Thoughts On Using Social Media For Professional Learning And For Student Learning

Week 1

What are you initial reactions about joining these social networks for use in this course?

Overall, I am excited about having to join many different social networks over the course of this summer. I am already a Facebook user, having to stay in touch with family and friends from across the USA when I moved from New Jersey to Louisiana. I am a little nervous about this Twitter thing. I had a Twitter account with my former 8th grade class and they loved it. We posted under a classroom name and they students were able to tag the people relevant to their posts. My current class of 3rd graders may not understand the gist of posting Tweets as well as the 8th graders did. I look forward to introducing this writing platform to them. I'll be able to teach the summarizing skill through use of the Tweets: short, sweet, and to the point. 

What is your experience in using social media for your own professional development?

I've never really dabbled in using Social Media to develop myself professionally. I have taken webinars, but I didn't have to communicate with anyone else, just sit and listen to the presenter. I would classify myself as a willing rookie. I look forward to finding and using social media resources to focus on sharpening my craft.

What is your experience in using social media as an instructional strategy in your learning environment?

Since Facebook has been on the block list for every school system I've taught in (5 different ones), I've never gained the opportunity to use Facebook as a tool for learning. As I go through my coursework in this program I am learning more about "fake Facebook" sites that have the same social media experience, but with an educational focus. That is something I will be using. I have used Twitter in class. The students created their own class Twitter handle and we would live Tweet on the Promethean Board for all to see. They would have to respond to literature, voice opinions about current events and political views, as well as write poetry all within the allotted characters. They loved the chance to tag the people that they were speaking about or responding to. It showed them that their voices can be heard in a positive and academic way, rather than cyberbullying and social nonsense. 

What are your expectations for this course?
I expect to leave this course with an arsenal of social media platforms to infuse into my classroom curriculum and the knowledge to do so flawlessly. I want to truly enrich the students' educations by showing them how to use their devices for positivity and academic enlightenment. I would love for them to leave my classroom with the confidence to continue using social media to have a voice and search for knowledge.