Turn TikTok from social media to a learning tool

Did you know that short, digestible TikToks are making it easier than ever to learn to play music or learn a new language?

Photo: Olivier Bergeron/Unsplash

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StatePoint Media - While TikTok often gets a bad rap as a time-waster, in reality, there are thousands of influencers on the app sharing content designed to inspire, educate and encourage creativity.

It’s no wonder then that a recent survey by Study.com found that 1 in 4 Americans use TikTok to enrich their education, with over half doing so because it’s easier to understand. So, rather than tell your kids to stop scrolling, here are three ways to leverage TikTok to enhance your children’s learning outside the classroom:

1. Music-making: Did you know that short, digestible TikToks are making it easier than ever to learn to play the piano online? From @gray_toven, who offers quick tutorials of trending music to @thepianopath, who provides time-strapped prospective piano players tips for getting started, there is an array of content to suit the needs of students looking for instruction and motivation. Just be sure to pair these resources with a great keyboard. The CT-S1, the spiritual successor to the original Casiotone CT-201, allows anyone to make music, regardless of skill level or budget. A stylish, ultra- portable keyboard offering great sound quality, it’s an ideal musical partner for beginners and seasoned players alike. Plus, it connects to the free Casio Music Space app, which acts as digital musical score, music teacher, live performance simulator, and all-round tool to enjoy learning and playing music.

2. Language learning: The best way to get fluent in a new language is to hear it spoken aloud and to have actual conversations. Fortunately, there are plenty of TikTok accounts making it easy to pick up new vocabulary, absorb grammar, learn common phrases and even connect with a community of students. Check out @yospanishofficial, which in addition to quick TikToks packed with tips and short lessons, also offers a weekly role play on Zoom so that students can practice conversational Spanish with others on the same mission. Or, to get familiar with Chinese words and phrases you’ll need in common scenarios, such as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for a Wi-Fi password, @chinesewithyan is a great place to start.

3. Homework help: Students no longer need to do their math homework alone. TikTok “tutors” abound that help guide students through their lessons, often in unique and creative ways. For example, @melodiesformath explains important math concepts through songs, whereas @your.bummy.math.tutor dishes tips for saving critical time on tests and acing important exams, like the SAT. TikTok tutors are also familiarizing students with their scientific or graphing calculator, so they can arrive at the answer quickly and easily with their device. Pair these virtual lessons with the latest in calculator technology, such as the fx-991CW ClassWiz, which can store and recall up to nine variables that can contain integers, computations and functions. The variables will remain in the calculator’s memory between sessions. Plus, by partnering the ClassWiz with an internet-capable mobile device, solutions can be graphed and visualized through ClassPad.net, a free online workspace for computation, graphing, geometry, statistics and more, by scanning a QR code on the calculator’s screen.

While TikTok may not seem like a learning tool, by digging a little deeper, you’ll find complicated concepts and information explained in bite-sized chunks on a familiar and fun interface.

Make online learning easier, three useful remote learning tools

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Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst

The past year has demonstrated the importance of digital learning. And thanks to a variety of tools and resources that helped make remote instruction a little less stressful on everyone, teachers, students and parents quickly adapted to the changes brought on by the pandemic.

Music

Music has been a particularly difficult subject to provide instruction for at a distance. However, educational foundations have risen to the occasion by creating a trove of resources to aid learning. For example, the Save the Music Foundation provides free activities for families, tools for educators to create their own online tutorials and more.

Mathematics

Remote learning has only added new challenges to an already difficult subject. The good news is that online tools are helping fill the gaps created by the new normal. Check out the Casio Cares education site, which is chock full of free math resources for students, parents and educators. Tools include emulator calculator software, curriculum support materials, live webinars and remotely-delivered teacher training. Plus, Casio’s free all-in-one web-based mathematics software, ClassPad.net, which is geared for K-12 and beyond, delivers an accessible, interactive and personalized approach to mathematics. Its functions include graphing, geometry, calculation, statistics and more.

In addition to online activities and video tutorials, Casio also offers a weekly educational webinar series focused on mathematics on its YouTube channel, covering such subjects as elementary and middle school math, algebra I and II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics. All webinars are recorded and can be accessed any time.

Creative Writing

English and creative writing teachers are turning to new platforms to help build their student’s writing skills in a variety of creative genres. One example is Storybird, which features hundreds of courses and challenges. If your child’s teachers haven’t caught onto the trend, no worries, parents can also sign up for an account for their children.

Even after classrooms reopen nationwide, one thing is certain, with so many amazing resources available to help educators teach and students learn, digital learning tools are here to stay.