About Me:
Hello EDCI 338, My name is Leah, and I’m in the Elementary Curriculum BEd program, going into my third year. I love to travel and unravel the world to open up my perspective on what’s around us, how we live our lives, and how education varies around the world. This summer I’ve had the opportunity to explore Bali, Lombok, and Thailand. In Lombok, I volunteered at an elementary school, which was very eye-opening. Teaching processes, lifestyles, health, and wellbeing are so diverse depending on where you are, and I find this so fascinating. I learned some really valuable lessons from this experience and my travels this year. I’d share more intricate details, but I don’t want to bombard you just yet. However, I will add that I’ve also recently discovered I’m a huge fan of Thai tea.. with boba, of course.
Reflecting on This Weeks Topics:
From the topics and resources shared this week, I connected most in thinking about social media’s role in education and lessons learned with the support of social media in general. In the Ted Talk, “Digital Literacy: Realizing the Promise of Technology” by Shauna Begley she describes and shares the intricacies of technology, its advancements, and how these tie into our livelihoods and overall successes. She states that “our success requires a continuous alignment between what we do, the technology we use, and how we use it.” This made me think back to my recent travels and lessons I learned along the way, which were in many ways influenced by social media and networking platforms. I had expanded my resources for connecting with other travelers and hosts, which allowed me to meet up with like-minded travelers, educators, save money, and learn more about local cultures. Now, navigating these platforms was a learning curve in its own, having that precautionary mindset of not knowing who these people are or how to use these different toggles. Which relates to what Begley explains later on, “modern technology being intimidating,” and finding the confidence to learn new things, experiment, and taking the time to use technology in new ways. Many of the individuals I met along the way were also using social media platforms to create and share content of their own as a career or side hustle. They would create and edit vlogs, brand content, or blogs. Seeing and talking about this reality and lifestyle was really amazing as these individuals have so much knowledge on different platforms, strategies, software, and how to use them effectively to their advantage and to support their own successes in life. I saw the power and gain social media and learning how to use these resources effectively holds in many ways. Social networking sites not only help people connect, I believe they expand individuals’ thinking and learning on digital safety, literacy, creation, social interactions, ideas of technological possibilities and opportunities.
| Networking Resources For Traveling & Meeting New People |
|---|
| Nomad Table |
| Travel Ladies |
| Couchsurfing |
| Trusted Housesitters |
| TripBFF |
| Hostel World |
| Meetup |
Reflection Continued… Social Networking
Social networking is a lesson in itself and can relate to not only travelers but also any community, especially educators tieing into professional networking discussed in the article, “Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them” by Kamakshi Rajagopal, Desirée Joosten–ten Brinke, Jan Van Bruggen, and Peter B. Sloep. Networking shapes the ways we learn and process information. In the educator realm, I see this, for example, in schools surrounded by the educators you make connections with and build that network, which will then expand further when you go to teach in another school. Last term I created a profesional network map for a class to help prepare for practicum and in this map I included educators that I connect or relate to that then shared with me resources and ideas based on their own experiences and knowledge which then helped me answer questions around education, teaching, and resources in a networked way. Through this experience, I saw the value in social networking and its relation to differing platforms, situations, or communities.
Personally, I often times struggle with using social media or new technology platforms finding them intimidating or feeling unsure about how to use them in an efficient way that will not develop into an unhealthy reliance or addiction as Begley also describes we are, “at risk of becoming more disconnected from the world around us.” This idea, unfortunately, stirs many of my anxieties. However, as proven by these resources, technology also offers and creates limitless opportunities, connections, and careers. With the proper introductions, digital literacies, and support, I feel that social resources and technology can be used in extremely great and effective ways that can help individuals develop and succeed in their own lives through education and into careers. This makes me excited to keep learning about platforms to be able to build comfort and share them in education to support others digital fluency and lessen these anxieties or intimidating feelings around technology in order to use them to an advantage.
Additional Resources:
Social media isn’t bad: you’re just using it wrong by Eva Amin: An insightful Ted Talk on how social media and technology could be better taught, introduced and the importance of digital literacy in the classroom.
Eduki.com – social media conversation board game: A board game activity to do with a class to get them thinking and talking about social media if age appropriate. Also to allow you as an educator to evaluate what students might already know about these platforms and how they work to delve into further. It is payed but I think this would be easy to recreate and personalize to best suit a class.