Don’t Be A Technophobe!

Social media is popular amongst students and young adults. There is just no fighting that anymore. Off the top of my head, Myspace was the seed of social media. I’m well aware of the history of social media, but I think that’s boring. So i’ll give you my own…

I remember the glory days of web use where you would create a profile on myspace (go with me on this one, older folk), receive your first friend request off ‘Tom’ and go ahead and personalise your profile. In terms of history, that’s about it… However, what I wanted to highlight was the basic use of web design that is required. An education in the future, how vital are these skills now? Emailing and messaging are all part of our day-to-day which has been developed through social media.

Anyway, how does it affect us now? What can we use it for now? There’re loads of questions and hesitations I know you will have if you are not a frequent user, and if you do use social media, hopefully you can take something from this that will benefit you where it matters… In the classroom.

Encouraging Creativity

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” — Albert Einstein

Student engagement is the hardest psychological investment in learning. The most successful educators understand how to hold a room, but unfortunately… There are always going to be distractions. A battle our current educators fact is the ‘Interactive’ war. Students constantly on their phones tweeting, messaging and snapchat-ing. Glamorous first world problems, eh? Well, win the war.

For students, social networks arguably provide a mix of creative expression and group work through tasks like contributing to a blog, designing websites, uploading video presentations, and creating Facebook pages for class projects. Facilitate your lesson in the best possible way, use a # to get them to tweet about it? Try something out the box!

Professional Development

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” — Bill Gates

Everybody wants to reach the pinnacle of their trade, that is just human nature.

It is critical for teachers to have ongoing and regular opportunities to learn from each other. Ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on new research on how students learn, emerging technology tools for the classroom, new curriculum resources, and more. The best professional development is ongoing, experiential, collaborative, and connected to and derived from working with students and understanding their culture.

On the internet, you will not be short of forums and groups which can broadcast new, exciting and inventive strategies to engage students on a daily basis. Teachers/Contributors will regularly discuss planning, technology and lesson ideas, whilst delivering direct feedback on trialled lessons — either positive or negative.

Build Your Own Brand

“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business” — Henry Ford

When you put yourself online, sell yourself. Your personal teaching profile is your company (especially if you are supply). Online portfolios will definitely be part of the future of interviews, as it shows a skill level and passion about what you specialise in.

An example of someone who has done this is Ross Morrison McGill, also known as ‘Te@cher Toolkit’. Ross is one of the most influential people in the UK, with over 6 million readers. He’s all over social media with a webpage, Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Google Plus, Instagram, Pinterest and Linkedin. Now, I am not saying that you should go out and create an account on everything mentioned, yet there are certain things that will be useful in helping you create a profile with a good online presence. The easiest to get to grips with is Twitter. You’re limited to short, snappy and insightful ‘tweets’ that can raise discussion.

Want a start?

“Teachers shouldn’t get paid for planning and marking #Fair #Education”

I bet that got your blood boiling…obviously I didn’t mean it, I just wanted to spike attention, unfortunately “Going to make a cup of Tea #Life” will not cut the mustard!

Be Relevant

“Sign up to Teachers Register today and cut out the middle man. Connect yourself with Schools directly” — Conor Powers

Okay, you caught me out… God loves a trier. Anyway… Nobody likes ancient examples, or rigid lesson plans. Students these days (I sound old) get bored easier. Grab their attention with relevant, modern and understandable analogies, metaphors and examples. By being on Social Media, you will continue to learn new things and improve your teaching style. Don’t grow old in not only your skin, but your profession — evolve and engage.

So To Summarise…

It’s vital, then, to accept social media as something that is not disappearing, and should be used productively, rather than devalued in schools. Doing so can mean that students moving into the workplace know how to use social media as an important tool, rather than a distraction.

What first?

Become tech savvy, download the Teachers Register app and go from there…

Till next week,

Conor @ Teachers Register

Originally published at teachersregister.co.