Instagram is a free online tool and app that allows users to capture and share photos and videos with your friends and family. Since Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels for teens today and there are more than 400 million active users on Instagram, some of your students are likely among these users. We know that students use social platforms, like Instagram, even during classes. Rather than worry about whether students are being distracted by Instagram in class, you can tap into this powerful resource and meet students where they are. Instagram is not just for personal use, it can also be used as an educational tool in your classroom. For instance, you can ask your students to capture photos or videos of their class work, homework, assignments, school activities, post those in their own account, or a class account, and have discussions about the posts.
Learning Activities
Literature: Your students can take a photo of the cover of a book they have read and share it with book lovers on Instagram and make comments on the book. In this way you as a teacher help them build a community
Science: Students can capture photos or videos about phases of germination (or another scientific process) and engage in a critical examination of the differences in the photos/phases.
Language: Students can create visual flash cards, using photos from Instagram, to improve their vocabulary.
Arts: Students can create a digital photo gallery of their art projects to share with parents, teachers, and a broader community. Students can also use and critically examine the filters on Instagram to improve their photography skills and knowledge.
History: Students can take and explore photos of historic buildings in the city they live in to more closely examine history.
Music: Students who know how to play an instrument can teach others how to play it step by step through short videos.
Other: Instead of having a physical file of portfolio, you can encourage your students to create a digital portfolio, or e-portfolio, on Instagram.
We can use any platform as a teaching tools if you fully explore that particular platform before you use it. As Malay proverbs said, you would not love something if you don’t know what it is about. So explore, and use it for benefits.
That’s all, peace ✌🏻