Today our grade 8 students participated in an OJCS Library workshop focused on technology use, their digital habits, and finding a healthy balance in an increasingly connected world. We began by exploring the idea of tech addiction: what it means, how it can develop, and why so many people (teens and adults alike) find it … Continue reading Talking About Tech Addiction and Addictive Design with Grade 8
A Middle School Workshop In this new workshop that combines both media literacy and social studies, students get empowered to create posts that can contribute to helping the environment on their favourite social media platforms. Here are the slides: Here is the Nearpod preview:
It is not hard to notice how much our OJCS students have been talking to one another about what’s happening in Ukraine. When they enter the classroom in the mornings, when they play outside at recess, and as they walk in the halls, they are talking about the things they’ve heard, the TikTok videos they’ve … Continue reading Talking to Students About Ukraine
A middle school media literacy lesson With TikTok becoming the social media platform of choice for so many students, it is important that they learn to recognize the misinformation, hate, and propaganda on the platform. It is also critical that they become aware of some of the TikTok controversies, like the privacy issues with the … Continue reading Becoming a Critical Thinker on TikTok
A DigCit Info Post You have probably heard people talk about something you find on social media called bots. You may even have had an experience with bots liking, retweeting, or commenting on your social media posts. But what exactly are bots? Are they dangerous? There was an event on TikTok a few months ago … Continue reading What Are Social Bots?
Your parents and teachers (including me!) are often trying to educate you about the problems and safety issues surrounding social media. That it’s addictive, that some platforms are inappropriate, that it is full of ill-intentioned strangers. There is of course some truth to some of this, but there is also a bright and shiny flip … Continue reading Using Social Media to Make a Positive Impact
Grades 6, 7, and 8 visited the library this week for a lesson on the effects of social media on our personal relationships. Whether they are allowed legally to be on certain platforms or not (most require you to be at least 13), the reality is that most middle schoolers are on Snapchat, Instagram, Tic … Continue reading Social Media and Our Relationships