Activity 6: Using social online networks in teaching and/or professional development
Evidence for Applied Practice in Context - MindLab
What is Social Media?
The Oxford dictionary defines social media as Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
According to Joosten (2012,p.6), "a virtual place is where people can share; everybody and anybody can share anything, anywhere and anytime."
What are some key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning? Why?
Social media is a powerful tool for educators that can be used either for personal or professional means. On a personal front, social networking lets you mix with people from all over the world. It helps maintain relationships easily. Now, instead of having to call someone and force a conversation of a decent length, one can simply comment on others’ photographs and status messages or just drop them a message online. This assists with communication, especially with friends and family who stay in another country or another continent even.
Professionally social media acts as an informal resume. Potential clients and employers can ‘check you out’ on these networks and browse through your educational qualifications and experience.
Social media is a handy tool in the classroom, it can be as beneficial outside the classroom.
Some of the key features include:
Sharing ideas - social media enables educators to share ideas and practice with each other using various professional learning networks (PLN) . They are able to compare notes on classroom teaching techniques and learning styles can help enhance the learning experience in the classroom. Educators are able to share their lessons, plans and use social media to celebrate practice.
Connections with Schools - social media allows teachers to connect with teachers in other schools around the world. These partnerships are beneficial as they keep educators abreast of changes in curriculum and content in others regions, states and globally.
Professional development - social media helps educators become aware of upcoming courses, seminars and conferences either face to face or online.
The value of contacts - contacts are key to professional development. The world today revolves on who you know. Establishing relationships with others in different schools can help you enhance your career. Getting a job is generally a lot easier if someone knows you and recommends you.
My Journey with Social Media:
I am an avid user of social media. I use various platforms for my learning in education, personal and business use. I think Social Media is a powerful tool for educators to use as learners and teachers to stay connected.
Educators can keep connected with professional learning network (PLN) within their practice, nationally and globally.
Social media tools I use to enhance my professional development include these:
I use Facebook to capture my learning via my Learning Page. I belong to various educational groups on Facebook. Some of these include Primary teachers facebook page, New Zealand principals and senior leaders page, New Zealand Technology Teachers.
Facebook enables me to communicate and share my learning with others educators.
Alongside the use of Facebook, VLN is another platform I use that is a New Zealand based PLN to share and learn with other educators. This is supported by Melhuish's (2013) study has suggested that VLN Groups can enable an informal type of professional learning for teachers. Google apps for education, E-Learning, Beyond the classroom to name a few are a some of the groups I follow within this network.
Facebook enables me to communicate and share my learning with others educators.
Alongside the use of Facebook, VLN is another platform I use that is a New Zealand based PLN to share and learn with other educators. This is supported by Melhuish's (2013) study has suggested that VLN Groups can enable an informal type of professional learning for teachers. Google apps for education, E-Learning, Beyond the classroom to name a few are a some of the groups I follow within this network.
In the last two year's I have become a regular user of Twitter. I am identified by my twitter handle @redgurami. This enables me to follow educators globally and others to follow me. I use twitter as my main professional development source. I am able to tap into resources, readings and workshops globally and do not need to leave my classroom. This is an advantage as I no longer have to worry about the budget at school. I do not have to take time off to be part of some of the professional development available on twitter.
I have found myself increasingly engaging with twitter during conferences and seminars. The recent GAFE summit and Google Educators in New Zealand workshop
encouraged me to tweet during the sessions and celebrate and discuss learning as it happens.
I began using Google+ within my MindLab network. I have found engaging with other educators on the same postgraduate journey an exciting experience. Through Google+ yet again I am able to connect and collaborate with educators here in New Zealand and abroad. The Google+ community has given me a safe, trusting environment for me share my practices, reflective blogs and discuss assessment tasks.Through this community, I have made friends who I will continue to share and collaborate with outside my community of practice.
Pinterest is an integral part of my daily practice. I use this tool to organise information and brainstorm ideas for teaching and learning. Pinterest encourages collaboration globally with other educators using Pinterest. Ideas, videos, news articles, images can be shared. This tool is highly effective in the classroom as it provides a structured resource for learners which enables them to collaborate.
Being connected empowers me as an educator, not only to grow myself but to grow my learners alongside me.
References:
Joosten, T. (2012). Social media for educators: Strategies and best practices. John Wiley & Sons.
Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrived on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han...
Seaman, J., & Tinti-Kane, H. (2013). Social media for teaching and learning.
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