Week 29- Professional Online Social Networks

I am going to critically reflect on the use of social media in my teaching using the reflective model of Jay and Johnson (2002).

In my classroom I use the social media tools Seesaw and Youtube. Seesaw is an app that allows students to share their work either by using photos, videos, notes and links to their whanau at home. Seesaw can also be used as a teaching tool where the teacher can assign activities for students to complete either in class or at home. We use Youtube for researching around topics involving to our inquiry and any writing activities relating to our learning. The videos help us to research and investigate about new ideas.

I found the video of Karen Cassidy interesting as it was great to see students younger than the ones I teach using technology and how important it is becoming. I also liked her use of blogs as students can use it as a way to display their learning and receive feedback from others. 

I am interested in blogging as a way to allow students to become collaborative and they would have a portfolio showing their work for families and peers. It would also show progress and students could look back at all the work that they have achieved in previous years. As our school is joined in the Manaiakalani cluster we are currently having our ICT updated and being put onto blogs for each class. Students would have their own blog and this is something I am interested in getting to know how to use to make learning successful. 

In Karen Cassidy's video she also had her students using blogs which was a way for students to show their learning and receive feedback from others. It aligns with what we are doing towards Manaiakalani and with what research says. We are aiming to use our devices socially to Learn, create and share. So when completing a writing activity we are able to learn something new, create the task and then share it using our chosen social media tools like Seesaw or Blogger. They say that "using social media in the classroom allows students opportunities to learn how to be productive citizens in the digital world...also while learning and practicing grammar, punctuation and spelling which are all essential for communication" (Magette, 2014).

I can see the benefits of using a social media platform in my classroom as a means for my students to connect with others and improve their literacy and communication skills. I do see challenges with using social media in the classroom. These challenges include different websites with conflicting information, inappropriate sites and ads and just general issues around cyber safety. I would like to continue to pursue more into blogger and allowing students to get more feedback from their whanau and from the outside world around their learning.

References:

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

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