Week 29: Using social online networks in teaching or professional development
This weeks topic has been one that I have thought about may
times, as the use of social media becomes more and more a large part of the
world around us.
I myself have been a very reluctant user of social media
largely due to the fact that I’m not particularly drawn to this type of
networking and I have still yet to be convinced around the security of many
social media platforms in a professional sense with my job.
I will focus in on Facebook for the purpose of this activity
as it is one social media platform I do use regularly and over the course of the
32 weeks have used it in a more professional manner than previously. I have trialled
Twitter and found it rather pointless and am an occasional dabbler into The
Pond, which actually is a really good place to go, but sadly I think under utilized.
I first connected in with Facebook 10 years ago, just after
the birth of my second son, I was introduced to it by another mother who was
highly engaged by this platform and was able to convince me of the may benefits
of being a Facebook user. Admittedly 10 years on I am still on Facebook, but
very much a watcher more than a contributor and follow just a handful of
people, largely to do with Autism and other pages relating to special needs.
I have used Facebook in a professional capability as a member
of a group for the local group of teachers doing the Mindlab work, as well as a
member of a group of a page set up by the local group of RTLB’s who ran the Incredible
Years sessions I attended last year.
Admittedly this is the first time I have actively
participated online in such a group and I found the experiences very useful and
added a connection to other people’s ideas, thoughts and direction outside of
my local school environment.
It is great to be able to link in with others virtually any
time of the day, and someone has an answer to questions. If the first responder
to a question doesn’t have an answer, they usually ask questions that draw out
more meaning and information from the person posting the question and quite
long and informative discussions can be had.
It doesn’t matter if any of the group are in other parts of
the country or overseas and the opportunity to share links to information and
ideas others have found is great.
So therefore professionally I have found some use in social media,
I do find it hard to relax when responding to things as I am very aware that I
am a teacher at a school, a member of the local community and that whilst we
may have rules/understandings around privacy etc, there is no way I am going to
jeopardise my job or my school.
I do realise that there is a huge potential for the use of
social media in my role as a teacher, but I also realise that there is a whole
lot of “stuff” that we need to work through.
At my school, all of our students have Blogs set up and
regular opportunities are provided for the students to share their learning
with family and teachers in a safe and controlled way. It provides a good
opportunity to talk about writing comments and the how to ensure what you are
saying gives value to another person’s work.
There are many ways social media can be used and there are
many advantages and disadvantages. I read this article 10 Advantages and
Disadvantages of Social Media for Society, which really gave me good “Food for
Thought”
I do believe we to make sure that we are teaching our
students about safety in social media and I really liked Kathleen Morris’s work
around teaching digital citizenship, especially her 10 internet safety tips for
students.
References
, A (2016)
10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media for Society Retrieved
from https://www.techmaish.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-media-for-society/ Updated On: March 10, 2016
Morris, K. Retrieved from http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2017/11/01/teaching-digital-citizenship-10-internet-safety-tips-for-students/
Being a responsible responsive participant in the social media network is important in the world we live in and our students are growing up in. Finding a connectedness with others is important, especially when within an area of interest or need. Connecting and sharing within a group with a common goal/interest challenging our thinking and builds upon our knowledge base. The Digital Safety poster is a reminder of how we can responsibly protect our students - a great reminder for all!
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey, I agree, being a responsible and responsive participant in social media is so important and an essential skill we need to teach our students. Its not just about people connecting on social media, but also about how they need to behave and respond, students need to understand the rules, boundaries and social responsibilities and active on line social media users.
DeleteIts our responsibility to help keep our students safe and not turn a blind eye thinking parents and families will do this for us.