Activity 6 - Using Social Online Networks

Social Online Networks in Teaching or Professional Development

Social Networking has evolved! Melhuish (2013) discussed the variations of contexts for engagement of social network sites by educators. For some it is advice or affirmation of practice, for others it could be resources or mentorship, whatever the context, social networking can provide great connections, communication and collaboration.

How I have used it in my classroom:

I discussed in one of my earlier blogs the reluctance I initially felt when using Facebook within my classroom. I guess I'm 'old school' and worry about the dangers of using it, although, my children don't have access to it, so the only time they get to see our 'Group' is when either I share it, or their parents share the posts with them. So no real interaction with with the children there. 

We have, however, started using Seesaw, which I am sure will have great benefits for the children and their learning. I feel, and I may be completely wrong, that it is a 'safe' environment for the children to begin their Social Networking. To tell the truth, we have hardly even used it. Parents have joined and once and a while I remember to remind the kids to 'post their work and share with their whānau'. I realise that it has great potential for everybody involved, but at the moment it is just another thing to give more time to. I'm hoping that next year I will have everything set up properly and everybody will get more out of it, myself included. TIme plays a big part of why I have been rubbish with Seesaw, and that is something that I have to manage better to overcome this.

Pinterest, is something that I use constantly and is an endless source of motivation, creativity and ideas for use in the classroom. We also use it in the classroom and our class has our own account which all the children have access to. We have 'pinned' some of own activities which we created in a STEAM challenge. The kids loved it and have even had a couple of comments on one. Mauri  and whanaungatanga shot through the roof!

Twitter is another Social Networking App that we use in the classroom. We use KidsedchatNZ and the kids have now developed some great questioning skills and really look forward to answering with short, sharp but accurate replies. This is a skill in itself.

Social Media in Professional Learning:

I use Twitter all of the time for my Professional Development. I have found the personal learning via Twitter to be phenomenal. It has led to some great conversations and discussions and I have made some wonderful connections. I have met some like minded people who have helped and debated with me and pushed me beyond my boundaries. I do sometimes feel like I am ripping people (being my followers) off when I simply 'retweet', but actually I only do that when I feel that other people are going to benefit from it. The only issue I have with Twitter is that sometimes I want the feedback or feedforward to be instantaneous and I have to wait! Patience is not one of my virtues. Time, again, is a challenge. Giving myself the time to actually sit down and take part in learning conversations is a rarity these days, however, my time for brushing up on my time management skills is coming soon!

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...