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Teachers Tea and a Reflection on PLNs

Professional Learning Networks on social media can help you as a teacher immensely. You can learn new ideas, and collaborate with other teachers. I learnt a lot from our EDTS 325 meeting with Teachers Tea's Kaila and Kristi. One of my big takeaways was that there are many platforms out there, and you can choose one that is best suited to your needs. So don't feel pressured to follow everyone else onto a certain platform. They chose instagram because of its several posting options, such as stories and reels. They also felt most comfortable with Instagram, so that was a big factor too. Another big takeaway was to embrace new tools, or else you will be left in the dust. I think that this is very important when it comes to PLNs, as you might find more updated materials and tools if you use updated social media.

There are several positives, along with negatives when it comes to social media. Some positives are that you can learn so many new things. Social media brings endless amounts of collaboration. There are millions of teachers out there, all with different minds and ways of thinking, that you can learn new things to better yourself as a teacher. It can also increase student engagement and participation. Using social media in the classroom can increase inclusivity as it gives students different options to how they want to do their work. There are some problems with social media, however. Copyright is a big thing, so you need to always be aware with where you are taking your material from, and if you have permission. Social media can be a harmful place, too. Teachers Tea explained this, as they have received some negative comments through their social media. This can be hard on your self esteem, and possibly discourage some from continuing using social media. Social media can also be a place where students can be at risk for bullying. 

Overall, I have learnt a lot about professional learning networks. They can be great tools for your classroom, but also for growing yourself as a teacher. The internet is a vast place where you are sure to find the resources you need, or the answer to any question you have.


Image Credit: Vecteezy
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  1. Rachel GouwSeptember 20, 2023 at 5:17 PM

    Hi Kindi! Thank you for giving me the chance to read your blog post! I enjoy it when you speak about the positives of having social media. It definitely can bring an endless amount of collaboration. Collaborating as a teacher is extremely important for growth. As you say, one of your biggest takeaways is that there are so many social media platforms. This is amazing because only some people will enjoy just one platform. Everyone is different and prefers different things. Is there a specific type of social media platform that most teachers prefer to use? Unless there is not one because, as you said before, there are so many options for choosing one or multiple platforms. Overall, you had a fantastic review on Teachers Tea and their opinion on PLN. Excellent job and I hope to see some of your blogs in the future!

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