Week 30 - APC - Professional Online Social Networks

Week 30 - APC - Professional Online Social Networks

Using social online networks in teaching and/or professional development

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

There are many different forms of social media. Facebook, twitter, pinterest, snapchat, twitter, instagram, VLN and  blogger just to name a few. In some ways they are similar but also are very different.

Through social media, we can collaborate easily with others in our learning as well as projects. I have used social media for several years and have made connects with other teachers and classrooms. Through these interactions we have completed different online projects with our classes. These opportunities open new doors and learning for all. Most of the students we teach today have the access to digital technologies outside of the class, whether it is a parent's cell phone, tablet or computer. As educators, we need to teach children how to use social media in a positive way and to show them how it can help them and their learning. Social media can be an effective way for students to have a voice and extend their own learning. According to Dr. Richard J. Light (Harvard School of Education) that people learn most effectively when they interact with other learners. The Light’s report added that social media, as a technology that is deemed “cool,” can attract younger learners. Social media platforms enable many engaging classroom activities, including “communities of practice” where learners can interact and share ideas.

As Stephen Todd (Social Media in 21st Century Learning February 2015) writes on his blog 'It's no secret that today that the best way for students to learn is "to design engaging, meaningful, and authentic work and technology-enhanced learning experiences"and bring them into the classroom.  The most effective way of doing this is through the incorporation of social media-based activities'.

Class blog
Class Twitter

Two social media platforms that I personal use and use with my class.
Blogger is a great tool not only for students, but also teachers. For students it offers a platform where they can share their learning with a wider audience and get feedback not only from their peers but also their parents and other teachers and adults. Therefore, it gives them an authentic audience. Teachers can use blogger to document their own learning and to learn from others. It also gives us an audience for our own learning. You can also follow different blogs that you like and find useful. By following different blogs you can also continue to learn from these people,  but also voice your thoughts to them. The students that I teach all have their own blog and we also have a class  blog where we share what we have been doing.

Twitter is a way in which we can follow other teachers and educational groups. I have found as a teacher, I have gained more ideas and knowledge by following different groups. I have also had the opportunity to meet some of the people that I had followed on twitter. Twitter is also a powerful classroom tool. It is a way in which students can quickly share their own learning with others. They can also join in with online conversation with other students such as kidsedchatnz where different questions are posed and students answer them. 

How do/would you use social media to enhance your professional development? Why?

‘’Having knowledge but lacking the power to express it clearly is no better than never having any ideas at all’’– Pericles 

Using social media can have many benefits as a teacher:

1: It is an easy way to find relevant and up to date information. 

2: you can join in with conversations with a variety of people across different countries.

3: It is free PD as most social media sites have no charge. 

Over the past few years I have participated in different forms of social media as a way to further my own knowledge as well as to gain ideas and advice from others. As Lexie Hoskins (2015) said in her article, 'Why should teachers use social media for professional development?''Educators from around the world can communicate directly and instantly with each other. They can discuss curriculum planning, different teaching strategies or seek support from their peers like never before'. 

I joined several different groups on VLN several years ago and until recently actively joined in with different discussions. Through this group you receive emails when there has been updated. I still read these.

Like many New Zealand teachers I joined the primary teacher's facebook page. This page has been a great way to share resources as well as ask for advice.

I follow several people/ groups on Twitter and find this one of the most beneficial ways of learning. Not only do people share what they are doing, but also links to interesting readings as well as ideas that you can use within your class. I also like the opportunities in which you can join in with different conversations and share your own learning with others. 

I also have a feedly page where I can follow different blogs and websites. This is another way in which I can develop myself as a teacher. Through some of the blogs / sites that I follow I have gained new knowledge of what is happening in the wider worlds, as well as ideas I can share/ teach the students in my class. I have also found different online course that can be done and many are free. This is just another way that you can up skill yourself as a teacher. 

I use social media as a means to up skill myself as I know I can find new ideas, whether it is related to e-learning/ digital technologies (Which is a passion of mine), or literacy, maths etc. I can also find the latest research and ideas which I use to further enhance my knowledge and understanding. Another reason to use social media as a means to further develop your own learning as that often schools PD is based around a whole school development and not personalized to your own learning. Therefore, as a professional we should be further up skilling ourselves. Through the use of social media, we are gaining up to date free, relevant information that is generally practical and of interests to our needs.  'Professional learning for educators is a lifelong endeavor, sustained through one’s career and evolving largely as a result of practice-based experiences'; Karen Melhuish; 2013

References:
Stephen Todd (Social Media in 21st Century Learning February 2015) http://stephentod.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/social-media-in-21st-century-learning.html  
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/study-suggests-social-media-has-place-in-classrooms.shtml 
Karen Melhuish; 2013 Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning  http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/8482/thesis.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Class notes:

A study investigating social media use in teaching (Silius et al., 2010) showed that student motivation for social media can enhance study. While this study was conducted with university students, its implications can be applied to other contexts as learners of any age have substantial access to social media networks.