Learn about Instagram

What is the tool?

Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone.

How was it used at RRU and what was the result?

Listen to this audio interview between Eric and Kate talking about how Kate used it in her RRU course. Or you can alternatively read the transcript for this interview.

Try it out

Now that you've heard about Kate's example using Instagram, it's your turn to try it out. On your smart phone:

• Navigate to wherever your purchase mobile applications (e.g. Google Play or Apple App Store) and download Instagram for free. (Here's a How to Use Instagram video if you would like detailed instructions. Don't worry about the parts about finding followers at this point.)
• Set up your account. Note that for this activity the privacy setting will need to be set to public. (If you already have a private personal Instagram account that you'd rather not make public, consider setting up a new work account, just like Kate asked her students to do.)
• Take photos that depict your RRU teaching or work in general and insert the hashtag #RRULOM (for the Living our Model series) in the caption to categorize them when you post.
• Navigate to https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/RRULOM/ to see a compilation of the images!

More resources

• How & Why to Use Social Media to Create Meaningful Learning Assignments, from the Online Learning Insights blog
• Instagram in Education Google doc
• Ten Ideas for Using Instagram in the Classroom from John Spencer's blog

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