Sharing Good Practice
friends’ and family’s latest vacation or
restaurant pictures, but when it comes
to using social media for professional
support, we cannot afford to waste
time. We must be intentional about
the time we commit to and purpose
for its use. To do this, consider the
following:
5 5 Select the platform of most support
to your professional needs.
5 5 Understand the best use of that
platform (is it reading quotes,
skimming
headlines,
engaging
in web-based, real-time chats,
or sharing content with your
professional network?)
5 5 Determine when and for how long
each week you will elect to spend
time on that platform. If you know,
for example that someone you’re
following engages in a Tuesday
evening chat, that is helpful, then
Tuesdays are the days you set aside a
few hours to review content, engage
in discussion, etc.
5 5 Finally, be intentional about who you
follow, and why. If your primary goal
with social media is to connect with
other teachers of literacy, then don’t
waste time following persons who
post very cool and inspiring quotes
that reveal nothing about teaching
literacy well. It is acceptable to be
selective and to keep your pool of
people small.
Principle 3: Give and Take
The best way to prevent feeling
overwhelmed and “less than” all of the
“experts” on your selected social media
platform is to realize that you have as
much to contribute as they do. You
may have a different title or location
and fewer years of service than the
person(s) dishing out social media
advice, but that does not negate the
knowledge, experience, creativity,
and understanding you bring to the
platform. Be courageous and respond
and react to shared web-based
content. If you are using a platform to
explore a potential new resource for
classroom use, then be honest about
its helpfulness, or lack thereof. If you’re
engaged in web-based educational
chats, let other people know what you
think of their words/ideas, and how
you might apply selected content.
Your thoughts, ideas, and vision are
just as important and valuable as the
next person, regardless of number of
followers, likes, or publications.
Additional Ideas: If social media is not
the thing for you, and your primary
focus is selecting websites offering
resources, tools, books, and other
supports for your local classroom,
then create a written collection of
core sites and check them regularly.
Also consider doing a google search,
using such terms as “best web-based
resources for educators” to identify
the best supports for your target age
group, grade level, or professional
need. Most importantly, ask other
educators who they follow, read, listen
to via podcasts, or chat with through
Facebook Live or Twitter chats.
Remember, it’s not important to follow
100 or 500 new educators, vendors, or
professional journals each year. Just
one site, resource, or platform can
spark new ideas for your daily efforts,
and focused attention to 1-2 resources
is far better for our mental health
than opening the laptop to hundreds
of tweets, posts, podcasts, or daily
headlines.
Final Thought: Your educational and
professional value is not determined
by who or what you know. Instead,
it is determined by your efforts to
impact learning. Be intentional and
purposeful with web-based supports,
and you’ll avoid the stress of being
overwhelmed by the web or the
shiniest of digital technologies. With
intentional Internet habits, you’ll invest
in a healthier and happier you.
Principle 2: Reflect
regularly
Each time you learn something new
that supports your educational role,
write it down and reflect on how
you see yourself using that strategy
or adopting an idea for your local
setting. Also, consider reflecting
about the success (or lack thereof)
after you have implemented the new
idea. Remember, what works for one
school does not necessarily work for
another school. It is OK to take the
ideas and recommendations of others
and personalize them to your setting.
Reflection serves a dual role in your
professional growth. It helps you think
critically about knowledge and the
application of that knowledge, while
simultaneously reminding you that
other educators are not perfect. No
one can implement new ideas and
practices and expect perfection right
out of the gate.
Dr. Lori Brown is the Director of Learning Solutions for Strivven Media’s
VirtualJobShadow.com and President of Dawn Star Consulting LLC. She is
a former teacher, administrator, and grant writer who continues to support
global professional development. She lives in her hometown of Asheville, North
Carolina.
Class Time
Term 1 Sep - Dec 2019
15