Week 29: (Activity 5) Using Social Online Networks in Teaching or Professional Development

Reflection Model (Jay & Johnson, 2002)

Step 1 (Descriptive Stage): Social Media plays an active role in both my teaching and professional development as an educator.  Many of the social media platforms which I use are beneficial in both of these areas - particularly in the vein of social curation and the sharing of visual ideas in video and picture form with YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram as I have been developing in the role as a Visual Arts Specialist. These social media avenues have provided myself and my students with inspiration, resources and support for planning and facilitation of the Visual Arts Curriculum. We have viewed and been able to interact with the creators of video tutorials to refine our practical skills when undertaking new art-making processes and have been able to research new visual ideas in picture form, via Instagram and Pinterest leading to sparks which have ignited our own tactile outcomes in visual creativity.

In my Technology Syndicate we collaborate using Google Docs - to transparently share our planning and direction within our classrooms and enable each other to contribute ideas and feedback for documentation and reporting going forward. As a syndicate we also use Google Slides linked to our school website, to create visually-centred blogs dedicated to exhibiting the learning within each of our classes (we each teach around 6-7 schools per week) and share these with our students - this is an easy to manage way for them to gain insights into the journeys of their peers as well as keeping a track of their own progress within each of the Technology subjects.

Step 2 (Comparative Stage): Magette (2014) describes a teacher who uses social media to upload their student's work and states that "One of the favorite benefits reported by teachers using social media is the relevance that these networks provide—a worldwide stage where they can share their reflections, ideas, images, and work." (p.2). Aside from sharing student work on their own school-linked blogs, I have not yet explored the potential of posting student art on wider realms of social networks and the incentive this might provide. This use of social media may also be valuable in collecting feedback for students from a wider audience on their personal artwork or process and in turn, add another level to their learning. Investigating this would also allow myself as a teacher to integrate meaningful ways of using our digital tools and practicing these skills within the context of visual art. It would also compliment my focus on the new digital curriculum for my own professional development, as I would learn alongside my students and take the experiences back to discuss and build upon with my team.

These words from Whitaker, Zoul and Casas (2015) really resonated with me too "The more we consciously strive to serve as connected educators, the more likely it is we can support our students in becoming connected learners." (p.11). I feel that even though I have been part of many social networks in a professional capacity as a teacher, a renewed focus on increasing my level of interaction will only enhance how connected and I am able to become with my fellow educators. Currently, I am a member of several Facebook Groups where NZ teachers discuss certain aspects of the profession, but I now want to pursue seeking the member support of global groups of educators who are focused on exploring digital outcomes and fresh and motivating visual art processes with their students.

Step 3 (Critical Reflection): The safety of myself and students is an implication that comes to mind when exposing their work to a potential global audience and garnering feedback of others beyond the classroom. As Magette (2014) mentions students will develop a sense of netiquette and develop the ability to cope with inappropriate online comments. Not everyone will be complimentary in such an open space and so I would need to be careful in selecting, creating or monitoring the forum in which to do this. Privacy and permission would also need to be granted from parents and students themselves when sharing original artwork and become wiser to the issues of copyright. 

My view has expanded along with the horizon for my professional development possibilities via social media. I have discovered that the more I focus in on and communicate with niche communities, the more I will gain momentum in the area of educational topics I am keenly seeking to develop knowledge about. With the 3 billion users by 2021 (Statica, 2018) the potential for new information is only getting more exciting with the exponential growth of human connection. This means the pool of ideas and resources is near endless (such a rich resource for teachers worldwide) - wading in and using our time wisely to best suit our needs/goals will become the ultimate challenge!

References:
Jay, J. K., & Johnson, K. L. (2002). Capturing complexity: A typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and teacher education, 18(1), 73-85.

Magette, K. (2014). Embracing social media : a practical guide to manage risk and leverage opportunity. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Statista (2018). Number of social media users worldwide from 2010 to 2021 (in billions). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of- worldwide-social-network-users/

Whitaker, T., Zoul, J., & Casas, J. (2015). What connected educators do differently. New York, NY: Routledge.