Professional Online Social Networks

My current use of social media networks to enhance teaching practise and professional development...

I was fascinated to see WeChat mentioned in research conducted by The Open University (2016)  as a form of social media used by so many in China and one with so many uses. My daughter has recently started working in China and I have been introduced to this  app and all its uses to keep in contact with her frequently as a contributor, collaborator and communicator to her and her followers.

However on reflecting, my current use of social media in my workplace is more as a receiver of information rather than a contributor. I use the VLN (virtual learning network) and NZ Teachers (primary) Facebook group to get most of my information and ideas and to meet most of my professional learning goals. 

To be a 21st century educator as mentioned in Connected Educators (2013) I need to practice the 21st century skills that I expect my learners to use. My challenge is to collaborate, create, communicate and share resources on these social media platforms in order to enhance my teaching and professional development practice. Becoming more of an active participant rather than a passive one would enhance my experiences to support learning at a deeper level and I would achieve a greater understanding of my learning goals.

The key to successful social media use...

The key to successful pedagogy is the need for experts to engage and inspire. I monitor our class blog to ensure bianess and hostility is not part of the feedback between students and from others in the school and community. Teaching students that there are successful and unsuccessful sources and ways to use social media effectively is vital as is clear guidelines for all including students, parents and teachers on how to contribute and interact with others ideas effectively. Parallels between how teachers provide opportunities for students to personalise their learning through social media can be made when considering the value of social media for teachers professional development - in that it provides direct access to the information needed to support teachers own inquiries into their practice. (Melhuish 2013)

References:

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

Office of Ed Tech. (2013, Sep 18). Connected Educators. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=216&v=K4Vd4JP_DB8

NZ Teachers (primary) Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1390088457960727/ 

Sharples, M., de Roock , R., Ferguson, R., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Koh, E., Kukulska-Hulme, A., Looi,C-K, McAndrew, P., Rienties, B., Weller, M., Wong, L. H. (2016). Innovating Pedagogy 2016: Open University Innovation Report 5. Milton Keynes: The Open University. Retrieved from http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2016.pdf