Professional Learning Networks On Social Media

Professional Learning Networks On Social Media

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            Social Media for Teachers can be a valuable tool for building a Professional Learning Network. These platforms can provide educators with highly effective and recommended research-based instructional strategies that are demonstrated or produced in various ways. Finding social media sites and people to follow that support evidence-based teaching practice is essential, and one must be selective of whose social media content they choose to follow. Educators on social media platforms will add valuable insight into becoming a successful teacher as there are many platforms emanating ways to increase student comprehension and understanding, countless innovative organizational concepts, lesson plans, and ideas for lesson plans. The list is endless, and it is all just a click away. Social media allows us to excel as educators by spending more time prioritizing student-centered direct instruction and optimizing our time with our students in the classroom. It also gives teachers and educators a place for community networking and building, as we all know that teaching is a demanding and challenging career. Social media platforms allow teachers and educators to work collaboratively with others outside their school walls with people worldwide. Social media enable teachers to share and discuss up-to-date educational research and trends, inspiring others and advocating for growth within the educational community and their own. 

            Kayla and Kristi from @teachers.tea on the "gram" became social media teacher influencers because they recognized many teachers' challenges in finding time to create high-quality curriculum-aligned lessons. They have created anchor charts, slides for teaching, student slides, exit tickets, projects with take-home notes, and materials teachers will need, all added to their slides. It's an easy click and teach. It empowers teachers to reclaim valuable time and energy they can invest in their students and families, alleviating the substantial burden of content creation. Kayla, a teacher of twelve years, and Kristi, a teacher of fifteen years in Edmonton Public, are collaborative team partners in grade 3. In 2019, this innovative duo decided to help other educators by making free resources for other teachers to use. They opted for Instagram as their platform of choice because they felt it was the most comfortable fit and what they already used, and the social network they've cultivated there supports their learning and fosters a nurturing community. They started building a unit with slides and reels in June of that year. They found that they get the most views from the reels they create and are the most fun to make. Since then, it has become their side hustle, and they love creating educational content. They feel the best conversations come from collaboration, and developing lesson ideas allows them to grow as educators. Utilizing backward design to come up with engaging lesson plans. "If I'm excited, the students will also be excited." 

         There are many positives and negatives when using social media as a platform to build your Professional Learning Network. As mentioned previously, social media allows many teachers to connect. The negative is that it opens the door to negative feedback, comments, and backlash. I loved Kayla and Kristi's go-to when they receive negative comments and interactions, "when they go low, we go high," and always give the 24-hour rule before responding. Another negative is that personal information is exposed online for all to see. Being very selective about what you post and disclose online is essential. With all the information and material online, misinformation can be easily avoided by always doing a fact check before incorporating it into your teaching practice. Social media can also be a rabbit hole with so much content you spend too much time trying to find quality lessons, and following a smaller amount of quality educators instead will alleviate this problem. Teachers must always follow the code of conduct when creating content and be cautious to avoid exposure to or engagement with inappropriate content. Always following the Teaching Quality Standards is crucial for maintaining excellence in education and teacher professionalism. 

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