The subject of this weeks blog is a critical look at the use of social media in my own professional development. For this entry I will be using Jay and Johnson’s (2002) reflective model.
Descriptive
What is happening?
Is this working and for whom? How am I feeling? What do I not understand?
|
My first introduction to using social media professionally was about
6 years ago as in the UK there was a backlash against corporate PD sessions
which had usually one keynote speaker that could cost a large percentage of
the PD budget to go to. So I joined a group on Twitter who started to
organise 'Teach Meets' in which a group of teachers would meet up in a
central location and talk for a few minutes each about a resource they had
created or a subject topic which had really engaged the students. They were
free to go to and we would come away from them with lots of new ideas. Fairly
quickly, within a year of these meets starting, it was decided that it should
go online as that would cut down on the time taken to travel to the venue and
would mean more time could be used on the actual PD. Through Twitter we would
tweet and respond to each other, we would show videos of projects, share
photos of inspiring displays etc. etc. to people hundreds of miles away and
it allowed for a rich resource of information just sitting there waiting for
when it is needed. The following quote from Melhuish,
K.(2013) summed up how our Twitter network worked 'It is now possible
to bring teachers together, provide ‘just-in-time’ support, and link to
experts or other educators exploring the same complex problems using social
software'. (p. 25). I feel really comfortable using social media as part of
my PD, in fact I would like to use it more and also be one of the driving
forces within a network but time is not something I have in abundance at the
moment.
|
Comparative
How do other people
who are involved or indirectly involved describe what’s happening? What does
research contribute to an understanding of this matter? How can I improve
what is not working
|
Since moving to New Zealand unfortunately the Twitter network has
fizzled out. The two main driving forces behind it moved roles and took on
new responsibilities and no-one took up the reins. I am now a member of a New
Zealand Google Group for Technology teachers which is a good sounding board
for ideas and problems relating to NZ specific Standards. All my department
are part of this group and we all believe it to be a valuable resource. It
should be no surprise to anyone that social media is now firmly embedded in
some teachers practice, Statista (2018) state
that ' In 2017, 71 percent of internet users were social network users
' it was also noted that 'Social networks not only enable users to
communicate beyond local or social boundaries, but also offer possibilities
to share user-generated content'. When I looked at my usage compared
to that of my peers on the Social Media Survey I am working similar to the
majority, mainly using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Spotify. One thing I could improve on is using social media within my
lessons more and not just as part of my PD.
|
Critical Reflection
What are the implications
of the matter when viewed from these alternative perspectives? How does this
reflective process inform and renew my perspective?
|
Having done this research and blog I have to say I am
really interested in bringing social media into my teaching, I loved the idea
that Magette, K. (2014) talked about of using hashtags relating to a show
that was on TV. I could use that based around an episode of Grand Designs to get the
students looking at design for a client in the real world and hasttagging about how they could use what's been said in their projects. Pitfalls wise,
there would have to be firm guidelines and boundaries for the students to
follow to ensure that the content of the comments were suitable. I also loved
the idea Magette, K. (2014) mentioned about how an elementary school teacher
talks to her class about inappropriate comments that are posted and what they
should do if this happens. This also gives the students valuable lessons that
can be used in other aspects of the web. Whitaker, T., et al (2015) sum up
social media perfectly when they said 'Our
profession has been silent and isolated for too long. The time is now for us
to take responsibility for owning our professional learning by networking
with individuals who share our passion and our desire to be the change!' (p.
13).
|
Jay, J.K. and Johnson, K.L. (2002) Capturing complexity:
a typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher
Education, 18, 73-85
Magette,
K. (2014). Embracing social media : a practical guide to manage risk and
leverage opportunity. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.(Available in
Unitec library).
Melhuish,
K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’
professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved
on 14 June, 2018 from https://app.themindlab.com/media/85961/view
Statista
(2018). Number of social media users worldwide from 2010 to 2021 (in
billions). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
Whitaker,
T., Zoul, J., & Casas, J. (2015). What connected educators do
differently. New York, NY: Routledge.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-opuLo4D1O8TH__4QL3bdLlwxLe6-75unS8fDEkMeDEyd_Q/viewanalytics
GIF retrieved from https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ThunderousIllHippopotamus
GIF retrieved from https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ThunderousIllHippopotamus
Hi Ian This is a thought provoking blog, from your comments you teach a much older level of student than myself but I believe the underlying concepts are the same. Teaching students what is an appropriate comment to leave another student is not dissimilar to the comments we make to each other face to face, the difference it is on a public domain and once published nonreversible. Teaching children core values throughout their learning is still important. At Sunnyhills School these children have social media as the norm, my class already know what Twitter is etc. It is my role as educator to teach them to use the tool for learning, just as you would have once taught a book was for gaining knowledge, as well as entertainment.
ReplyDelete17th June 2018
Kia ora Steph, yes I teach at high school so my students are 13 - 18 years old. The teenage years and social media are sometimes not the best mix. So whilst I do want to trial using social media more in lessons, I definitely need to sit and plan it out thoroughly, it is not just something I can trial out tomorrow without thinking and trying to plan for most eventualities. I definitely think that by discussing with the students what is and is not an appropriate comment and what to do if you come across an inappropriate comment will be a good life skill.
DeleteI am interested that you are in a Google group for tech teachers. I'm wondering if this is because it makes it easy to share a myriad of resources together? Does this count as Social Media as a closed group in an application?
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of 3 teenagers- finding them in Social Media is certainly where to find the kids...am not sure how you could use snapchat for learning interest!
Hi Susan, there is some resource sharing goes on but it's also used as a sounding board. Someone will ask about a particular standard or recommendations for a piece of equipment or a different stratergthey have tried .This leads to mostly helpful comments .it is very similar to our Mind Lab group really. Totally agree that Snapchat is a difficult one to use in the class room but recently I have had student document their manufacturer using Snapchat. I'm letting this play out as I want to see how it goes. In the last I have had the students upload their work to their own Facebook profile and ask for feedback as this allows for stakeholder engagement and then use the screenshot in their portfolio.
DeleteAs someone who came back to the profession and into a department where the other teachers were unwilling to share their resources, online resource sharing was a sanity saver! Sounding boards are great, particular in terms of coming up with ideas for practical tasks and at times I'm amazed at the generosity of group members who post resources and links for all to use. One group I belong to has even set up an online resource bank but it seems to always be the same members that add to this. It is not possible for everyone to have the same rich knowledge on every topic - social media networks mean that knowledge can be readily shared. But at times I feel that some take advantage of the generosity of others and ask for various assessment resources that they or their school should really be coming up with themselves. In a group like this, resentment can grow between members until the whole group falls apart. How do you ensure that everyone makes a contribution - equal or not?
ReplyDelete