If media consumption and creation were set on two ends of a spectrum, I would definitely place myself closer to the "consumer" end. If I didn't have a screen time limit with a password only my husband knew, I would spend A LOT more than 15 minutes a day just scrolling through social media feeds. Yet, I still do my fair share of media creation, posting around once every month or so on Instagram and Facebook, and trying to comment on my friends' and family members' posts regularly. I also have a "finsta" account, where I post silly stories and pictures that I am comfortable sharing with only a few friends and family members. I look at a couple of different blogs almost daily, both of which share candid and inspiring outlooks on motherhood, womanhood, daily life and the gospel. I use Pinterest to keep track of recipes I want to try, crafts I want to make and funny memes that make me laugh. I use YouTube to watch "Come, Follow Me" gospel study videos. As far as useful media goes, Google Calendar is my saving grace, and it's where I organize my life, make plans, schedule EVERYTHING and keep a list of all the tasks I need to get done. I am obsessed with it. I also love using Sanvello to track my mood, emotions, and health habits and to do meditations. I use the Gospel Library app to listen to or read conference talks or other church articles in conjunction with my scriptures study. I use Apple Music to listen to my favorite songs when I am in the car. I use my phone camera to take pictures and videos of things that make me happy, and I have (slowly but surely) been compiling a highlight video for each of the seasons of my life over the last year with all the little snippets of video footage I have taken.
As far as personal guidelines go, I strive to take in media that helps me to either feel the spirit, learn something new, connect with those I love, be productive, be inspired or feel happy. There have been so many times where I find myself scrolling through various social media feeds and just comparing myself to people I don't know, which is just a crummy feeling. I have found that I really need to set limits for myself about how much time I can spend on social media and who I can follow so taht I can feel better mentally and emotionally.
I think so many of these digital and social media platforms could be used in the classroom to enhance learning. As a teacher, I really want to capitalize on my students' growing media literacy and use it to their academic advantage, providing meaningful learning opportunities in my class. I think this could be done by creating social media accounts that reflect books we are reading in class or that are used to upload assignments. My favorite high school English teacher created a Spotify playlist with a compilation of the top 5 favorite songs from each student in the classroom. I think it will just get harder and harder to restrict media and technology in schools, so I want to embrace the many digital resources that are literally at our students' fingertips!
As far as personal guidelines go, I strive to take in media that helps me to either feel the spirit, learn something new, connect with those I love, be productive, be inspired or feel happy. There have been so many times where I find myself scrolling through various social media feeds and just comparing myself to people I don't know, which is just a crummy feeling. I have found that I really need to set limits for myself about how much time I can spend on social media and who I can follow so taht I can feel better mentally and emotionally.
I think so many of these digital and social media platforms could be used in the classroom to enhance learning. As a teacher, I really want to capitalize on my students' growing media literacy and use it to their academic advantage, providing meaningful learning opportunities in my class. I think this could be done by creating social media accounts that reflect books we are reading in class or that are used to upload assignments. My favorite high school English teacher created a Spotify playlist with a compilation of the top 5 favorite songs from each student in the classroom. I think it will just get harder and harder to restrict media and technology in schools, so I want to embrace the many digital resources that are literally at our students' fingertips!
Abby! I loved how you approached this! You provided a very holistic view of your media use which made me consider my own media use. I hadn't thought about apps on my phone or my camera. I loved that you brought up the comparison of social media. I think that is a real problem in our society. It will be interesting to see how we can help our students understand this idea of using media as a way of recording stories without comparing in a negative way. I think it was an important distinction to elaborate on whether we are consumers or creators. A lot of the media that I use (aka mostly Pinterest) I use to try and inspire my own projects such as quilting, stitching, recipes, or home decor. I had never really thought of that as a means of creation (or part of the creative process). I loved your comments and thought they really articulated well an accurate picture of your media habits and thoughts!
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes! So stoked about all of this! I most definitely just downloaded the Sanvello app because it sounds like something I NEED in my life! I love your perspective on digital media, especially in the classroom. I agree with the fact that it will get harder to restrict media in schools and it seems almost counterproductive to restrict it, so thinking about ways to embrace it is a lot more exciting. I also LOVE the class Spotify playlist idea. So fun. I wonder how you could incorporate media like blogs, Pinterest, and maybe even wellness apps into your classroom. That's something I'm thinking about after reading your post. Thank you for sharing! <3
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