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Social Media within Elementary Classrooms
When you think of “social media”it is usually something people connect with older students.
But, is this the limit it holds?
No! It can actually be really useful in an elementary classroom and research backs that up.
But, what is the key? Students (and teachers) knowing how to using it the right way.
Social media within the classroom setting gives students a chance to share ideas, respond to each other, and practice writing in a way that feels more real.
What would something like this look like? In an elementary classroom, this could look like using a tool such as Padlet where students can respond to each other. For example, after listening to a shared reading experience, students could post about their favorite character and explain why they chose their answer. Then, their classmates can reply with their own ideas or ask questions. This begins the start of a conversational thread. Even though this might be a simple task-this is a form of social media interaction because students are writing for an audience and building on each other’s thinking. As our text, Digital Writing: A Guide to Writing for Social Media and the Web explains, digital writing is shaped by audience and interaction, so students have to think about how their words will be understood by others (Lawrence, 2022).
Check out this tutorial on Padlet and how you can use it with your students
To better understand this kind of interaction, I looked at the MINDFUL framework from Argument in the Real World. This framework breaks down how people read and write on social media. In an elementary classroom, this can be seen in simple ways. Students start to monitor their purpose by thinking about why they are posting. They identify the question like stating their favorite character. Then they note evidence by explaining their reasoning/answer. They also begin to think about facts and understanding to incorporate within their response. Then, when they reply to each other, they move to leverage and contribute to a meaningful and interactive conversation (Turner & Hicks, 2017).
There are clear benefits to using social media-style tools in elementary classrooms. The University of San Diego Professional & Continuing Education (n.d.) explains that these tools can increase engagement and help students collaborate with one another. Various research also supports this idea that social media can improve student engagement and help build digital literacy skills when it is used with a clear purpose (Greenhow & Lewin, 2023).
While this is good-there are challenges that teachers need to think about. Students can get distracted while using the internet and younger learners need clear expectations for how to use these tools. The University of San Diego Professional & Continuing Education (n.d.) also points out concerns about privacy and appropriate use, which are especially important in elementary settings. Another challenge is helping students understand what information is true or reliable. Reach suggests that students often struggle to evaluate information online without guidance-which is why teachers should provide structure and support within this incorporation of social media within instruction (Tang et al., 2024).
Still not sold on if social media within the classroom is good? Check out this blog on pros and cons of Social Media in the K-12 Classroom
While there is is pro's and con's, research supports that social media (when used correctly) is essential within our classroom instruction. The essential component of social media within the elementary classrooms is using it with intention. When ensuring this, teachers are providing an opportunity for students to practice writing, share ideas, and learn from each other in a way that feels engaging.
Check out this infographic on more ways on how you can use social media with your instructional practices
References
Burns, M. (2024, January 10). 12 ways to use social media in education. Class Tech Tips. https://classtechtips.com/2024/01/10/social-media-in-education/
Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2023). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing learning in the digital age. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2167899
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the Web. Broadview Press.
Padlet tutorial for teachers + 8 ways to use with students. (2023, April 10). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9IQVofS43I
Sailors, S. (2016, October 10). Pros and cons of social media in the K-12 classroom. WordPress. https://sarahsailorsedit.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-k-12-classroom/
Tang, Y., Hew, K. F., & Chen, G. (2024). Effects of social media use on student learning and engagement: A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 194, 104689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104689
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.
University of San Diego Professional & Continuing Education. (n.d.). Social media in education. https://pce.sandiego.edu/social-media-in-education
I really enjoyed reading your blog because you took something we usually think of as “for older kids” and made it feel very doable in an elementary classroom. Your Padlet example especially helped me picture what this could actually look like with students. It didn’t feel theoretical. It felt real.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out to me was how you talked about students writing for an audience. That’s such a big shift from typical classroom writing. Like and Lawrence (2022) explain, digital writing isn’t just about answering a question. Students are thinking about how their classmates will read and respond. I see this in my own classroom too. The second they know someone else will see their thinking, they try a little harder and explain a little more.
I also liked how you brought in the MINDFUL framework. You made it really easy to understand how those steps can show up in simple ways, even with younger students. When they explain why they chose a character or respond to a classmate, they really are starting to build those argument skills, even if they don’t realize it yet (Turner & Hicks, 2017).
Something I’ve noticed, though, is that students need a lot of support when it comes to replying to each other. Without it, you get a lot of “I agree” and not much else. I’ve had to use sentence stems or model what a good response looks like. Research supports that too. Greenhow and Lewin (2023) found that student engagement increases when teachers provide structure for online interactions instead of just leaving it open-ended.
I also thought you did a great job including the challenges. The part about helping students figure out what’s true or reliable really stood out to me. That’s something we don’t always think about with elementary students, but it matters. Research shows that students need explicit instruction to evaluate online information and develop digital literacy skills, especially in K–12 settings (Wineburg & McGrew, 2017).
Overall, I think your blog does a great job showing that social media tools can be really meaningful in the classroom when they’re used with purpose. It definitely made me think about how I could be a little more intentional with tools like Padlet in my own room.
References
Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2023). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1–7.https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1086773
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web.
Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts.https://www.heinemann.com/products/argument-in-the-real-world-e08675.aspx
Wineburg, S., & McGrew, S. (2017). Lateral reading and the nature of expertise: Reading less and learning more when evaluating digital information. Stanford History Education Group .https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356330143_Lateral_Reading_and_the_Nature_of_Expertise_Reading_Less_and_Learning_More_When_Evaluating_Digital_Information
Hunter, I like the direction you took with bringing social media into an elementary setting. You made it clear that it is not just about students using platforms, but about teaching them how to use them the right way. That piece matters, especially with younger students who are still learning how to communicate and interact responsibly online.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your post, I kept thinking about how this connects to digital writing. Lawrence (2022) explains that writing for digital spaces requires us to think about audience, purpose, and clarity in a different way. What you described goes beyond just letting students post or interact. You are really talking about helping them understand how their words, images, and actions come across to others. That is a skill they will need not just in school, but in everyday life.
I also liked how you used the QR code in your blog. That added another layer of media and gave readers a direct way to interact with your content. It shows that digital writing is not just about what we say, but how we connect people to information. That small addition makes your post more engaging and models the kind of interactive learning we want students to experience.
I also think your focus on guidance and structure is important. Social media can be powerful in the classroom, but only when it is used with intention. Without that, it can easily become distracting or even harmful. Adi Saputra (2025) supports this idea by showing that student engagement on social media improves when teachers provide clear expectations and model appropriate use.
Another layer I would add is digital citizenship. When we introduce social media at the elementary level, we are shaping how students learn to communicate, respond to others, and represent themselves. That is not something that can be left to chance. It has to be taught, modeled, and reinforced.
Overall, your message highlights that social media can be a strong tool for learning, but only when it is used with purpose. It is not about the platform itself. It is about how we guide students to use it in a way that supports learning, communication, and responsibility.
References
Adi Saputra, S. (2025). Teacher and student engagement on social media: Its impact on learning and students’ social life: A literature review. Journal of Foundational Learning and Child Development, 1(01), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.53905/childdev.v1i01.6
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital Writing: A Guide to writing for Social Media and the web. Broadview Press.