Week 29 Professional Online Social Networks

Week 29 Professional Online Social Networks

Descriptive stage.

I really enjoy using social media especially if it is an online social network that I am fond of and confident in using. I am currently signed up with the following online social networks.

1. Facebook- Live stream vlogs on special occasions and personal opinions  
2. Snapchat- Send people snippets of leisure and hobbies.
3. Instagram- Sharing of special events, moments,  
4. Trademe- buying goods, checking our reviews on certain products of interest.
5. Youtube- use this a lot for my students to help them understand different learning concepts they need to learn.
6. Google Docs- sharing, collaborating and communicating when planning with teachers.
7. Google+ communities- getting others perspectives on education.

Youtube has become my learning hub where I go to find out more about specific ideas and concepts and get a better understanding of things I’m not a hundred percent sure of yet. I also implement this online social media application to help my students as well who prefer to watch what they are learning about in different curriculum areas. I found that students are engaged more when watching youtube videos on their devices.  I too find it very engaging as well. I also love the fact if I don't understand something by watching it the first time I can always go back and watch it again.

Based on the social networks I currently use you could say that I am quite a online participator but unfortunately that is not case. Although I do use these social networks I kind of feel that I am only an effective consumer of social media because I don't really participate or comment or share my opinions online. I usually just scroll through many of the online forums about specific subjects and read only the juicy parts to the story. Whether I comment and share my perspectives of what I think depends on how passionate I am about what they are sharing online or whether or not i'm confident enough to share my thoughts.

But i feel that I do need to get involved more, especially in matters that involve education. I kind of think otherwise where people don't really care about what you say or whether what I say is going to make a change. But participating in mindlab has really made me believe in sharing learning, sharing ideas, opinions and viewing others perspectives because at the end of the day it's about improving teaching and learning. I feel that i need to contribute more on facebook, youtube, twitter and other online applications but also figure out ways in which you can use these application for learning purposes with students.

Comparative stage

Looking at the survey around popular online platforms I was not surprised at  finding out that the most popular platforms used are the ones I use as well on a regular basis. I kind of had a feeling that youtube, facebook, twitter would be the most popular because it is what the majority of the world are using at the moment. Like any online social network or technological device we use it for are reason so therefore there must be a greater purpose. I question my students all the time about how well are you using your technological device to learn? I guess the same thing applies too when interacting on online social networks not just using it for personal use but deliberately looking for those learning opportunities and taking the time to share thoughts and opinions because this is where the rich and authentic learning can take place. This is why These words from Whitaker, Zoul and Casas (2015) really resonate well with me “your presence on social media gives you the opportunity to expand your knowledge, which leads to more opportunities to teach others what you have learnt and allow you to make even greater impacts on others than you ever thought possible”.

Critical Reflection.

As I mention in the beginning of my reflection there was a barrier that held me back from contributing to online discussion the  that fact that know one would care about what I thought and whether my input would count for something. Sometimes I would also doubt myself in terms of whether I knew what I was talking about even though I did do my homework. This is one thing I don't like the feeling of thinking about what others think, but i should stay true to my thoughts and actually take pride in the fact that I do have a lot to offer. This is definitely a goal of mine moving forward in my learning journey Whitaker, Zoul and Casas (2015) argues that It is imperative that you begin to shift your mindset beyond negative thoughts of ‘Why would anyone care what I have to say?’ and begin to take pride in the fact that you do have unique talents and experiences.

It is also about staying connected with other learners. Whitaker, Zoul & Casas (2015) states that connected educators should be sharing ideas, resources, knowledge and understanding in order to create professional learning networks and communities. We learn so much better when we stay connected and learn of each others experiences and expertise. I now understand that I need to make more of an effort to stay connected with my colleagues and students in order to make an impact. But the impact must start with me first.

Reference

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