Here are some examples of how we have used Instagram in our classrooms!
One of my favourite images to use when posting on Instagram is of my cat, Simba. I find that the students really enjoy this as it seems like a "personal photo" or a snap-shot of my life without me actually disclosing anything personal! As the year goes on, I wanted the students to focus on more independent work. By posting the guidelines for doing a write-up in class, the students were able to go back and look to ensure that they didn't forget anything before handing their lab-write up in! It's important to note that some students do not have access to social media, so this image was posted on D2L too. One of the aspects of instagram that I really enjoy is being able to created polls on the platform. This is a great way to get input from the students and see what they may or may not like in the classroom! |
Another way I like to communicate with students on Instagram is through memes. Students love memes, so why not use this trend to our advantage? There are memes for almost every subject, from high school to Edgar Allen Poe; They are great for enticing students as an "attention-grabber" when beginning a new unit, or reminding them of concepts discussed in class! The most common way I post on Instagram is through the use of Canva images. I use the Canva app to create a text post as the one seen above in order to communicate important dates, reminders, and messages to the class. They great thing about these Canva images is that they save right to your phone and so they are easily post-able on D2L or other school blogs for students who do not have Instagram. This way all students are exposed to the same fun novelties regardless of the platform. Exemplars are HUGE when introducing a new project to the students. As this project was due on a Monday and students had the entire weekend to do it, a reminder of what kind of work was expected was a great way for students to get all the information they needed. |