OTL502-Learning Theories and                      Models of Instruction

Oftentimes in education, we view electronic communication as a tool for problems associated with our students. Just like any tool, the operator needs to learn the appropriate use and safety to properly use and create strong pieces of evidence of quality work. In our field that could be used to create literacy, advocacy, and demonstration for content mastery with a media that is relevant and widely used by our students. As educators, we can create an inclusive classroom community incorporating all stakeholders to the wonderful student work and learning taking place within our classrooms. However, just like an improperly used tool disastrous errors can be made if used in an inappropriate manner.

 

In taking on my new role last year, I quickly noticed that in no way was the use of social media addressed. Reading several articles over the last few years, instances have risen where standout athletes have lost scholarships at the collegiate level and have been removed from teams from negative social media accounts. These situations could be anything from deviating from the team concept with negative posts about teammates to a poor personal image with firearms, drugs or alcohol paraphernalia in a picture. These cases have also now filtered into academia where students have lost acceptance to a university or had to forfeit academic scholarships. In 2020, a National FFA Officer was removed from his coveted office for poor choices in content posts, involving political and racial views he had as a sixth grader in 2011 that was discovered and brought to light during 2020. As, poor choices of social media content can and will influence your personal life for many years to come, it can also fester the team experience. Negative posts about your school, teammates and coaches or boisterous negative comments about rival teams can have a very negative outlook on your team, school and community.

           

Properly used social media accounts can be used for team communication, individual college recruiting and highlighting individuals and teams alike for sponsors, fans and the community. Team communication is highly important for coaches and what better way to inform parents and athletes of team activities than through blast social media accounts such as Twitter and Instagram. Over the last year of the pandemic individual athletes and coaches have been reaching out to college recruiters with athlete’s quantitative and qualitative attributes, game statistics and high school honors to begin the recruiting process. This is a very effective way to communicate to a massive base of college coaches and quickly catch their eyes, especially in a pandemic year. Parents love to see their children highlighted in the media, regardless of print publications or via the web. Additionally, boosters and other community supporters like to hear shoutouts for free advertising as well as promoting the teams they support. It has reached all levels of athletics professional, collegiate, high school and youth programs are using social media avenues for various reasons and we all must get on board.

           

This was an area I felt strongly needed addressing for coaches, student-athletes and parents alike at our first athletic student-parent meeting this fall. A portion of the athletic handbook was also added as-well to bring the use of negative social media to the forefront and made part of the agreement student-athletes and parents make playing school-based athletics. We also addressed in the coaches handbook several areas on social media and parent communications and included an agreement page for coaches to sign.