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Social Media for Professional Learning


After reading this week's article titled Categorising teachers’ use of social media for their professional learning, I started to think about the ways I've used social media for professional learning. "Teachers are increasingly using online apps and educational resources to cultivate and extend their professional growth opportunities" (Prestridge, 2019). One of the main reasons teachers are getting involved in personal learning networks (PLNs) is to connect with like-minded peers. Teachers use these PLNs for informal learning, collaboration, and exchanging knowledge and ideas. "For many teachers, the use of social media for self-generating professional learning through their online PLNs becomes embedded in their daily routine, which improved their teaching practice and their own understanding of the relevant content or pedagogy" (Prestridge, 2019). 

When I was a teacher, I used Facebook to share knowledge and connect with like-minded colleagues. Using Facebook allowed me to discuss and interact with people and helped community members with similar interest to gather and promote knowledge sharing. The article explains that "Twitter was the ‘go to’ platform because on “Twitter you need to be able to expand your network and find the right people. On Facebook you always rely on the friend request and an acceptance request” (Prestridge, 2019). However, I found using Facebook much more beneficial than Twitter. Especially when it comes to joining teacher-related groups, you do not have to rely on a friend request to collaborate with others. 

Collaborating with other teachers on platforms such as Facebook provided me opportunities to learn about new teaching strategies and them employ them in my classroom. I was also able to seek ongoing support during trial periods when I tried something new. It was nice to receive positive and constructive feedback from peers.

In summary, social media is a great way for teachers to gain knowledge, share ideas and resources, and join communities to collaborate and network. How have you used social media to enhance professional learning?

Resources:

Prestridge, S. (2019) Categorising teachers' use of social media for their professional learning: A self-generating professional learning paradigm. Computers & Education, 129, 143-158. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.11.003

Comments

  1. DesmondJuly 8, 2020 at 11:53 AM

    I have heard a lot of great things about using twitter as a resource. However, I am with you. I find that joining groups or communities online to be a lot more meaningful for me too. For our group project I participated in the Reddit group r/Teachers and really enjoyed it.

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