If you can't beat them, join them

There are no two ways about it; social media is inevitable and completely unavoidable. Therefore, rather than fighting to keep social media out of both the classroom and the lives of learners, let us adopt the motto:

“If you can’t beat them, join them”

I believe that instead of fighting a losing battle to keep social media away, why do educators not rather embrace social media for what it is and use it to enhance the schooling experience of their learners. It also provides educators the opportunity to teach learners how to effectively use social media, and how to manage their accounts. This will allow learners to be guided through social media so that they do not misuse it and get into troublesome situations later on in life when applying for bursaries and jobs (Davis, 2014). On a personal note, Facebook memories have made me wish I had had some guidance when I was thirteen posting cringe-worthy statuses on Facebook.

There are many ways of incorporating social media into the classroom to the benefit of both the learner and the teacher. Twitter can be used to remind learners about homework and to answer questions they may have after school hours. As Twitter is open, all the other students can see questions and answers from other peers that will eliminate the educator being asked the same question many times. Blogging as a good way of handing in essays, as not only will it teach learners about writing online, but it will also encourage them to put a little more effort in as not only the teacher can see their work. There are many apps and websites focussing on social media and the internet, allowing the internet to be a safe place to connect learners and educators from around the world.

Social media can knock through the boundaries of typical schooling, by providing a means of communication at any time from any location (Provenzano, 2015). If used correctly it could make education and learning extend longer than the school day. Social media makes learning fun, engaging and freely accessible.

I truly believe that social media can transcend the limits set by stringent schooling, and create a platform for learning that will empower pupils to learn, not force them to.  

Beginning to grasp digital pedagogy

After reading three articles with many big words resulting in mass panic and confusion, I feel that I may be starting to finally understand what digital pedagogy is. On the first day of PGCE the word pedagogy, a word that for 22 years had evaded me, was thrown around many times. I had no idea what this meant, and eventually I grabbed my phone and Googled "pedagogy":

Pedagogy

noun

the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.

This vague definition helped ever so slightly, and I thought I would survive my PGCE with this understanding, I did not anticipate having a subject called digital pedagogy. 

Now however, I believe the action of me pulling the World Wide Web out of my pocket, was an act of digital pedagogy. 

I now grasp digital pedagogy may not refer exactly to, as I previously thought, online courses and interactive smart boards. Digital pedagogy is a way of naturally and effectively incorporating many moving parts into creating a lesson where learners can occur. 

A digital pedagogue, as said by Morris, is not person hired to teach, who uses PowerPoint and YouTube videos. I believe a digital pedagogue to be anyone who uses technology to enhance or support their message, with the result being that what they said being completely understood and learned. 

As Stommel suggests, successful digital pedagogy is not easy to accomplish. It requires a great deal of research, keeping up to date, and planning to be a digital pedagogue, which therefore makes digital pedagogy a lifelong learning experience.

Technology is advancing rapidly, and companies are coming up with new and exciting ways to bring technology into the classroom. Some teachers stay set in their old ways, others try but fail at using new techniques, and only a handful are successful in incorporating digital pedagogy into their classrooms. This is because it can be exceptionally distracting and if the teacher does not take caution in their use of technology, learning may not necessarily occur.

From the two articles by Morris and Stommel, I have learned that using technology in the classroom does not make you a digital pedagogue. In fact, being a digital pedagogue is a lifelong commitment to learning and researching in order to incorporate technology successfully into learning. 

To digitize pedagogy or not to digitize pedagogy- That is the question

A question has educators up in arms- to incorporate technology or to go back to basics. Fyfe (2011) highlights many negative schools of thought on the matter; however, I cannot say I agree with them.

When I think back to my own time at school, we had limited amount of technology available. Since then social media and technology such as tablets, and smartphones have exploded. Educators now have the challenge of incorporating all of the aforementioned into their lessons, if they dare. 

Many educators, stuck in their ways, will insist that technology should be left out of the classroom. It is seen as a distraction and a hindrance. I think that this can hold true, if not used correctly.

However, with the world becoming more digitized, online and high-tech, learners who do not experience technology in all its forms will fall behind. In real world situations, it is vital to have a deep understanding of technology. This is becoming more true as CV’s are taking the form of ePortfolios, university courses and degrees can be obtained online, and communication occurs via countless platforms that discard the need for people to actually interact.

It is for these reasons that I see the inclusion of digital pedagogy into education as imperative. The exclusion of such would be to strip learners of many opportunities. In fact, I feel that it is better to teach learners how to engage effectively with such technologies so that they do not use it negatively. Instead of digital pedagogy being a interference in the classroom, correct implementation rather can allow students to perform optimally and to use it to enhance their education.

Technology is making the world smaller and opportunities greater.