What is Social Media?
Getting Connected, Growing your Network, and Accelerating your Learning!
- Blogs
- Wikis
- Podcasts
- Forums
- Google+
- Texting
- MSN
My views on social media in teaching and learning and in professional development
Why wouldn't you use social media to develop and explore possible solutions to challenges, issues you may be experiencing or sharing and collaborating on authentic issues with others and not just nationwide but globally? I want my students to be life-long learners so I too need to be a life-long learner to keep up with trends and the experiences that students bring to the classroom that may not match that of the schools or mine own and Social Media helps me do that.
How Why do I use Social Media to enhance my professional development?
Social media is my go-to-place that I often use in the context of my professional development. When I'm not quite sure or need an answer quickly I'm on the internet either searching with Google my default search engine or Safari, Bing and Internet Explorer or posting questions. I have gained a wealth of knowledge and expertise from social media that has helped me grow professionally and has given my students the opportunity to grow through exploring and seeking answers to their questions.
Facebook, Google+, Blogger, Google, TKI.co.nz, MSN, Apple Support Communities...
Keeps me informed about current issues in New Zealand and what wonderful and amazing learning is taking place in other classrooms. It is great for bouncing ideas around and finding solutions to similar challenges we have at one time or another e.g. behavioural and or learning or helping others with their challenges or issues by sharing and responding.
Pinterest, TES.co.uk, Sparklebox, TKI.co.nz, YouTube, Blendspace, Booktrack Classroom...
These are some of the social media sites I have used over the last seven years of my
teaching career to get ideas and motivate me to inspire my students to learn while developing in my profession. Pinterest has so many wonderful ideas that are motivating and inspiring and I have used or adapted to suit the intended learning or suggested to other educators. TES.co.uk gave me ideas on how to plan mini-inquiries and different approaches to teaching the same learning outcome e.g. writing a character sketch using drama. Sparklebox with its amazing wall displays, banners, and learning mats are brilliant and gave me ideas of how to create fun and inviting wall displays. TKI is packed with information, support, ideas, exemplars that I have used many times and often go to for ideas and it keeps me informed about what's happening around New Zealand. I also direct my parents to TKI when looking for suggestions of how they can help their child/ren. YouTube has been a blessing in disguise teaching me how to do so many things posted by teachers and non-teachers and also helping to teach my students. I have learnt how to solve many technical issues with iPads and Chromebooks e.g. restoring an iPad after a student has forgotten their password and has locked themselves out and how to make things e.g. create and print 3D objects or for ideas of how to use Tinkercad. Blendspace is something I am still getting familiar with but currently have my students using it to share and collaborate. I have watched videos and viewed lessons posted by others and recently have created my own lessons e.g. Horton hatches the egg. Booktrack is yet to be used to its full potential and currently is being used by students as a free online resource for books to read. I'm in the process of learning how best it can be used to integrate reading and writing.
What are the challenges of using Social Media?
There is a huge social responsibility of ensuring the cyber safety of young minds. As I previously posted on Global Connectedness (2015), "Students need to understand what it means to be Cyber Smart! It is more than being Cybersafe! With increased accessibility to connect with people globally it also increases accessibility to possible global dangers and students need to be prepared for this. Here at Fruitvale Road Primary we teach our students and parents to be Cyber Smarethroughs being aware of what personal information is okay to share with other users and thinking about what you put on social media (once it's there it's there for life) and making smart choices when inappropriate material pops-up on the screen or you click on an inappropriate web page when looking for information. I often remind my students when unsure, think what would my parents say and would they approve." There is no reason why teachers should not be using social media just because there are challenges. They need clear processes in place and keep parents and the school informed through discussions.What are the benefits of Social Media for learning?
Social media offers many opportunities for learning and interactivity that they are yet to be discovered. Students all around the world are experiencing and learning using more than just books, assignments and listening to their teachers. They are learning through social media how to be...
Connected: I know of students accessing Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Viber and developing relationships through friends of friends to connect and share.
Web engaged: Students are constantly engaged with Social Media posting personal pictures and statuses and sharing other friends, families, and users posts and commenting. This also extends into schools and the classroom with their teachers and peers learning to be collaborative using online sites e.g. Blendspace and Google Classroom. They are learning how to interact with others on the internet and develop social skills as it removes the barriers for students who find it challenging to engage in face-to-face discussions.
Knowledgeable: I have learnt so much using social media from how to restore iPads after students have locked themselves out because they have forgotten their password after changing it so many times to how to plan engaging learning activities. The students are becoming experts and being the ako (leader) for their peers, teachers and myself. Most students don't realise how much knowledge they are acquiring until someone asks a question or someone needs help that they realise they have that missing knowledge someone else needs e.g.I noticed a student didn't know how to add a Prezi link to their Blendspace and asked another student who was able to help because he watched another student do it.
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