Using Social Media and Networking in Teaching and Professional Development

In recent years, the use of social media and online social networking for both teaching and professional development has grown at a rapid rate. It no longer seems to be a question of whether or not we should use social media and social networking within our teaching, instead the focus is on the how and why we should be using it.

As a teacher of Year 7 & 8 students, the ability to use a number of social media tools is somewhat determined by schoolwide policies and procedures and internet filtering services. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter are locked down for students in this age bracket, and as such are not accessible to these students unless via a teacher account. This does not limit my students in any way. Instead we make regular use of online tools such as Edmodo which is like an educational version of Facebook, but with greater controls such as teacher created classroom spaces with invite codes and around who can access and share materials through levels of administration rights. Through using this learning platform, my students have been able to connect with other students and educators from around the world and within New Zealand in order to share our learning about a particular topic or book. As an avid participant in events such as the NZ Readaloud and the Global Readaloud, my students are learning to connect on a digital platform that is safe, as well as assisting them to develop digital citizenship skills in a real world context. This does not mean that there have not been issues. Students within my classes, and those with whom we connect have had to develop and continue to develop a clear understanding of why we are connecting and that it is about forming learning relationships as opposed to ‘social’ ones. This in turn influences the way in which we respond to people and how to manage our differences of opinion in a digital way. It helps them develop alternative communication methods, that are different to those that are face to face. My students also use the full suite of google apps for education to collaborate and connect with others. Whether writing or researching togther, the collaborative aspects of GAFE, have again allowed the world outside the four walls of my classroom to come in and broaden uderstandings through connecting with those from other cultures.

Through connecting my students with others using social media tools, I believe that as noted by Kathy Casssidy in the following video, my students are not only developing a greater sense of connection to others and the importance of this but also a deeper level of empathy for those in challenging situations.

On a professional development level, I engage in a variety of online opportunities. The use of google plus for professional networking has expanded my engagement in online learning and online communities of learning. Groups such as the Mindlab community, have enabled me to have genuine discussions on topics of interest and gauge the opinions of others. I have been able to join, connect and communicate with others on a range of professional development topics, as well as participate in project such as edbooknz, which has enabled me to form connections with like minded educators that still continue. The NZ and Global Readalouds have also allowed this to occur, as I am in regular contact with a number of teachers, both here and overseas to discuss ways in which we can continue to develop the connections between our classes. An aspect of online Social Networking and use of Social Media that I love is that it has given educators the ability to connect with others around the world. Time differences are no longer a hinderance as the connection can occur at any time. It can also be in realtime through webinars or the use of google hangouts. As noted by Melhuish (2013, p24) “ effective adult learning hinges upon the extent to which learners have agency over the process”. Online Social Media and Networking allows me to take control of what I am learning and when.

References

Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrived on 05 May, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han.

Tvoparents. (2013, May 21). Using Social Media in the Classroom.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riZStaz8Rno