Initial Thoughts on Social Media Use for Professional and Student Learning

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

The use of social media in the classroom is a practice that I am currently aware of its existence, but am not familiar with in my own practice.  In my school district, social media (Facebook in particular) is still considered a taboo by many.  I am enthusiastic about having the opportunity to experience a variety of social networks, both those I am familiar with and those I am not, and learning about the positive effects they can have in a classroom setting.  It is my hope that if I become more educated and informed about the potential uses of social media in the classroom and on a professional level, I can become an advocate for change within my school district.  I think social media provides effective tools for educators to stay on top of new trends in education and technology.  It just isn't possible to get all of our information from books or periodicals that are published every so often.  Our world is evolving at a much faster rate than that.

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

In regard to social media for professional development purposes, I have used a couple of different resources.  My school district has a subscription to a professional development site called PD360.  This site allows educators to collaborate and communicate with one another directly and in groups.  There are videos on virtually any topic regarding education that one may be looking for.  It has been used sporadically throughout the last couple of years in my district, but has not been utilized on a regular basis.  

As I mentioned, my school district is not fond of social media.  Any idea that even mentions the use of Facebook for any purpose is instantly denied any consideration.  On a personal level however, I have used Facebook to branch out professionally.  I have had a number of keynote speakers and technology gurus whom I have followed.  When I search for new ideas or technologies that are available to educators, I frequently use them as a resource.  I am also actively searching for ideas and materials through sites like Pinterest.  I am excited about the increased connections between people that are provided by social networking sites. 

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

Admittedly, I have not used social media as a strategy within my classroom.  In the realm of an elementary school classroom, it is difficult to engage students with certain social media sites as they are to young to sign up to use their services (even if many of them have overlooked the age requirement outside of school and signed up anyway).  Through some social media exploration while taking EDTECH 541, I discovered that Twitter does not have an age requirement.  This sparked an interest in the implications that it could have in the elementary setting.  In spite of my interest in the exploration of Twitter as a classroom tool, I am still hesitant to pursue its use because there are many parents who do not want their children to use such sites.

What are your expectations for this course? 

I am excited to learn about all that social media can do to enhance the learning environment for myself and my students.  I would like to begin to develop my own personal learning network and how to best utilize it for continued development.  Strategies for using social media within the classroom is also something I am hoping to gain from this course.  One final item, and perhaps the most important considering the opinion of social media in my community, I hope to learn how to approach classroom social media use with parents, specifically those who are uncomfortable with the idea of their children using social media sites.