From Scrolling to Writing: How to Teach Students to Analyse and Write Social Media Posts
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter to TikTok, we are constantly scrolling, liking, and sharing content. However, as educators, we need to teach our students how to analyze social media posts critically and use the information to improve their writing skills. In this post, we will explore some tips on how to teach students to analyze social media posts and create a conventions, tone, and register handout that can help them with their writing. Furthermore, the following post may support those teachers who are teaching the social media/forum post text type for the IBDP English B programme.
Start with the basics
Before diving into the analysis of social media posts, make sure your students have a solid understanding of conventions, tone, and register. Conventions refer to the rules of writing, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Tone refers to the attitude of the writer towards the topic, while register refers to the formality of the language used.
Analyse social media posts
Once your students have a solid understanding of conventions, tone, and register, you can start analyzing social media posts. Encourage your students to look at the language used, the tone of the post, and the intended audience. For example, a post on Instagram may use more informal language and a playful tone, while a post on LinkedIn may use more formal language and a professional tone.
You can download an analysis document that I have made from here.
Social Media Collage Activity
If you're tired of the same old classroom routine, why not try a social media collage activity to spice up your learning experience? One of the most enjoyable activities for students is to explore a topic within one of the course themes/units and search for relevant hashtags on social media. With a plethora of information available at their fingertips, students are able to discover new perspectives and insights on the chosen topic.
Once they've found interesting posts and comments, students should create a collage that visually represents the information they've gathered. This creative approach not only helps students better understand and retain the knowledge, but also makes the learning experience more engaging and fun.
To take it up a notch, students can choose two social media platforms to compare and contrast their findings. This encourages critical thinking and analysis of how different groups of people interact with and consume information on social media.
Create a Handout
After analyzing social media posts, work with your students to create a conventions, tone, and register handout. This handout can serve as a reference guide for your students as they write their own social media posts or other written assignments. The handout should include examples of different conventions, tones, and registers, as well as tips on how to use them effectively.
Practice Makes Perfect
Encourage your students to practice using the conventions, tone, and register handout when writing their own social media posts or other written assignments. By doing so, they will develop their writing skills and become more proficient in using different conventions, tones, and registers.
In conclusion, social media can be a powerful tool for teaching students how to analyze language and improve their writing skills. By teaching students the basics of conventions, tone, and register, analyzing social media posts, creating a handout, and practicing their writing skills, educators can help their students become more proficient writers both in and outside of the classroom.
Exam-Style Questions
(HL)
Your school recently introduced a ban on using social media on campus. You feel strongly about this topic and want to discuss this with others who have similar ideas as you do.
Write a text where you describe the details of what happened, explain whether or not you agree or disagree and argue your opinion on the topic.
Social Media Posting | Speech | Set of instructions
How have you found teaching this particular text type? What has worked for you and your students? Let me know in the comments.