Managing Mutineers: Using Social Media to Build and Keep Classroom Trust

What can happen in a classroom when an instructor loses control of their class? Well for one, students who challenge the rules of an instructor and do not receive appropriate consequences often precipitate and encourage future violations of those very same rules. The end result--instructors become Anthony Hopkins (Cpt. Bligh)  in this clip from the 1984 film "The Bounty":

In 1789, the H.M.S. Bounty was taken control of by mutineers. All it took was one crazed person (Lt. Fletcher, played by Mel Gibson) to rebel against the rules on the ship and everyone else followed. Part of being a good captain back then was balancing mandatory discipline with certain freedoms for your crew. Too much rigidness could lead to the above scene (as was the case in 1789).

Likewise, instructors of today need to create a structured and regulated learning environment that still allows for their students to enjoy creative freedoms. Social media can be a powerful tool to accomplish this. As long as the instructor sets clear guidelines and enforces consequences for the breaking of rules, history classes can utilize social media to assist in the creative learning process.

One such invaluable social media tool for history classes is Dipity. It allows for students to create historical timelines that are interactive--complete with music, videos, and photographs. Students could build a complex timeline throughout the course or complete a concise one for a smaller project. Either way, it forces them to do exploratory learning--where they hunt for material to prove their historical argument and learn along the way. For more information about how Dipity can be used in a classroom, checkout this review: http://teachinghistory.org/digital-classroom/tech-for-teachers/24620

Remember that in allowing students to use social media for assignments, you are giving them a certain amount of creative license. But that creativity must have rules affixed to it to prevent headaches and future problems. If a student were to, for example, post several profanity-laced historical videos on their Dipity timeline, and the instructor simply glossed over that in their grading without punishment, it would only encourage future rule-breaking by their peers. Deciding to punish similar mistakes later on would lead to a feeling of inequality in the class and distrust for the instructor. Pretty soon, you will have a Mel Gibson running around your classroom screaming, "I am in hell!" rallying others to rebel.

Do not let that happen. Lay down ground rules for social media sites like Dipity, Instagram or Google+ (all useful in history classrooms) early on and enforce those rules constantly. That way a mutiny among your students over rules and guidelines will never be allowed to surface.