Social Media

Professional Online Social Networks

Social networks are becoming an accepted part of society, and teaching and learning is no different. 

What are some key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning? Why?

Social media can be beneficial for lots of reasons. This course has shown me how valuable it can be - particularly with collaboration and communication. I find it more useful for professional development related to teaching. It is easy to connect with others instantly both nationally and globally. I am now teaching in a smaller rural school, so my immediate daily networks are smaller. This video has some good points about the valuable role of this media in educators lives. I particularly like these quotes "surround yourself with like minded educators, and be  "lifelong learners - education doesn't stop when you get your teachers license" and "the tools for education today lie in technology ". (Office of Ed Tech, 2013) I like the visual nature of of social media and how succinct and to the point it can be. I have found some interesting and relevant articles and readings around topical themes, and issues I am interested in. I use it for researching, gathering ideas, resources, sharing opinions, answering questions, clarifying issues, or giving and receiving feedback. At previous schools I regularly blogged my classes learning. It was a good way to showcase the children’s learning journey and share it with an audience. Some families had relatives living overseas and they could see regularly what our learning looked like. It was another way to utilise all the images we capture - and are unable to print out. Some people commented on posts, however it was always surprising how few interactions there were considering the effort that was put into creating blog posts. 

What social media platform do you feel best supports engagement with your professional development? Why?

My platforms include the MindLab Google+ Community, Blogger  the NZ Teachers Facebook page, and Twitter.  I have yet to fully engage with the VLN or dip into The Pond. I have used Twitter- and am continually hearing why it is relevant for teachers. I intend to get back to it when time allows! The ones I use most often presently are Blogger - right here,  the Google+ community and the NZ Teachers Facebook page. I am not a person to put everything ‘out there,’ so I am usually conservative with my interactions,  as not to cause too many ripples. Recently I needed some feedback on how other schools were handling an issue - so I asked a question  and received some responses from educators who happily shared.

Generally I have had positive experiences however I do exercise caution in relation to cyber safety and the validity of some information. Often it can be opinion based and not substantiated by current research or specific data. Further reading can be required. Teachers are generally a collaborative bunch and it is encouraging to see on different forums the willingness to connect and take part in discussions related to our profession. As I teach five year old children it is not a tool that they use or are able to fully engage with for learning. However this is on my list - to investigate an easily navigated platform they are able to independently publish to. From comments and conversations I hear from my students their parents and families engage with social networks regularly.


References:
Office of Ed Tech. (2013, Sep 18). Connected Educators. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=216&v=K4Vd4JP_DB8