Embedded Files
"Form a digital identity your peers want to engage with, your teachers can learn from, your parents will be proud of, and that is true to yourself."
- BRIAN ARLETH
What is social wellbeing?
Humans are social creatures. While some of us may be shy and others outgoing, we look to build healthy connections with parents, teachers, peers, and our community. A socially active and responsible lifestyle can bring self-confidence, successful and safe learning experiences, and even positive changes to our society. This is true for social interactions online as well as in person.
Social Wellbeing Challenges
Social Wellbeing Challenges
๐Level 1: Create an online campaign to help a cause. Engage your peers and enlist their help through social media.
๐Level 2: Build your personalized learning network. Share with your teachers. Compare and connect!
๐Level 3: Invite your parents to your online world. Ask about theirs.
๐Level 4: Differentiate between socially responsible and unsafe interactions with strangers online.
Level 1: Engage your peers
Level 1: Engage your peers
"One of the hallmarks of social wellness is being inclusive, not exclusive, with our friendship."
- LAURIE BUCHANANWe hear all about the potential dangers of social media. Let's be aware of them while we focus on the benefits. Build social networks with peers that are collaborative, socially responsible, friendly, and helpful.
Share laughs, interests, and successes with friends and classmates.
Form study and interest groups online.
Reach out to friends in need.
Always consider your intention when you connect with a peer online
Digital footprints | Michelle Sadrena Pledger | TEDxHollywood
Watch: a teacher's poetic reminder about potential dangers of social media.
Reflect: What do my social media posts say about me? How can I engage my peers online and present my best self?
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 1
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 1
๐ Investigate a cause you care about -- learn the facts.
โฎ Make a Twitter hash-tag or Instagram story with a message of hope or change
๐คณ Spread the word about the cause through social media posts. Tag your peers and get them involved. The more the better!
๐ Extend -- Connect course learning throughout the semester to your hash-tag or story. Do some direct service work to make an impact. Inspire others by sharing photos and reflections.
Pro Tip -- social wellness online with peers -- to digital citizenship:
Remember that a 'joke' with peers can be mistaken as an insult. This is especially true for online communication where you might not see or hear the tone of the person behind the words.
Level 2: Build a personalized Learning network (PLN) with your Teachers
Level 2: Build a personalized Learning network (PLN) with your Teachers
โIf you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, then you are using it wrong.โ
- GERMANY KENT
A wonderful aspect of online learning is that our world can become so much bigger. Experts are at our fingertips. You can both learn from and teach those in your community. When you communicate and collaborate, your PLN can serve you well.
Teachers are there for you. Introduce yourself, update them, ask questions, make connections.
Keep in mind that teachers are not your peers. Consider how we communicate with teachers or adult experts in your PLN. How might it be different than communication with friends and peers?
Use digital literacy skills to prioritize your PLN. Evaluate websites. Consider the reliability of the sources used. Build a network of people who communicate clearly and often and make learning accessible. Get suggestions from your teachers.
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 2
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 2
๐ฅ Start a professional learning network around a subject you will begin studying.
๐ง Share with your teacher. Compare your networks and connect further!
๐ Extend -- Contribute to your PLN. Make a blog, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter account to share what you learned.
Personalized Learning Network in Action:
Personalized Learning Network in Action:
Tyler is a 9th grader. He enrolled in an online earth science course. When not studying, he loves fishing and spending time on the river outside of town.
During his first week of class, Tyler became excited to learn that part of the course covers river ecology. To build a network and extend his knowledge, Tyler found a blog from a local fishing guide and followed the Instagram account of the local university river ecology club. He emailed the professor who sponsors the ecology club. The professor wrote back and invited Tyler to their next river excursion.
Of course, Tyler checked with his parents before emailing and joining!
After, Tyler emailed his teacher to share about the day on the river. He attached photos with captions. His teacher was grateful and impressed. She recommended he read Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg. Then she asked Tyler to lead a discussion on sustainable river fishing practices with his class on Zoom the next week.
Pro Tip -- social wellness online with teachers -- to digital citizenship:
The personalized networking you do now can pay off later when you apply for university or a job.
Level 3: invite your parents to your online world
Level 3: invite your parents to your online world
โYou're at a tricky age. Is it your parent's presence or your parent's absence that's more empowering?"
-NANCY FREUND๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 3
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 3
โฑ Schedule a meeting with your parents.
๐คท Ask them to write a list of the top things they wonder about your online world. Share what you wonder about their online world.
๐ค Meet again later to address the things they wonder about. Be open and not defensive.
๐Extend -- Make time to do things together both in person and online. Teach mom a dance and post on Tiktok?
Pro Tip -- social wellness online with parents -- to digital citizenship:
You can build trust with parents by offering them a window to your online world. With trust comes freedom!
Whether you are studying online, socializing online, or both, your parents worry about you. Chances are that most of their worries will not come true. Sharing with your parents (both through social media and without screens present) about your online life and will ease their minds. Chilled-out parents make your learning environment more peaceful!
Cc or bcc your parents on important emails with your teachers.
Tell parents your plan for exercise, healthy eating, and mental health breaks while studying online.
Make sure you are friends with your parents on all your social media accounts.
Teach your parents some digital hacks you learned that can make their own jobs easier.
Take time to do favorite offline and online activities with your parents.
Sometimes it is just plain hard to talk with your parents. If so, keep it light and share a postcard with them!
Level 4: Know who is behind the screen
Level 4: Know who is behind the screen
โYou pass people on the street, some are for you, some are not.โ
- ROBERT HENRIWhen you are online, you are likely to interact with people you know as well as strangers. You have the power and responsibility to respond (or not respond) in the safest way possible to a stranger online.
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 4
๐ Social Wellbeing Challenge: Level 4
โ Make a T chart. One side lists the people you communicate with online who you know. On the other side list (with brief descriptions) the strangers you communicate with online.
๐ For each person on your chart, record the type of information you share. You can use symbols and a key to save time.
๐ โโ๏ธ Reflect on what information is safe to share with different types of online friends.
๐บExtend -- Take time to recognize your feelings when talking to online friends. Excited? Nervous? Happy? Bored? Share your feelings with someone you trust.
Pro Tip -- social wellness online with strangers -- to digital citizenship:
Unfriending or blocking a stranger online who you feel has negative intentions will encourage them to move on. Chances are they will simply look for another victim. Reporting your worries about their unsafe behavior may prevent them from harming others. Check with your parents about the best course of action.
Watch the Teen Voices Video from Common Sense Media. In what ways have your online experience been similar to those described by the teens? Different?
When you meet new, online friends, you are really meeting strangers. This will require you to be careful and aware. It is much harder to know the intentions of strangers compared to the people close to you.
Page updated
Report abuse