where they can express a theoretical concept or speak to a ques- tion and then they might write up a little two-page response to what they 've done, explaining their process and thinking," says Shauna Pomerantz, an associate professor at Brock University in Southern Ontario, Canada. • Tweet like a historian: In a social studies or history class, students could create a Twitter account for a historical figure and "tweet about major events in that person's life as they think their historic figure would have tweeted," suggests former educator Dr. Matthew Lynch. Asking students who their figure might be following on social media, as well as topics that might be "trending" on their feed at the time will provide deeper insight into how much students genuinely understand their chosen figure. This could also work in a science classroom, using prominent inventors and scientists, or in an ELA classroom using char- acters from the assigned reading. Engage with the content With sufficient guidance, technology can take students beyond merely googling "Effects of World War I on Europe" to helping them interrogate deep questions, clearing a path toward creating and sharing original, informed answers. • Reimagine the essay: Allowing the option to occasion- ally create video essays analyzing a specific concept, topic, theme or person flexes a lot of the same muscles as a written essay — and some new ones too, says Tanner Higgin, editorial director for learning content at Common Sense Education. The process requires that students juxtapose "video footage, images, audio and text to make an argument much like a writer would do in a traditional essay," Higgin writes. • Beyond written expression: Some students can easily verbalize their thoughts aloud while others are more comfor table expressing themselves in writing. E xit ticket responses to open-ended prompts or questions at the end of a les- son — for example, " Today was hard because…" or " What are three things you learned, two things you're still curious about , and one thing you don't understand?" — can easily be completed using Flip (formerly Flipgrid) or another vid- eo-creation application. Asking students to record a short video or voice memo on their phones for a quick misconception check or to examine the lesson's muddiest point — the place where things got confusing or complicated — can benefit those who feel uncomfortable asking for help in front of class- mates, or who need more time to process their learning. Energize academic debates Public speaking often strikes fear into the hearts of students, explains Megan Cooke, a high school theater and English teacher. "Consider that students don't want to feel judged," she writes. " They don't want to appear dumb, weak or afraid in front of their classmates." But on social media platforms, it's second nature for kids as young as 12 years old to bravely share their thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics with the world. • Digital debate: In their spare time, many students are engaging in TikTok debate livestreams with hundreds, sometimes thousands of viewers. Users choose a topic, generally one that is polarizing, state "Using such tools as TikTok and Twitter situationally to demonstrate knowledge is meeting students where they live.... Students start to see themselves as producers — not just consumers — of knowledge." 47 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3