Have you jumped in yet...or are you still peeking over the wall? Mindlab Activity 5

Reflection on the role of social online networks in my professional development (Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M., 2001).

Figure 1. Wall of overwhelming Stuff. (Abbott, 2011)

What?

Recent research has identified some models of Professional Development to be less effective than others, e.g. one-day workshops or conferences not directly connected to a school’s academic programmes or teaching practises.

“Spontaneous, experiential, and unplanned” (Greenhow & Robelia, 2009, p. 122) informal learning driven by the urgent ‘just in time’ desires of teachers (Timperley, 2011) also seem to lack the impact of sustained professional learning with clear outcomes, driven by evidence and inquiry.

Contemporary ideas about teaching and learning endorse proactive participation of the learner in the learning process (Das Gupta, 1994). Therefore, it could be argued that social online tools fit within this practice. Blogging helps learners to express their ideas and collaborate with others, supporting both individual and social learning activities (Minocha & Kerawalla, 2010) as we become ‘Produsers - a hybrid of producer and user” (Bruns, 2007), and the boundary between consumers and creators of content is blurred. The greater the social capital (investment of time) of an individual or community, the greater the chance for improved practice and gain (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005, p. 21).

Figure 2. On-line Learning and Knowledge Building (Harasim, 2014)

My professional online networks include Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, Weebly, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, Youtube, TeachersPayTeachers and Teachers Notebook which I use to connect with teachers from around the world.
My use of online social media changes with my role and interests in education.


So What?

Teacher-authors who write about observations in their own practise can be highly informative and motivating. The more you engage, the quicker you can weed out the weaker content and find deeply reflective practitioners willing to share ideas and findings, or expose you to diverging ideas and practices.

But how much influence does it have on student achievement? And how much quality control is there from the site moderators of the content being shared? Is this a place for poorly thought through ideas and responses not based in theory, nor considerate of impact on practise, (McLoughlin & Lee, 2010)? Perhaps that role of moderator falls on us - the knowledge community!

Figure 3. On-line Learning and Knowledge Building (Harasim, 2014)

Most educators look for 'affirmation of practice, advice on experiences within the classroom, new resources, and mentorship' in their online communities (Melhuish, K., 2013). Geographically separated or single subject teachers like me, working in isolation, can develop a collaborative, participatory model with others who were previously inaccessible, as I did this week to connect with Hamish (Betts, 2017), an art teacher from Singapore. Through our online profiles, I was able to contact and meet up in person with this expert in the field during a brief trip to New Zealand.

Online communities are comprised of mostly anonymous members connected by a communal interest and attending by choice. They range in experience, background and perspective which will challenge your preconceptions or provide support with an issue in your practice.


What Next?

Currently, I use my daily commute for independent online PD. A great way to tune in/front load knowledge is by listening to podcast channels recommended by my social networks.

My Podcast Channels (Willemse 2018).

I also engage with focused Google+, Twitter, and Facebook groups which trigger personal investigations or keep me informed about evolving conversations in my areas of interests.

My Twitter Feeds (Willemse 2018).

People engage to the level of their comfort or need but is 'lurking' a legitimate way of learning (Melhuish, K., 2013)? While this doesn't appear to contribute to community building, followership numbers boost the participation of active members, and learning through reading replicates print resource material from the past. But those that engaging in practice based discourse find this leads to more effective professional learning.

My Facebook Groups (Willemse 2018).

As connected 21C educators, we need to at least raise our heads over the walls of our classrooms and experience that cognitive dissonance to drive reflection on our practice. Melhuish, K.(2013) recognises the value of networking with educators beyond your own environment and vital for experiencing divergent thinking, that external voice is crucial to effective professional development (Ministry of Education, 2008; Timperley et al., 2007).

So jump in and enjoy the view!

Figure 4. Jump!!  (AnneCN, 2011).

REFERENCES:


Abbott S. (2011). Customer Crossroads. Wall of overwhelming Stuff image retrieved from http://www.customercrossroads.com/customercrossroads/2011/12/drinking-the-mouthwash-your-customers-are-overwhelmed.html

AnneCN (2011). Jump!! image retrieved from  https://www.flickr.com/photos/anne-cathrine_nyberg/5928692484/in/photostream/

Betts H. (2017). Creatively Hamish. Retrieved from http://www.creativelyhamish.com/#_blog


Bruns, A. (2007). 2nd ed. 'The Practices of News Blogging', in Bruns, A. and Jacobs, J. (eds)  Uses of Blogs. United States of America: Peter Lang.

Das Gupta, P. (1994). 'Images of childhood and theories of development', in Barnes, P. Personal, Social and Emotional Development in Children. United Kingdom: Blackwell/The Open University.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.). United States of America: SAGE Publications Inc.

Greenhow, C., & Robelia, B. (2009). Informal learning and identity formation in online social networks. Learning, Media and Technology, 34(2), 119–140. doi:10.1080/17439880902923580
Heap, T.P. (2011).  An Investigation into the Blogging Practices of Academics and Researchers. Centre for Research in Education and Ed. Technology (CREET). The Open University, UK. Retrieved on 1 March 2108 from https://oro.open.ac.uk/35641/1/Thesis_tph37_final.pdf

Harasim, L. (2014). On-line Learning and Knowledge Building.  Retrieved on 1 March 2108 from https://lindaharasim.com/sfu-courses/cmns-453/part-2-topics-activities/https://lindaharasim.com/sfu-courses/cmns-453/part-2-topics-activities/

McLoughlin, C., & Lee, M. J. W. (2010). Developing an online community to promote engagement and professional learning for pre-service teachers using social software tools. Journal of Cases on Information Technology, 12(1), 17–30. doi:10.4018/jcit.2010010102
Melhuish, K.(2013). Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’ professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 28 February, 2018 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han…

Minocha, S. (2009a). 'A case study-based investigation of students’ experiences with
social software tools', New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 15(3), pp.245-65

Minocha, S. & Kerawalla, L. (2010). 'University Students’ Self-motivated Blogging and Development of Study Skills and Research Skills', in Lee, M.J.W. and McLoughlin, C. (eds) Web 2.0-Based E-Learning: Applying Social Informatics for Tertiary Teaching, IGI Global.

NZ Education Council. (n.d.). What is social media . Retrieved 28 February, 2018 from http://teachersandsocialmedia.co.nz/what-social-me...

Rolfe et al.'s reflective model, (2001). Adapted from: Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001) Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user's guide. Retrieved from https://my.cumbria.ac.uk/media/MyCumbria/Documents/ReflectiveModelRolfe.pdf

The Glossary of Education Reform (n.d.). Professional Development (2013). Retrieved on 1 March 2108 from https://www.edglossary.org/professional-development/

Timperley, H. S. (2011). Realising the power of professional learning. England: McGraw-Hill Education.

Weller, M. (2006). VLEs and the democratisation of e-learning' [online] http://slidesha.re/lguk6R
(accessed 1 March 2108 ).

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Timea

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