(For the purposes of an assignment, this post is written for the hypothetical scenario of presenting a Blogpost to a science teacher at an imaginary school, as a way to learn of a new technology tool).
TikTok: Are you familiar with it? Have you heard your students discussing it, but you have no idea what it is? Or did you end up downloading it during the pandemic ‘just to see’ what it was, and now it has become a time-sucking guilty pleasure of yours? One more question, have you ever considered using it as a teaching tool? I can’t say that I have never heard of this idea, as I must admit I am one of the adults out there that did download the app while the world was on pause during the lockdowns of 2020, and ended up enjoying it. The algorithm sends you videos on your ‘for you page’ that you may be interested in, so I have seen other teachers’ TikTok videos that they use for instructional purposes, or even as a way to collaborate with other teachers. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon a Blog post from The Daring Librarian this week, that I began to consider that perhaps we should consider using TikTok as a resource here at our school. Here is a link to the posting:
https://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2019/08/whats-up-with-tiktok.html
And here is a link to a YouTube video from ABC News that she included in her Blog that explains a little more about TikTok in general, in case you’re unfamiliar.
https://youtu.be/mQEGJMmqBTw
As I began to read through her blog, which just explains a little about her own personal journey of creating a TikTok, and how it could be used by teachers and librarians, I realized that this could be particularly useful for our science teachers. This is what has led me to share my idea with you today. Here is an example I found of a science teacher sharing an experiment on TikTok:
Now, this science teacher is sharing a clip of her doing this experiment during a virtual class with her students. Imagine if the students were able to tell their parents about what they did in class, and then the parents could look it up on TikTok later, and help the students recreate it at home? Or imagine if other science teachers at our school were able to view this video, and create a reaction video in response? (See in the Blog post where The Daring Librarian discusses the benefits of reaction videos on TikTok). What a cool way to create collaboration between parents, teachers, and students. (collaboration cite?)
And remember, it is important that we meet our students where they are, as Brenda Boyer, Ph.D., high school librarian and chair of information and technology resources for the Kutztown (Pa.) Area School District, reminds us in the Internet@Schools Journal, that where students are is on their laptops, tablets, and phones. We need to look into these technologies that are consuming our student’s lives to remain relevant. Even The Daring Librarian admits that the whole reason she began to look into TikTok was after noticing that the students were on it staring at the videos all through recess one day. What if that were your students at recess, and what if they wanted to see what science experiments you posted? At 15 seconds a pop, most students will take the time to view them, whereas they might not waste their time with a longer YouTube or Instagram video.
Perhaps you are uncomfortable with this app, and are not sure how to use it, or how to use it safely. Please know that as the school librarian I am here to walk you through new technologies and help you to learn how to use them, and how they may be of use as instructional tools. As Melissa P. Johnston of The School Library Research Journal states, “It is critical for the school librarian to partner with teachers to address the needs of the 21st century learner. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it” (Johnston, 2012). It is our responsibility in 2021 to teach students in a way that contributes to their information literacies, media literacies, visual literacies, and technology literacies (Wine, 2016). Let me help guide you through new technologies such as this one, as we continue to become more technologically literate as a school, so that we can better equip our students. Thanks!
References
ABC In-depth/ (2018, November 28). What is TikTok?; ABC News [Video]. YouTube.
Boyer, B. (2016). Meet your learners where they are: virtualizing the school library. Internet @
Schools, 23(1), 4–.
Johnston, M. P. (2011). School librarians as technology integration leaders: Enablers and
barriers to leadership enactment. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Jones, G. (2019, August 4). What’s up with TikTok? The Daring Librarian.
Wine, L. (2016). School Librarians as Technology Leaders: An Evolution in Practice. Journal of
Education for Library and Information Science, 57(2), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.12783/issn.2328-2967/57/2/12
Thanks for this DeAnn! I have to admit that I am someone who has not given TikTok a fair shake. The only thing I knew about it had negative connotations. Friends who have pre-teen children up in arms over some of the videos their children were looking at and then a teacher in the district who got in some trouble for posting some inappropriate things. I'm so happy to see that it is and can be used in a positive and educational way. I am sure that the children would absolutely love engaging with this as a learning tool and the parents would be thrilled to see what their children are doing from the classroom using TikTok! Thanks again!
Robyn…
DeAnn, I love the idea of using TikTok to connect with students and boost engagement! I am a huge fan and know that my kiddos love it too. The opportunities for application are limitless! I created one last year as a teacher introduction video and my students loved it! I think it would be a great tool to introduce a new unit, topic, challenge, or project. Students could use it to reflect on new learning or create a "teaching" video. It could also be a great way to stay connected with the community. Student, teacher, or school-created videos could easily be accessed by parents and members of the community which would allow them to feel connected with all that is…
I just love this idea!! I will admit that I spend way too much time on this app. I think most kids spend way too much time on this app! Maybe we can "flood their feed" with educational stuff and they won't even know it. In you post you talk about meeting the kids where they are at. I believe this is where teachers can be most effective. If we utilize the tools that the kids are already using, maybe the students would be more inclined to jump in to learning.
Teachers could have their students "stitch" their videos or even create videos of their own. The options are endless with this! Thank you for sharing!
-Crystal Smoak
DeAnne, I really enjoyed your blogpost about TikTok. I have to admit I was not one of the adults who jumped on the TikTok bandwagon during the quarantine. I know very little about the program, other than the fact that my sister is obsessed with it, and constantly sends me videos that I refuse to watch out of principle (haha! apparently, we are still 10 and 12). After reading this blog post, I am significantly more likely to give TikTok a try, since there are applications of it that can transfer over to my classroom. Sometimes, when apps come out, I am not always able to see how they can benefit me in the classroom, and I am likely to…