TikTok videos for teaching and learning

Do you know the latest TikTok dance? What does this have to do with educational technology, anyway? Teachers are using social media to provide content to their students, and to connect with families and other educators. Several Loyola Educational Technology (Ed Tech) graduate students and faculty have developed TikTok videos for teaching and learning. In our ET620 Multimedia Design in the Classroom class, the students learn how to design, develop, and use multimedia (videos, infographics, memes, etc.) for teaching and learning. Applying multimedia design principles, accessibility, and copyright, students created various multimedia products, including TikTok videos, for learning.

TikToks in the Classroom

Irene Bal, Loyola Ed Tech faculty member, created a few TikTok videos for the course. “My first TikTok video is terrible! Every time I watch the video, I think I should remake it to create a more engaging clip, but then I remind myself that it is okay for people to see your first creations and that not everything is perfectly polished. So, I keep that first TikTok so my learners can see the growth in multimedia design and development.” Watch Irene’s first TikTok, Facilitating Student-created Multimedia Projects.

Ashley Shifflett and LaShanda Lawrence, both middle school ELA teachers, created TikTok videos for their classes. Ashley’s TikTok included instructions and ideas for a PSA project her students were working on - Watch Ashley’s PSA TikTok.

LaShanda’s TikTok focused on project components needed for the book Refugee - Watch LaShanda’s Refugee TikTok.

TikToks for Professional Learning

The Loyola Ed Tech students are also taking their TikTok skills beyond the classroom and using them for professional learning. Julia Goffredi created TikTok videos for the teachers at her school highlighting how to use Office365 for virtual learning. Watch Julia's Office365 for Teachers TikTok.

Ashley Shifflett also created a TikTok on why teachers should be in a Personal Learning Network (PLN). Watch Ashley's PLN for teachers TikTok.

Like any social media or Ed Tech platform, review the Terms of Use, privacy policies, and your school/district’s student-use policies prior to bringing tools like TikTok into the classroom. "I think keeping up with the latest technology and trends is important, especially if our PK-12 students are on them. But, as educators, we have to ask, how can we not only leverage these platforms to reach our students but also use them for learning?", said Bal. 

Want to see more? Follow the Loyola Ed Tech program on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok - @LoyolaET