In our first class session, we began to learn about our Learning Management System, as well as how to develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN) and blogging as a whole. We were introduced to Microsoft Teams, and the advantages that this software can provide to the education of the class. Professor Calderwood described the various learning benefits that are provided through social media. We developed our own PLN’s for class using Twitter. Many people use PLN’s without even knowing it, for there are so many platforms for people to express anything they want to mass amounts of people. People enjoy scrolling through Twitter and Instagram throughout their daily lives, but what most people don’t know is that they are actually learning so much from that platform. Platforms like Twitter allow you to connect with educators around the world and jump into conversations in order to teach and learn at the same time. Connecting with networks has levels to it, from those who observe and watch without putting anything out, those who interact with the information, and those who connect with each other in order to form new groups and content. People learn the most through these platforms by conversing with others and learning their new ideas. The world is also seeing more teachers turn to Twitter in order to connect with a “global network of educators to share and solve a wide range of educational problems”. Teachers appreciate the personalization of Twitter, but at the same time it can provide the professional business aspect of teaching that it needs to. In another study, 90% of 160 teachers said they were extremely likely to use Twitter for professional development in the upcoming six months. That number alone foreshadows the growth that Twitter is going to see if people use it as an educational tool at the same time they use it as social media. There are many ways to grow your social media page in order to gain followers that learn from you and actually pay attention to the information you put out. For example, when creating a website, a user would appreciate a more enjoyable experience with a simple, good-looking website over one that is tricky to navigate and very bland. This should include things such as speed, security, theme, etc. The content that is posted to the blog is vital as well, for if you are blogging about a topic that nobody cares about, it is going to be very hard to promote that content. An eye grabbing title, a short URL, and a “curiosity-inducing” meta description should lead to much success in the search engine for the audience. After the base of the content is created, it is up to the user to connect and network with the right people on social media in order for the content to blow up and have many people to teach. Other methods, such as paid marketing, social media advertising, etc. are also valid ways to grow your content. A few of these strategies put together should create more traffic to the page.
By Jake Cahill
Articles:
Developing a Personal Learning Network by Ellen Lague
https://ellenlague.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/developing-a-personal-learning-network
Why Teachers are Turning to Twitter by Brendon Hyndman
https://theconversation.com/why-teachers-are-turning-to-twitter-94582
How to Promote Your Blog: The Complete Beginner’s Guide by David Hartshorne
Comments
Post a Comment