Classroom Technology Video

In Defense of TikTok: A Teacher on the App’s Power to Build Connections

By Kaylee Domzalski — March 19, 2024 2:25
Devotees of TikTok gather at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Lawmakers contend the app's owner, ByteDance, is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the U.S.

For teachers, TikTok has been a place of community where they can share ideas with each other, and lessons with a world outside their classrooms.

Emily Glankler, a high school history teacher in Austin, created her account, Anti-Social Studies, in 2020, two years after starting a podcast and Instagram account under the same name. As of this month, she has more than 500K followers and uses the platform to discuss how she approaches different lessons in her classroom, while also providing engaging and in-depth history lessons for the general public.

Here, she discusses her concerns around the legislation recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would force a sale of the popular app, or result in its removal from app stores entirely. The legislation now awaits action in the U.S. Senate.

Kaylee Domzalski is a video producer for Education Week.

Video

Artificial Intelligence Video How AI Complicates Student Well-Being. What Schools Should Know
Many kids cannot tell the difference between an AI-driven chatbot and genuine human understanding.
Mathematics Video The Algebra Hurdle: One School's Strategy to Help Students Clear It
An EdWeek video describes an Indiana school's use of tutoring and courses with different levels of rigor to help students.
1 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video Female Athletes' Physical and Mental Struggle to Recover From Torn ACLs
For many female athletes who tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, the arduous hours spent recovering through physical therapy are only part of the battle.
1 min read
Artificial Intelligence Video AI + Math Learning. How to Solve a New Problem
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics makes the argument that teachers, principals, and district leaders must “stay up to date on current AI trends” to prepare students for the future.
1 min read