Education – and therefore I – must embrace and understand technology and the internet in the twenty-first century. Image: https://learninglanguagespld.wikispaces.com/file/view/ipod-youpod-wepod-theypod.jpg/468874996/ipod-youpod-wepod-theypod.jpg.
Well, the end is upon us. I am sure that everyone involved will say (quite rightly) that this module has revolutionised their views on and actions concerning online usage – but what exactly has #UOSM2033 done to change (or even improve) our relationship with all things digital?
In my case it has been the realisation that the internet is a bountiful milieu of networking opportunity, akin to any face-to-face meeting. The very first topic – on the idea of digital visitors and residents, my blog on which can be found here – was the first time that I had ever considered using the internet for anything other than practical tasks. I’ve progressed from researching and shopping online to blogging and networking with others on this module and on other modules.
I did, however, maintain two Twitter accounts before this module began: I used these two profiles to post statements (one for my studies, one personal) but seldom for interaction. In future I will endeavour to use my online professional profiles – as a teacher these will be learning resources – to interact with students, parents and teachers in order to improve teaching and learning.
The main aspect of my professional development has been to craft carefully an online presence that reflects my values both as a teacher and a man. Although my social media accounts have, of course, only ever been legal and professional, the topic of social media safety in education forced me to re-evaluate the privacy and content of my own pages (as you can see below). Professionals – especially those in a position of care as teachers are – have a duty to ensure that their personas are not only legal but more importantly private and sensible. I have altered my profiles to make them as private as possible, displaying only the information I want to display.
Spot the difference: I have made my Facebook page more private and more suitable for my career. It has only one image and no other information.
The self-test assessed my use of online materials and I am not ashamed to say that I could not recall many instances of creating something online. I have always believed that images and videos should be used only when they complement and enhance your work. This is something I still believe, but I am now much more open to posting videos online. It is a crucial part of being a twenty-first-century teacher and can have tremendous effects on young people’s lives. Although I will be teaching History, I am currently looking for an A-level Maths revision site with students requesting videos on advanced trigonometry to be the home for my Sixth Form revision videos. My new appreciation of the power of social media has shown me that my videos, and the ability to network, could help many students around the world.
As a teacher it is most important to focus on keeping my private life private, and using technology effectively in order to offer the best resources and techniques to my students for both academic and personal development. I need to be able to practise what I preach when telling students to be digitally wise!
mjpeacock 