EC&I 831 Week 4 – TikTok

*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina.

Week 4 Blog Prompt

Choose a social media tool that you would like to know more about. Create an account (if you haven’t already), spend some time learning about it (from resources or via conversations) and experimenting. Report some of your observations related to the tool (e.g., features, function, positives/negatives) and its impact on users (especially kids). Contemplate whether or not there are educational opportunities for the tool and/or what teachers or parents should know.

When I saw this post I knew immediately that I wanted to look more critically at TikTok. Over the past 2 year this has quickly become my most used platform for entertainment and while I use it to create content for educators I have no experience using it directly with students. Dr. Couros has also helped set the foundation for this analysis through shared TikTok resources and conversations in the course… so lets dive in!

For those that prefer to watch rather than read, check out my summary in the TikTok video below:

 
 @thompsonclassroom 
 ♬ original sound - Thompson Classroom 
 
 

What is TikTok?

This first video, from CommonSense Media provides a short introduction to what TikTok is.

The following resources are linked directly from the TikTok webpage and provide an overview of some of the main components of the platform:

• Terms of Service
• Community Guidelines
• Privacy Policy

The following resources were shared via the course:

• What it TikTok (Vox article)
• How TikTok Holds Our Attention (NewYorker article)

What You Should Know

One tool I use as a starting point when exploring new online platforms is Terms Of Service; Didn’t Read (ToS;DR) which helps increase transparency surrounding terms of service and privacy policies. Their transparent and peer-reviewed evaluation of TikTok has placed the platform at a Grade E which indicates, “the terms of service raises very serious concerns“.

For a full break down of how they arrived at this classification, click on the logo below:

Another tool I reference when exploring online platforms is the reviews available via Common Sense Media. Their reviews cover a variety of topics (as seen in the image below) and also include written reviews by both students and caregivers.

For a full look at their review, click on the image below:

Finally, one of the most accessible tools I have found to familiarize myself with the features and settings of social media tools has been the social media privacy guides compiled by Internet Matters. They provide step-by-step instructions (updated regularly to showcase new features) that include screenshots and they can be accessed online or downloaded as a PDF and printed. I encourage our schools to have these guides available in printed version or via a QR code in spaces such as our libraries and resource/guidance offices so they are easily accessible by students, teachers, and caregivers.

The guide for TikTok is available HERE.

How I Use TikTok

My use of TikTok is much more sporadic than my professional presence on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook which I post to daily during my working days as a means of sharing various #edtech content. While any videos I create always fit my theme of #edtech I find that they can be broadly categorized into the following:

• Video Production
  • I find video creation and editing via the TikTok app to be extremely easy. From cropping video clips and sound effects to transitions and greenscreens, the editing options are abundant.
  • I will often use TikTok to create simple informational videos and tutorials about a variety of #edtech topics. In this style of video I am speaking directly to the camera or via voice-over that is added later.
  • These videos are then shared out via my “regular” social media channels to reach educators in my network.
  • These videos are more accessible in the sense that they can be referenced at any time and the content can be understood across a variety of platforms.
  • Some examples of these videos are included below:

• TikTok “Trends“
  • These videos utilize sounds, “dances”/actions, or filters that are currently trending on TikTok.
  • In these videos I don’t often speak but may share information via text overlay.
  • These videos are often designed to be more humourous and I do not always share them through other social media channels.
  • These videos are not as accessible as TikTok trends change quickly and are algorithm-based. As such, some specific trends are only understood by a specific niche.
  • Some examples of these videos are included below:

Classroom Potential

For educators, the first factors to take into account when determining if TikTok can or should be used with your students should include reflection on the following:

• Applicable social media policies
  • There may be social media policies in place at the school, divisional, or provincial levels that may determine if you can utilize specific social media platforms with students and what this usage may look like.
  • For reference, the MVSD Social Media Guidelines for Staff policy can be viewed HERE
• Applicable data privacy policies
  • There may be privacy policies in place at the school, divisional, or provincial levels that determine which online platforms you can utilize with students based on what type of data they collect and how/where it is stored.
  • This can determine how you may use this platform with students if it is in compliance with any existing social media policies
  • To read more about student data in the Manitoba context read HERE
• Age of the students
  • If you are able to use TikTok with your students based on the two factors listed above you want to then take into account that TikTok’s TOS states users should be 13 years of age or older.
  • In MVSD we ask teachers to not pursue these tools unless they teach Grade 9 or higher as it is logistically complex to navigate the monitoring of birthdays in Grade 8 to determine when ALL students may be eligible for participation

Once the mentioned factors have been accounted for then there are many different ways to incorporate TikTok into the classroom based on your curricular goals.

• Curricular content
  • There are numerous accounts on TikTok that create content that could be utilized in the classroom. Some of my suggestions include:
    • National Geographic
    • CBC
    • MediaSmarts
    • Kyne the math queen
  • These videos could be shared and discussed in class, be suggested accounts to follow, be posted via an LMS, etc
• Filming and production platform for educators
  • TikTok can be utilized by the teacher as a platform to film, edit, and publish videos to share curricular content with students.
  • These videos could be shared with students directly during class time, by posting via their established LMS, or approved social media platforms/classroom website(s).
  • The teacher account could be private and the videos shared out outside of TikTok or it could be public and viewable by learners globally
• Filming and production platform for students
  • If appropriate, TikTok can be utilized by students as a platform to film, edit, and publish videos to showcase their learning journey.
  • These videos could be shared to their teacher via TikTok or by posting via their established LMS.
  • My recommendation would be that students create a unique account specifically dedicated to their classwork for this purpose.
    • This can be a great opportunity to review the concepts of digital footprint, personal branding, etc
• Professional learning network
  • TikTok videos can be commented on or built upon via a “duet” or “stitch” which can be an easy way to seek clarification and engage experts in a given field
• Additional Resources
  • How can TikTok be used in the classroom?
  • 5 things you need to know about TikTok
  • From headache to helpful – teachers on using TikTok in the classroom

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Do you use TikTok personally or professionally? Leave your questions below!