How Students Turn Social Media into a Learning Platform
This week’s reading, “Teens and Social Media: A Case Study of High School Students’ Informal Learning Practices and Trajectories” by Bagdy et al., really hit home for me. The study emphasizes something many educators overlook: teens aren't just zoning out online. They're learning. Often informally. Often deeply. And sometimes, they’re doing more than just learning—they're applying their knowledge in creative and entrepreneurial ways.
The researchers explored how high schoolers used platforms like Instagram, Reddit, and Pinterest not just for entertainment, but to develop skills and connect with communities of practice. What stood out to me most was that students often didn’t realize they were learning because it wasn’t happening in a formal classroom. It reminded me so much of a few of my own students.
One of my students, for example, became fascinated with cake decorating after watching Instagram and YouTube videos. That interest quickly turned into practice as she started baking at home, documenting her progress, and eventually launched a small business selling cupcakes and cakes to classmates and neighbors. She also followed some accounts to learn how to market herself. I don't think she would have claimed to be “studying” culinary arts or marketing, but that’s exactly what she was doing, informally, autonomously, and with clear passion.
Reading this article helped me reframe what counts as learning. It challenged the idea that educational progress only happens through structured instruction. Instead, I’m beginning to see that informal, interest-driven learning, especially when supported by social media tools, can be just as powerful, if not more so.
As a teacher, this raises questions I want to keep exploring: How can I validate and even encourage these learning experiences? How might I create space in the classroom to let students bring in the knowledge they’ve gained outside of it? How can I help them reflect on what they’ve learned so they see their growth?
Social media isn't just a place for trends and distractions. For many students, it's a launchpad: a space where curiosity meets opportunity. And that’s worth paying attention to.
What you ask here -- how can you validate or encourage these experiences as a teacher -- is exactly where some of my research sits these days. I dream of a world where teachers and a curriculum connect with these personal experiences.
ReplyDeleteThis would be powerful in a CTE course for sure! However, this is a slippery slope in a public school setting for traditional classes. In our Business CTE course we have instituted a "Shark Tank" like experience for our year 1 learners in which we encourage the networking of ideas with individuals who are SME in the field. One of our science classes relies heavily on art and reaching out to SME in a guided and controlled process. It is a little bit tricky depending on district policy on volunteers coming into the classroom and the district perception of online versions of the same.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of having students network with SME. Parent consent can be difficult for things like this in my district. Cell phone policy is also making some of these concepts difficult across the board.
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