Curricular Enhancement

     If the primary focus of this blog is to analyze social media in an academic context
and the top priority is assessing the interests of students, it is also important to know the
interests of other actors involved. This is the only way to understand the social dynamics
of groups involved in campus life. The broad perspective used in the previous post to
analyze students becomes narrow and focused when considering the interests of an
individual so, to maintain a standard of transparency, this post will focus on my own
personal interests at stake in the SMLP.
     It is important to realize that when I refer to "my interests" it means any material
benefits that pertain exclusively to me. While the growth and understanding of social
media by students and faculty is something I'd very much like to realize, it is a mutual
gain and does not entirely demonstrate why I've invested so much, myself. To describe benefits serving only my interests it would be appropriate to label them as professional in nature. Thus,
upon completion of the internship, I would like there to be a place for me to continue this
kind of work with the support of a living wage.
     Achieving this cannot be done with only the meta analysis found here or by
forming relationships with students in a classroom setting. I must also make a tangible
contribution to the academic environment. Thinking about what form that may take, I
realize the most significant writings with an influence on the student-teacher relationship
are course curricula. The most effective way for me to serve my own interest would be to
draft a curriculum that utilizes social media and aligns itself with contemporary standards of
public education.
     Developing a high school curriculum involves many steps but the first is drafting
a proposal. An effective proposal must be highly specialized in order to fulfill New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) requirements as related to an
individual school's mission statement. My first draft in compliance with NEASC Curriculum Overview: Indicator 3 with respect to the Medford High School mission statement attempts to outline what a grade 9-12 Ethics course may look like as part of a Social Studies department. In summary, the teacher would use a historical perspective to design lesson plans that teach students the development of globalization and how human innovation played a role. A copy of this proposal, available upon request, is currently under review by the MHS administration.
     This proposal recognizes the potential of using social media as a tool to enhance
the classroom environment. Many have asked how social media may be added to existing
curricula and while MHS teachers are well on their way to incorporating it in their lesson
plans, to reach the greatest potential gain it must be apart of a course's foundation in the
curriculum.

Note: Another idea to be explored in a future post is how social media may serve as the
focus of high school student analysis, rather than as a supplement enhancing other course
objectives. Again, please use comment space below to inquire more about the proposal
described above or to offer curriculum development advice. Thank you.