Social Networking: Maximizing Web 2.0 Teacher Learning Communities

Social Networking: Maximizing Web 2.0 Teacher Learning Communities http://www.livebinders.com/edit/index/339341 Joy Quah (SUNY) & Sieng Chong Ling (College of St Rose)

Purpose • to explore opportunities for pursuing informal professional development opportunities using social networking • to harness expertise of the community for self-directed professional development through Twitter, Live Binder, Edmodo

Successful ICT CPD (cited in Rutherford, 2010) • Sustained, on-going and intensive (becta, 2009; Borko, 2004; Darling-Hammond & Mclaughlin, 1995; Wayne, Yoon, Zhu, Cronen, & Garet, 2008; Wei et al., 2009) • Practical - directly related to local classroom practice and student learning (Becta, 2009; Borko, 2004; Darling-Hammond & Mclaughlin, 1995; Hirsh, 2004; Nord, 2004; Wei et al., 2009) • Collaborative and involves sharing of knowledge(Borko, 2004; Darling-Hammond & Mclaughlin, 1995; Hirsh, 2004; Nord, 2004; Warren-Little, 2006) • Participant driven and constructivist in nature (Becta, 2009; Borko, 2004; Darling-Hammond & Mclaughlin, 1995; Wayne et al., 2008)

Professional Development for Teachers • Often defined as externally driven • 80% of on-the-job-learning occurs informally • Informal learning contributes to organizations in significant but unacknowledged ways • most valuable members pursue informal, self-directed learning most vigorously

conventional professional development - transmissive - experts teaching non-experts • PD through online communities - often more dynamic in nature - teachers have the opportunity to take on the role of learner as well as teacher (Warren-Little, 2006, cited in Rutherford, 2010) • informal learning - imperative in "shape-shifting"

Shape shifting portfolio people (Gee, 2004, p.105). • see themselves as free agents in charge of their own selves • believe they must manage their own risky trajectories through building up a variety of skills, experiences, and achievements in terms of which they can define themselves as successful now and worthy of more success later • are defined by their set of skills and experiences and achievements in their their portfolio • are ready and able to rearrange these skills, experiences, and achievements creatively (that is, to shape –shift into different identities) in order to define themselves anew (as competent and worthy) for changed circumstances.

Some questions: How can social networking • facilitate informal, self-directed professional development? • foster continual "shape-shifting"?

Twitter - a free microblogging service (140 characters) Who's on Twitter? - teachers, librarians, principals, technology integration specialists, media specialists, college professors, district superintendents and educators from all over the world

Twitter - Tweet and retweet information Learn about - trends / issues in education - links to articles - resources / ideas - new educational tools / apps - educational blogs / websites Share/Contribute - ideas / opinions / resources / suggestions

Twitter Tips Follow people who share resources. - whose tweets you like and meet your needs (e.g. educational resources) Be selective. It is acceptable to unfollow. Monitor people that you follow. - Some people tweet too much (too daunting to follow all their tweets) - alternatively, you can follow your favorite area of interest by following specific hashtag tweets. (#edtech, #preschool, #ipadchat, #highered)

Your Twitter Account https://twitter.com/#!/lingsc Twitter Resources http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit/339341?tabid=4ce9309a-9534-ac20-eb96-2a26a695153c

Edmodo Edmodo - It is very interactive (possibly the most). Learn by joining: a) Communities b) Interest Groups

What we gain from Edmodo: Exchange expertise Learn about latest trends / issues in education Contribute ideas / opinions Share experiences / resources Get help/ suggestions

LiveBinders - A livebinder = an online 3-ring binder. - Monthly webinars - Go to http://www.livebinders.com/ to register for an account.

LiveBinders: Pedagogical Tools Examples: Curating resources Course Materials Webquest

LiveBinders: Portfolios Example: Portfolio: Will Teach for Food

LiveBinders: Tutorials Example: Embedding Objects 1 - documents, images, applications

LiveBinders Other ways it can be used: - presentation - collaboration - student blogs compilation - conference binder for sharing resources - webinar collection and much more!

conventional professional development - role of the teacher and learner are static • PD through online communities - often more dynamic in nature - teachers have the opportunity to take on the role of learner as well as teacher (Warren-Little, 2006, cited in Rutherford, 2010)

The source of CPD provision itself is less important than the learning approach which is adopted. “To teach is to learn twice.” Joseph Joubert

Joy Quah Doctoral Student Educational Theory & Practice Department, SUNY joyquah@gmail.com & Sieng Chong Ling Graduate Student Information Technology Services College of St Rose scling@gmail.com

Social Networking: Maximizing Web 2.0 Teacher Learning Communities