"If they're talking, you want to hear what's going on."

Convincing school principals that social media is a crucial tool for teaching journalism is a daunting task for journalism teachers across the country. But Robin J. Phillips made a strong case for using social media to create strong student publications.
Phillips offered simple suggestions for working social media into the classroom. For example, she said Twitter can be a strong tool for coaching students in improving their writing skills. A line in her presentation read, "If a lead doesn't fit in a tweet, it's probably too long."
Phillips demonstrated how journalists find story ideas through social media. I cannot count the times I heard a student complain they didn't know what to write about. I'm excited to show students how to use Twitter and Facebook - two sites they are already familiar with - to find a story idea. A great assignment for students would be to use watch Twitter trends to develop a story idea and relate that story idea to their readers.
I think that asking students to follow news outlets on Twitter or Facebook is a positive idea. This way, they're getting news in a format they already use, and it may be easier than handing them a paper and asking them to read. It's just another sneaky way to bring their attention to national and world events.

Lynsie Brenner
Putnam City North High School
Oklahoma City, Okla.