Current Search: Social Media Community in Education (x)
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Title
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THE ROLE OF WEB 2.0 AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY IN EDUCATION AS A FORM OF TEACHER PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
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Creator
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Smith, Brandi, Gunter, Glenda, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Teachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how...
Show moreTeachers are facing greater technological demands. They are expected to use and teach their students to use various forms of collaborative technology (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2010). Personal professional development is professional development that teachers seek on their own, strictly on a voluntary basis, so that they can meet the needs of their students or address issues that are unique to their classroom. This study used a survey to examine the relationship between how teachers' reported using social media community in education for personal professional development and the criteria for effective professional development, teachers' integration practices, teachers' frequency of collaboration, and teachers' ability to communicate with colleagues. The results revealed a relationship between the criteria that a professional development be content specific and coherent and integrated with teachers' daily lives and whether or not teachers report using social media community in education as a form of professional development. There was also a statistically significant relationship between the frequency of technology integration, the reported level of technology integration, and the feeling of growth based on whether or not teachers used social media community in education to enhance professional practices. A statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency at which teachers report collaborating on technology integration projects with colleagues in social media communities in education and whether or not respondents use Social media community in education connect with other educational professionals. Finally, a statistically significant relationship was found between how comfortable participants are giving technology integration advice to colleagues in social media communities in education based on whether or not respondents use social media community in education to share materials and ideas. Based on the findings of the study, several implications can be made regarding the use of social networks for personal professional development. First, the use of social networks for personal professional development is best when there is content specificity and cohesion with teachers' personal and professional goals. Secondly the users of a social network for personal professional development must purposeful in their reasons for using the social network, users must perceive themselves as capable of learning and they must have the willingness to commit to learning. Another implication is that increased levels of ownership for the material in social media communities in education would result in greater frequency of collaboration. Finally, teachers' perceptions of their integration abilities will determine if teachers will use social networks to communicate professionally with colleagues.
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Date Issued
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2011
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Identifier
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CFE0004027, ucf:49179
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004027
