Week 29 Professional Online Social Networks

Week 29 Professional Online Social Networks

I have chosen Jay and Johnson’s (2002) reflective model for my blog this week.

Descriptive:

This year has been the year where I have stepped out of my comfort zone and reflected more openly about my practise.  Expressing my opinion in a public forum with fellow educators has been a daunting experince for an introvert such as myself. 

I am not a fan of posting personal  blogs, nor am I one to post much on Facebook. However, I am an avid follower on instagram and enjoy reading twitter commentary on a daily basis. Educational mediums like Ted Talks, LinkedIn and Facebook pages has allowed me to expand my Professional Learning Network (PLN) and my ability to communicate on different levels with indiviuals both locally and abroad.

After reviewing the “Social Media Tools” survey by fellow MindLab participants, it did not surprise me that the top tools most participants used were videos (86.3%) followed by Documents/Content (61.6%) and then Social Networks (54.4%).  These are tools I use on a daily basis for both professional and personal use.  They are by far the easiest mediums to follow and use today.

Comparitive:

Professional development through the way of social media has helped teacher practise evolve over time. For example, you could research information about play based learning on the internet and follow the link to see PBL in action.  You could google information about a particular educator and then watch them deliver a lesson via YouTube.  Teachers now watch inspirational TedEd talks and read thought provoking comments by educationalists on Twitter. 

Siemens (2004) decribed how informal learning ( like this) occured in a variety of settings.  This could be done through personal networks, through communities of practise or through work related tasks. An article by Educause Learning Initiative (2009) discussed how learners (such as myself) are moving away from traditional text books or libraries.  We are now consuming information through a variety of resources and independent channels and to be honest, I find this more engaging.  Learning is self paced and I could share my feedback in  public forums too.

Critical reflection:

Whitaker et al (2015) described how individuals could look at their PLN with a service mindset.  The key to all this is that we not only connect in a sincere and genuine manner, but also be prepared to share and give of ourselves too.  It is a reciprocated action by those who are a part of this network or professional community.

 I enjoy the benefits that come with being in a Professional learning community but I also need to be more proactive within my PLN community. My goal is to post at least a couple of twitter comments on professional readings and blog my reflections more frequently each week.  This will be my commitment to end of the school year. I want to encourage colleagues in my team to do the same, so that this becomes part of our daily norm as the classroom teacher.

I hope to continue networking with fellow MindLab teachers (via our Google+ community) so that we could share and converse about current practice both here in NZ and abroad.

References:

EDUCAUSE. (2009). 7 things you should know about Personal Learning Environments. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2009/5/eli7049-pdf.pdf

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. eLearnSpace. Retrieved    from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

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