LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read opposing viewpoints and take a side; evaluate the effectiveness of letter grades in motivating students; demonstrate awareness of one’s own motivation type.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 2: Evaluate how the school and community can affect personal health practices and behaviors.

 

CASEL COMPETENCY: Social awareness; responsible decision-making 

KEY VOCAB

perpetrators, cyberbullying, pervasive, algorithms, nuances

Lesson Plan: Should Schools Monitor Your Social Media?

Should schools monitor your social media activity to keep students safe, or does snooping in your Snaps go too far? Two Choices advisers weigh in. 

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

Is it in students’ best interest for schools to monitor student social media activity, or should they place a greater emphasis on teaching safe and responsible online behaviors instead? 

 CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS

  1. What is one problem Emmanuella believes can be avoided when schools monitor students’ social media activity? Accept either of the following: gun violence; cyberbullying
  2. What does Katelyn believe schools should do instead of monitoring students’ social media activity? She believes schools should teach students to behave safely and responsibly online.
  3. What does it mean to “subtweet” someone? Subtweeting means posting negative comments about a person without naming them. 

 CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

  1. What approach(es) has your school taken to motivate students to act responsibly online? (Some examples could include social media monitoring and cyber safety workshops or curriculum.) Possible answers: Cyber safety classes, modules, or workshops; surveilling students’ social media accounts; having students sign a responsible use pledge, etc.
  2. In general, do you feel your school’s approaches to promoting student safety online are effective? Why or why not? Answers will vary.
  3. In your opinion, is there any way your school could modify or improve its online safety measures to better suit the needs of students? Why or why not? Answers will vary.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

DIGGING DEEPER

NHES 2

CASEL Competency: Responsible decision-making

After reading the article, have students watch this newscast from PBS Newshour about SCHOOLS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STUDENT RIGHTS. Then, share answers as a class and hold a class discussion where student voices from each side of the debate are heard. Consider using a free tool such as Plickers or Kahoot to see who “wins” the debate! (Click here to find this Skill Builder.)

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

NHES 2

CASEL Competency: Responsible decision-making; self-awareness

Help students strengthen their real-life digital citizenship muscles by perusing reputable resources and gathering their own TOP TIPS FOR A+ DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP. Have students share their ideas online by creating an Instagram-style slideshow using Canva or any other tool they’re savvy with. (Click here to find this Skill Builder.)

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