Jeffrey P. Carpenter

How and Why Educators Use Twitter: A Survey of the Field

Abstract While the microblogging service Twitter is increasingly popular among educators and offers numerous affordances for learning, its relationship with formal education systems remains complicated by generally ambivalent educator attitudes and institutional policies. To better understand the role Twitter plays in education, we conducted a survey of 755 K–16 educators that yielded quantitative and qualitative data concerning how and why the medium is used. Respondents reported intense and multifaceted utilization of the service, with professional development (PD) uses more common than interactions with students or families. Educators valued Twitters personalized, immediate nature, and the positive and collaborative community it facilitated. Many cited Twitters role in combating various types of isolation and described it as superior to traditional professional development. We finish by discussing implications for educators, researchers, and educational institutions.

Engagement through microblogging: educator professional development via Twitter

Traditional, top-down professional development (PD) can render teachers mere implementers of the ideas of others, but there is some hope that the participatory nature of social media such as Twitter might support more grassroots PD. To better understand Twitter’s role in education, we conducted a survey of K–16 educators regarding their use of the microblogging service for professional purposes. Respondents described multifaceted and intense use, with PD activities more common than use with students and families. This paper delves into qualitative data from 494 respondents who described their perspectives on Twitter PD. Educators praised the platform as efficient, accessible and interactive. Twitter was credited with providing opportunities to access novel ideas and stay abreast of education advances and trends, particularly regarding educational technology. Numerous respondents compared Twitter favorably with other PD available to them. Members of our sample also appreciated how Twitter connected them to educators beyond their own schools and districts, with mention of exposure to both like-minded and diverse perspectives. Respondents described positive and collaborative professional activity facilitated by Twitter, and many noted how it helped them combat various forms of isolation. We conclude by discussing implications of the survey results for educators, researchers and policy-makers.

Sharing the learning

Instead of pushing more responsibility for learning onto teachers, lets consider new models in which students assume greater responsibility for their own learning.

Unconference professional development: Edcamp participant perceptions and motivations for attendance

‘Unconferences’ are a non-traditional form of professional activity defined by the absence of many conventional conference structures. One example of the unconference model is the ‘Edcamp,’ a voluntary, participant-driven form of grassroots educator professional learning. More than 600 of these events have been held worldwide since the first in 2010. This exploratory study situates Edcamps in relationship to the literature on educator professional development and teacher collaboration, and reports on data gathered from 95 participants in an Edcamp in the United States. Respondents indicated diverse motivations for their Edcamp participation, including colleagues’ recommendations, anticipated learning and the desire to network and collaborate. Respondents generally rated their Edcamp experiences highly, and overwhelmingly reported intentions to attend future Edcamps. The positive environment, participant autonomy and integration of technology were highlighted. Most participants, however, also identified ways in which their experiences could have been improved. The nature and topics of discussion, as well as challenges associated with Edcamp novices and technology, presented barriers to full participation. Implications of this research for educators, researchers and educational institutions are discussed.

Twitter’s capacity to support collaborative learning

Like other social media, the microblogging service Twitter appears to offer affordances for collaborative learning. This study investigated the required use of Twitter as part of a face-to-face, undergraduate teacher education class. Data included student and instructor Twitter activities, an end-of-semester survey of students’ perspectives on their use of Twitter, and a focus group. Participants noted several benefits to Twitter use in the course, including enabling communication and interaction within the class and with the professional education community. Twitter facilitated connectedness and resource sharing that was collaborative in nature, and functioned as one of several tools students utilised for collaboration. Recommendations are given regarding the use of microblogging in education and future research.

Uso de Twitter en Educación Superior en España y Estados Unidos

El presente articulo examina los usos y las percepciones de estudiantes y profesores en relacion a Twitter a partir de una investigacion comparada con metodologias mixtas. Los participantes (n=153) fueron alumnos de educacion de dos universidades en Espana y EEUU que usaron Twitter como parte de una actividad del curso. El marco teorico abarca la investigacion internacional sobre Twitter asi como un breve repaso a la introduccion de la tecnologia en los dos sistemas educativos nacionales. Los datos cuantitativos se recogieron con un cuestionario mientras que los datos cualitativos se obtuvieron a traves de los textos reflexivos escritos de los estudiantes. La mayoria de los participantes de los dos contextos percibieron los beneficios educativos de Twitter. Sin embargo, su uso de Twitter y la naturaleza de sus percepciones en relacion a su valor educativo, difirio de maneras importantes. Los participantes de EEUU usaron Twitter por mas tiempo y de manera mas frecuente a la vez que demostraron creencias mas positivas en relacion a la relevancia educativa de Twitter. Mientras que los participantes espanoles valoraron el uso de Twitter para encontrar y compartir informacion, los estudiantes americanos destacaron los usos para la interaccion y la colaboracion. El estudio destapa algunos retos del formato breve de Twitter para el aprendizaje. En las conclusiones discutimos las implicaciones para la ensenanza aprendizaje en la era de la ubicuidad de los medios sociales.

Why Social Media Must Have a Place in Schools

Abstract While most young people regularly consume and produce social media content, many schools focus on what students should not do with these technologies rather than address what students and teachers can do. The authors share ways that some educators leverage social media to enhance the who, when, where, why, how, and what of educational processes.

Elements of Engagement: A Model of Teacher Interactions via Professional Learning Networks

Abstract In recent years, many educators have turned to participatory online affinity spaces for professional growth with peers who are more accessible because of reduced temporal and spatial constraints. Specifically, professional learning networks (PLNs) are “uniquely personalized, complex systems of interactions consisting of people, resources, and digital tools that support ongoing learning and professional growth” (Trust, Krutka, & Carpenter, 2016, p. 35) that have increased in popularity with the rise of social media. We offer a model for teacher educators and teachers to consider key elements of PLN experiences: engaging, discovering, experimenting, reflecting, and sharing. This model can provide educators both a window into possibilities and a mirror for reflection as they build or improve their PLNs.

Evaluating the Roles of Technology in the Global Read Aloud Project

ABSTRACT Computer applications readily available to many of todays teachers and students offer new possibilities for teaching and learning. One example of this can be found in the Global Read Aloud (GRA) project. Since its 2010 creation, more than one million PK-12 students from at least 60 countries have reportedly participated in the GRA, an annual project that connects classrooms in the discussion of common books. This descriptive study aimed to explore the roles of technology in the GRA. An anonymous online survey was completed by 516 educators who participated in the 2015 GRA. Teachers and students used a variety of synchronous and asynchronous technologies during the GRA. Respondents indicated technology played important roles in supporting the teaching and learning that occurred during the project. Technology expanded how and with whom teachers could collaborate in designing GRA curriculum and instruction and broadened how and with whom students could read and discuss literature.

Enhancing teacher education…with Twitter?

The isolation that has historically plagued the teaching profession has particularly harmful effects on novice teachers who need the guidance, wisdom, and encouragement of other educators. In recent years, however, social media tools have helped many teachers connect with colleagues and build robust professional learning networks (PLNs) beyond their schools and districts. In this article, the authors describe their experiences using Twitter with preservice teachers to jump-start their PLN development. Through Twitter, preservice teachers interact with program alumni and in-service educators, and the teacher education program is able to build a stronger connection with their partners in the field.