The Pearson Centre for Policy and Learning has spent the past few months considering the question above, working with teachers, social media experts and others to try to understand this issue, and how teachers can harness a valuable resource to develop their skills.
The importance of high quality professional development for teachers
Time and time again, research shows that teacher quality is by far the most important factor in driving up standards in schools. Effective ongoing professional development is key to ensuring that teachers perform to the best of their abilities, keep abreast of new developments, and adapt their practice to take account of these.
The UK government, like many others, has taken this message to heart. It has introduced a range of measures in this area, recognising in its 2010 white paper, The Importance of Teaching, the importance of encouraging and enabling teachers to learn from each other: ‘We know that teachers learn best from other professionals and that an ‘open classroom’ culture is vital: observing teaching and being observed, having the opportunity to plan, prepare, reflect and teach with other teachers.’
How can social media play a role?
Many teachers and school leaders would applaud this focus, and are already one step ahead. Using emerging technologies and social media tools, teachers are beginning to take control of their own professional development, finding new ways to learn from each other, to reflect on their own practice, and to develop learning and support networks of like-minded professionals all over the world.
In the current constrained financial climate, this type of low cost, self-directed teacher development is interesting. Might the spread of such informal, peer-based, online CPD help to support the drive to raise teaching standards at minimal cost? This report explores this question, focusing on:
• how teachers and other educators are currently using social media to aid their professional development, and what they and their students gain from it;
• what evidence there is for the benefits of peer-to-peer teacher CPD, and for using social media in this way; and
• what teaching can learn from industry in this respect.
Drawing on emerging academic research in this area, and on the experience of trailblazing teachers, it recommends ways in which school leaders and policymakers can exploit the benefits of social media for effective and affordable teacher professional development.
Read the full report: Tweeting for teachers
There are also a range of supporting video case studies, which can be viewed here.
@PearsonCPL
A timely and well-written report, packed full with compelling evidence to support wider adoption of social media (including Twitter) to support teacher CPD.
The references to the use of Twitter hashtags to assist the development of twitter teaching community is particularly important. #ukedchat is a great example
so is #ecbusteach
#ASEChat is a weekly Twitter-based discussion for science teachers in the UK (and beyond). It takes place at 8.00pm every Monday.
The summaries (up-to-date snap-shots of teaching ideas and links) that each discussion produces are an exceptionally useful resource for busy teachers.
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … New report says it's more worthwhile for teachers to use social media than go on inset days,Pearson press release says: http://t.co/hN9WMuWQ... Source: http://www.pearsoncpl.com [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … RT @ronhoutman: Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher PD – http://t.co/F0UEXmy4 – EdCamp is a great model for PF too #edtech #edcamp… Source: http://www.pearsoncpl.com [...]
Great timing and helpful report:-) Thanks
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … [...]
A really really use, informative, inspirational, reflective session that has left me buzzing with ideas and action points. Once simple action that we have talked about but not actioned is setting up s CPD twitter hash tag. Will be done asap. Little steps will lead to bigger impact. Thank you!
Really fascinating content – exciting potential. Excellent range of speakers who provided a good variety of perspectives!
Mary Sansom
V informative + quite inspiring at times. Thought provoking.Only a suggestion:
it would have been to see something (a tweet, video clip, whatever) to see what it might actually be like. Or, a live Twitter feed for the #tag?
Great event. V. thought provoking. We are just at the beginning of knowing how to use social media…
I found this morning’s event to be really positive and engaging, and I look forward to a thorough read of the report.
Jennifer Smith
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … [...]
Inspirational! The input from the speakers laid a really good foundation for thinking about the use of social media in CPD. I had many whirring in my mind while listening. However, I was a little lost in terms of thinking about where to start!. It does feel a little daunting.
I am lecturer in a FE college and also deliver training (ICT) for lecturers. I have found this enlightening and will return to my organisation with lots of ideas for new projects.
Really thought provoking!
Excellent, validation point, crucial. This should be tweeted feedback in 140 characters.
Excellent event – stimulating and thought provoking as well as being informative.
Very good speakers. Lots of food for thought.
Jam packed and invigorating!
Very interesting and informative. I guess a shame that there weren’t more teachers – but I know that’s a challenge.
Turning this learning into action is the
priority now.Thought provoking and reassuring. Thank you.
The emphasis in the recommendations is leaders and policy makers and misses the individuals; many of the stories are of free and independent minded people, working hard un-encumbered by “The System”
I found this a very useful event. Learnt more about the need to spread the word about the benefit of social media for teachers. Gained some more ideas for developing my business, of enabling teaching professionals to develop their leadership and management skills
Sounds really interesting (from a non tweeter). I’d like practical help in being able to search out and filter other educators. Can you add links to the website? I belong to a college so from an FE environment, are there any other advantages/disadvantages that you’ve come across? We will soon be working with an American college, 5 groups each, talking about a variety of cultural topics via facebook. Going into the unknown but rather excited!
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson C… [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development?. The Pearson Centre for Policy and Learning, October 19, 2011 [...]
[...] full report can be downloaded from this article ‘Tweeting for Teachers‘. LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … New report says it's more worthwhile for teachers to use social media than go on inset days,Pearson press release says: http://t.co/hN9WMuWQ... Source: http://www.pearsoncpl.com [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | … Source: http://www.pearsoncpl.com [...]
Friday’s event was really interesting and particularly thought provoking. The full report is excellent and something each and every school should read. Like Ewan mentioned on Friday it’s not actually about social media per se, but connecting people together on the basis of need and expertise, the sharing of skill and knowledge to create community based support and growth.
[...] week the Pearson Centre for Policy and Learning published ‘Tweeting Teachers‘; a report into how social media can be used to support the professional development of [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson Cen… Source: pearsoncpl.com [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson Cen… Source: pearsoncpl.com [...]
[...] think twitter for CPD is excellent – see Ewan McIntosh’s recent report with Pearson’s http://www.pearsoncpl.com/2011/10/tweeting-for-teachers-how-can-social-media-support-teacher-profess... [...]
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson Cen… [...]
I am asking those interested in giving teachers more status to imagine an online tool that might measure and increase the influence of 21st century teachers. Please answer 3 questions as a first step at http://www.eduKLOUT.com. I really hope you’ll join in and perhaps spread the word. Thanks. #TeachersOccupyAssessment anyone?
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson Cen… Source: pearsoncpl.com [...]
There’s a big controversy nowadays in Social Media Marketing between the large company opportunities and the truth that the more customers are digitally empowered, the much less they want to release their individual facts and privacy to third parties.
[...] Tweeting for teachers: how can social media support teacher professional development? | Pearson Cen… Source: pearsoncpl.com [...]