social me: social media literacy for middle school classrooms

Abstract

Middle school is a time of drastic physical, cognitive, and social change for students. Many kids post their first messages on social media at this age, and their developmental changes are magnified and affected by their experiences online. ‘social me’ uses a media literacy framework to help kids become critical producers and consumers of photos on social media. Designed for use in schools, it combines lesson plans for teachers and a tablet app for students. Through challenges, discussions, and reflections, ‘social me’ brings kids’ everyday photo-sharing experiences into the classroom.