Activity 6: Social Media in Professional Development

Activity 6: Social Media in Professional Development 

Key Features of Social Media

Tom Whitby the founder of #edchat stated in Office of Ed Tech - Connected Educators (2013) that "technology has taken us to a level where we can collaborate beyond our wildest imaginations". One of the key features of being connected is having the opportunity to connect not only with the students in your classroom but educators and experts all around the world. It no longer takes hours to get feedback on a question. By posting a questions online you can have a response within in minutes. Using open forums or social media platforms such as twitter has enabled educators to be connected and learn new things from a range of different experts, not only in their school, but in their country or even on the other side of the world. This is a powerful tool. The ability to have instant access to discover what other educators are doing and see the amazing things they are doing.

Teachers, educators and students are no longer isolated within the confines of their school or professional learning communities. They have ability to begin learning conversations in a matter of minutes. Whether it be early in the morning or late at night, there is no limit. 

There are many key features of social media that are beneficial for teaching and learning. By having access and being able to connect any time and anywhere gives educators the ability to continue to learn, to be a 21st Century Learner themselves. If an educator is connected to social media they have an unlimited bank of resources at the press of a button.

Using social media to enhance professional learning

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook have opened up the world to educators for professional development. When I attended uLearn in 2014, there was a chance to follow the uLearn Twitter page. This gave everyone the ability to not only access the workshops they were attending but see what everyone else was up to and learn from them even if they hadn't attended the workshop. It was a great way to learn new things and find resources.  For me, I use both Twitter, Facebook and Google + for my own professional development. I follow and am a part of groups on Facebook which give me the ability to post questions, receive feedback and see what other teachers are up to. 

Establishing a Google + community within my school would be one way to enhance professional learning. This Google + community would be a place for my colleagues and I to post interesting and engaging learning experiences that were successful. By doing this, we begin our journey to becoming connected. Emails are outdated, a Google + community would allow my colleagues to have instant access to a professional learning community that they me not have used in the past. 

It is so important in this century to be connected, to collaborate with other teachers around the world. Social media has made the world accessible and we are no longer isolated. It is key for teachers to use social media as a tool for learning but it is also important to prepare students for being online and making them aware of what is out there.

References:

Office of Ed Tech (2013) Connected Educators. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Vd4JP_DB8