My current use of social media is probably best described as a “lurker” who doesn’t contribute a whole lot due to my own fears and discomfort of sharing with such a large and possibly uncontrolled audience. To be fair I believe there is far more written about the dangers of social media than how to use it well.
I use facebook as a member of a teaching group who share hundreds of ideas and comments, but because I don’t look at it daily the massive amount of content puts me off searching for anything that may be of use. This group does get used as a soap box also and I can disagree with comments so quickly scroll past discussions. I use Twitter, but don’t put in the time to search for valuable groups or individuals to follow and Pinterest is like entering a massive over stimulating department store for me.
I regularly come to the conclusion I just don’t have the time to use social media well, but now suspect it is more about my skill and mindset. It’s not working for me and I am missing a valuable opportunity for my students. As Kathy Cassidy (2013) suggests in her You Tube video, if we do not use social media in school and it is the world our students are living in outside school we are making school a different place for them which could possibly be seen as irrelevant.
I admire and am drawn to the stories of other educators, like Kathy’s, use of social media and feeling inadequate myself.
The implications for me as a professional and for my professional development are that I need to acquire new skills and confidence to move into the student’s world and be open to opportunities in social media.
The learning this week has completely changed my perspective to move from seeing Social Media as a negative influence in our lives to seeking out ways to embrace and use it constructively. I am focussed on ensuring my teaching is contextually relevant to students and need to step into their world as part of this. The Ministry Of Education, in their Digital technology Guide for schools refers to “safe use” and what better way to influence behaviour than by modelling good practice and use of social media tools.
This reflection leaves more questions than answers for me as I need to read my own school’s policies and research how I could go about incorporating social media constructively and with relevance into my practice.
References:
Cassidy, K. (2013) “Using Social Media in the Classroom”. From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=52&v=riZStaz8Rno
Jay, J.K. and Johnson, K.L. (2002). Capturing complexity: a typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 73-85.
Ministry of Education. Digital Technology Guide for Schools. From: http://www.education.govt.nz/school/managing-and-supporting-students/student-behaviour-help-and-guidance/searching-and-removing-student-property/digital-technology-guide-for-schools/
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