We both love to read. We read for enjoyment and relaxation. We read as part of our community book club. We read to learn. And we read for professional development.
Social LEADia by Jennifer Casa-Todd explores the important topic of social media in education and shares the stories of “amazing kids who are leveraging social media in positive and powerful ways”. I really enjoyed reading this book and have selected it as our first book pick for our new KG Education Teacher Book Club, an online book study group for educators!
Here’s why this book is worth picking up and why we’re dedicating 6 weeks to an online book study of it with a community of teachers!
Relevance: We are so reliant on technology in our lives and many of us use social media on a weekly or even daily basis. If technology and social media are such an integral part of our lives, we need to be thinking about it, reading about it and talking about it. We need to explore social media with students and learn to use it effectively and appropriately in the world of education.
“We need to embrace it as a potential learning tool and give our students the knowledge and skills
– Jennifer Casa-Todd, Social LEADia, p. 42
they’ll need to survive, thrive and excel in our connected world.
Ease of Reading: Professional reading isn’t always easy to read or enjoyable. As much as I learn from reading research articles, they can be pretty “heavy” reading. Jennifer’s book is one you can actually enjoy: it’s easy to understand, it’s thoughtfully organized into manageable chunks, it integrates research and examples while maintaining readability.
Practical Examples: I absolutely LOVE that Social LEADia highlights practical examples of teachers, students and schools using technology in positive ways. Inside the book, you’ll find student voices presented in short student vignettes and “meet the students” sections featuring students who use social media to have a positive impact. You’ll also read about examples of educational technology use from Jennifer’s own teaching experiences and other educators’ experiences. It’s loaded with great examples, so you’ll get more than just theory on how social media might be used, you’ll explore a whole host of ways it might fit in your classroom or school.
Authentic Voice: Reading the text feels a bit like talking to a teacher friend. Jennifer shares her ideas, experiences and examples as a Canadian educator in an authentic and meaningful way. She includes her parent perspective. She communicates both the successes and challenges of integrating technology and social media in education.
“I would rather my students (and children) be mindful, not fearful.”
-Jennifer Casa-Todd, Social LEADia, p.20
A Refreshing Perspective: So often, the narrative about social media and technology in schools is either “it’s great” or “it’s ruining the world and our children”. I’m not a fan of either narrative and I think that’s why Social LEADia resonated with me. The book presents the brilliant successes of using technology in meaningful ways, but also acknowledges that there are challenges involved. The book recognizes the direct teaching, modeling and mentoring required to support young people in using social media. Yes, there are drawbacks and concerns related to our society’s use of social media… but there are also useful, powerful and meaningful ways to embrace it in our lives and our education system. And Social LEADia helps us with just that.
If you’d like to read Social LEADia and discuss it with a group of educators, check out our Teacher Book Club
When you order a copy of Social LEADia using our button below, we receive a small percentage back through the Chapters-Indigo Affiliate Program.
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