Let's start with Twitter. I know you used to be able to set up a classroom account that students could use but I don't know if that has changed since it was sold. If you do decide to go this way, you can set up the account so it is private and only students in the group can see what is shared. Twitter is good for promoting writing in Math to practice using mathematical vocabulary, as an exit slip, assessing student understanding of the concept, and collaboration.
Specifically, students can tweet a short summary of what they learned in class about a specific topic or concept. Since tweets are limited to 140 characters, students can't just copy everything down, they need to learn to be concise and this helps them really think about the topic. This activity provides closure to the lesson and helps the teacher determine what needs to be retaught. It can also be used to have students define a vocabulary word, add a photo in, show what it is and what it's not. For this use, give each student a different word so they are not all defining the same word.
Twitter can used for each unit so students submit the rules, the formulas, examples, etc so that students can use this material to study and review. In regard to assessment, students can share what they understand, what they still have questions about, and share any resources they found on their own. If you have an actual twitter account, you can share assignments, deadlines, and students can use it to work together on projects and group assignments.
If you do not have access to Twitter or Twitter changes the rules, you can use a template for google slides or power point. If you do, make sure you keep the group private if you can so students are not exposed to those who love to scam others.
Another platform one can use in math class is instagram. Instagram also provides the opportunity to set up a classroom account. The first thing is that the teacher needs to set up a private account with the name of your class. If you want to use pictures of students, get permission so they can appear on the page. Instagram is a great place to post information on how to solve certain problems, drop hints, post vocabulary definitions, etc. You can do much of what you do on twitter but with photos which is great because a student can post their work to the point they get stuck and ask for the next step, or the teacher can post a "what is wrong with this?" math. If you don't want to get an actual account, check out this template using google slides.
One platform students love using is Tik Tok. I don't know of any student who doesn't have an account and tries to post some sort of dance. Tik Tok is great for having students create their own raps about mathematical topics, share how they solved a problem, even turn vocabulary into a production rather than just being cut and dried. It is possible to set up a classroom sized group in Tik Tok but you can also use this template to create a Tik Tok type entry using google slides.
These are the three main ones to post on but this isn't the only way to use social media. There are activities available such as this one for middle school students where they learn to calculate the percent of engagement on a social media platform. The site provides everything needed for students to decide which of the three influencers they want to work with. Another site which has activities to create and interpret a scatter plot for YouTube videos and a different one to calculate instagram success. Thanks to Matt Miller for the templates for social media if you don't want to use an actual account. He has some great freebies and lots of cool info. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.
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