A breath Of Fresh Air
Diving Into Nature
By: Natasha Dixon
I know what some of you may be thinking, how can social media be used as a learning tool? Many people see social media as a way to share pictures, view memes, chat with friends and share personal pictures of what they are doing. Some people see it as a way to keep in contact with other people via the internet. There are many different platforms that can be used including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, blogs, Twitter and more. These platforms each have their own guidelines and ways they can be used. Instagram is geared more to sharing images with others, where twitter involves 280 characters to share ideas through writing. I have some exciting news to share with you all! These platforms can be used as a professional learning tool to share resources and connect with like-minded people from all over the world. How? 1.Curating Resources- Social media can be used to post and keep resources. You can post relevant articles, pictures, blogs and videos that you find. This can help you store your resources in one spot so you can go back and references the resources at a later date. It can also help educate fellow instructors, parents and community members. The relevant resources can provide insight and back up the ideas you have shared. On social media you can share your resources with a large group of people quickly. You can also look at resources other people have shared and curate those. This is exactly what has been done in the Nature Based Learning class at Algonquin College. Students curated relevant resources via blogs, twitter and Facebook that can be used to implement Nature Based Learning into early learning environments. 2. Building Community- Connecting with others on social media can help create a sense of community. This can be especially true for educators and professionals as you can connect with people you may have never met before as well as people you know. You can discuss, connect and share ideas with them. This can be a great way to connect with people who have similar values and experiences that you have. You can provide each other with tips, suggestions and strategies. For example, if you are looking for new strategies on how to implement nature based learning into your program you can consult with others via the social media platforms. You could join a Facebook group that promotes nature based learning. You can ask questions to the members of the groups, comment on posts and access relevant resources. You can create a collaborative atmosphere by liking, sharing and commenting on each other’s posts. This can also help ensure you see ideas from the perspective of others which can enhance your understanding of a subject. This can also help individuals who are new to the field with connecting to others within the community. 3. Communicating Ideas with others- Social media offers a platform for individuals to share their ideas with others. For example, twitter chats can involve multiple professionals and educators discussing a predetermined topic. They can share ideas and comment on what each other post to create a collaborative experience for those involved. This is a great opportunity to share your points and discuss with others their ideas. You may have different ideas then other people but you can share and discuss why you think the way you do. Social media is a great platform for people to access because you can also communicate with people who may be on the other side of the world in a different time zone. Each individual can log onto the site at their convenience and reply when they are able. This means you can communicate your ideas to a variety of people who you may not otherwise have connections to. My Experience Using Social Media as a Professional Tool:
Before September of this year I was active on Facebook and Instagram with my personal accounts. I was connected with friends and family where I would use these platforms to share pictures and what I was up to. Once the semester began I started to see the value of using the tools in a different, more educational way. I started using these platforms in professional ways. I used is especially for nature based learning but also general child development related topics. I started to connect with colleagues, professionals, classmates and educators. I started to notice more educational and relevant information being shared on my feed. I started a blog, created Twitter and Pinterest and started actively using each of these platforms. I really started to understand and practice using these tools professionally. I was able to participate in a twitter chat with classmates and other professionals who wanted to join. We all had the opportunity to share our ideas and resources with each other. After the twitter chat was complete I truly felt empowered with the knowledge and passion that was evident in the chat. It was great to see how other people viewed nature based learning and strategies they use to implement it. I also used my blog, twitter and Facebook to curate resources and share them with my followers. I enjoyed reading comments from others who used some of the ideas I shared in the Early Learning environment where they work. It was great to see what a difference sharing with others can make. I truly feel that people become more educated and inspired when connecting with others on these platforms. This is something to consider for the future. If you are not already active on social media platforms in professional ways I challenge you. I challenge you to inspire and educate others with your knowledge and passion. I challenge you to try to use at least one platform in a professional way. I am positive you will begin to understand and see the benefits for yourself. Now what are you waiting for? Relevant Resources: Want tips? Check out the following resources that provide great insight and the “dos” and “don’ts” of using social media as a professional platform. https://learningfirst.org/blog/social-media-helps-educators-build-professional-learning-communities https://www.kennedykrieger.org/stories/social-media-professional-learning-tool Picture Resources: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/02/15/facebook_2fa_phone_spam/ https://www.wired.com/story/instagram-sponsored-posts/ https://twitter.com/twitter https://www.ecampusnews.com/2016/01/15/higher-ed-blogs-277/ https://www.adlibbing.org/2018/02/12/4-lessons-from-top-social-media-publishers/ https://research.uiowa.edu/communicating-ideas-workshop http://www.curata.com/blog/content-curation-tools-the-ultimate-list
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Natasha DixonThis blog is dedicated to diving into nature in every way, shape and form. I want to truly enjoy my time in Nature and further explore different aspects of nature. |