Instagram feedback

by Kristen Figgins

Why use Instagram?
Your students are probably on it already. An informal poll of my two classes showed that 34/38 of my students are on Instagram, even those who don’t have regular access to laptop computers.

It also has some great tools to get and give instant feedback, especially in the Instagram stories section. You can take polls, make announcements, ask questions, and give feedback. I find it particularly useful to ask students about their topic ideas for assignments and give feedback in my stories. Other students get the benefit of seeing what their peers are thinking about, which sometimes sparks ideas for them, too.

Finally, this is a great way of bringing technology in the classroom. Not only are you experimenting with a new way to reach your students, but your students are learning how to use familiar technology for educational purposes.
Constraints
I lay a few ground rules:

• No one will ever be penalized for not following the Instagram account. That means you should avoid posting content exclusively to that site. I give alternatives to students who prefer not to use Instagram (email, Blackboard, face-to-face time) and that Insta is just one of many tools at our disposal.
• I never follow students back.
• Students can DM me on Instagram if they have a quick question, but they are told to direct longer queries to me in class or via email. This is to protect me as much as them: if there is a dispute later, I want it to be known that I went through professional channels to resolve any problems.

Example
I can’t copy-paste images here, but there are so many great professors and instructors using this platform for these purposes. Elementary school teachers are especially great at this, although their audience is often parents rather than their students.

Mine is just getting started, but you’re welcome to follow me as I continue to work on this platform @i_do_profess.

I also like Dr. Amber Batura’s account @dr_b_wrecks_history. Full disclosure: I stole this from her!