Why all teachers should be social media junkies

The following is a post from our compulsory MA Ed reflective blog. This week’s theme was social media and blogging. As a social media junkie I feel very passionately about Social Media’s place in a teacher and a student’s life. 

Steeve Wheeler‘s post on seven reasons why all teachers should blog makes for persuasive reading. Summarised, he lists the reasons as:

1. Reflecting

2. Crystallizing your thinking

3. Wider audience for your teaching

4. Personal momentum

5. Increased feedback

6. Creative outlook

7. Raises your game

I agree wholeheartedly with him on all accounts. I’ve been blogging for a little under a year now at www.missmarksblogs.wordpress.com and have found the experience incredible. I thought I would reflect upon Steeve’s points personally and also add some of the things I’ve struggled with as a fledging blogger in a vast and impressive community of veterans.

1. Reflecting

Throughout my PGCE at Exeter we were encouraged to become reflective practitioners; writing up reflections on my lessons was always one of my favourite things to do. Firstly because writing down my reflections helped me to organise my thoughts and secondly because it felt like something, amidst a sea of Government Policy and essay writing, which may actually help me in the future. I’ve re-used and adapted many of my BT lessons and thanks to that reflection I can change the less successful elements with ease.

2. Crystallizing your thinking

I wouldn’t go as far to say that I’ve crystallized my thinking yet, but the process of blogging, reflecting and connecting to others around me has introduced me to educational theories that I wouldn’t have been exposed to if I only connected with others in my workplace. It has ignited passions in certain areas (robotics, e-learning and inquiry learning), and caused me to start to form my own educational, pedagogical beliefs. I know what I do and don’t like; what works for me in my classroom and how I would like my students to learn.

3. Wider audience for your teaching

I can’t quite express the excitement I get checking my global stats on my WordPress homepage. I love checking where my views and visits have come from. Once I blog I usually place a link on Twitter, it’s generally retweeted by a few of my main TweetPeeps and then the views start pouring in. Watching hits come in from the USA, Chile, Mexico, Australia, UK and a huge variety of other countries never fails to astound me. I would love to receive more comments; who are these people? What do they think? How did they find me? Nonetheless, I feel very privileged to have this global platform.

4. Personal momentum

I’m still trying to find my momentum for blogging, I think I need to learn that shorter posts are just as effective. It doesn’t need to be a huge effort. This is something I’d like to try to improve upon in the coming year.

5. Increased feedback 

I wish I received more comments on the blog itself, however, I often get comments from colleagues and friends who have seen my posts and comment in person. I’ve had several photocopier conversations with colleagues who’ve made incredible suggestions or asked for help trying something similar. It’s enabled me to share and receive hints and tips with teachers and become a better teacher.

6. Creative outlook

I’ve certainly become much more creative; documenting my lessons through photos, videos and interviews with students has been a real “fly on the wall” experience! However, it’s the process of writing that has been so creatively inspiring.

7. Raises your game

I certainly feel as though I’m on show; wanting to try new things and share with the world has really encouraged me to raise my game. Becoming a member of a blogging community has led me to read several blogs from many hugely inspiring teachers. My game has been raised; but it still has far to go.

In another post Wheeler mentions the “Orphan” blogs that flood the internet. Started with great intentions these blogs fail for a variety of reasons; from my experience I would hazard a guess that the two main causes are lack of time, and feelings of isolation through lack of hits or comments.

So, for those who feel disheartened perhaps the MicroBlogging Sphere of Twitter might be more your cup of tea. Posts are limited to 140 characters ergo they cannot take up your time! In fact the time you spend is working out how to say less. Twitter has the added benefit of a vocal and active community; you aren’t isolated. You can follow people, conversations, themes and topics that interest you too.

Being professional is important so to do this, I, like those on the Academic Twits video keep my Facebook and Instagram private and my Twitter and Blog professional.

So could these forms of social media be useful in the classroom; beyond the teacher’s use for PD?

My answer is a resounding yes!

Connect to other classes, connect to the author of your Novel study, Skype an expert for your science project, Tweet-pal in a foreign language, attend an E-Field trip or partake in a Mystery Skype such as these, connect to each other, debate, communicate, collaborate, collate URLs, share your learning Snap Chat story. The opportunities are only limited by your imagination; if you can’t think of a way to use Social Media the students will!

The new -ings are part of our modern lexicon. “I’ll facebook it to you!” “She snapchatted me a video of it.” “Can you instagram that photo?”. It’s natural that they should be used in the classroom; if only to teach students how to keep themselves safe with this emerging and ever-changing world of communication.