Ashlee's #EdChat Reflection

Wow. That was a whirlwind. My first #edchat was slightly overwhelming. The chat I participated in's topic was: What are indicators that show us that social media and connected learning are having a positive effect on education? This was perfect because I am learning more and more about social media through our tech lab. I have participated on Facebook and Twitter for quite sometime, but I am not an avid user and still have a lot to learn, especially about Twitter. There are so many awesome things you can do on Twitter and I am just scratching the surface. I know social media will be even more prevalent in my classroom than it is today. Kids are constantly involved in social media and this chat started off by searching for indicators that they are benefiting our students. There wasn't really any data to back up these claims, but the discussion was interesting. There was some debate as to whether social media is helping our students. Some think it isn't because kids abuse it and don't use it for school purposes. Many think that there is potential there, but we must educate our students on how to properly use it. I contributed by agreeing with the potential and I also stated that I think teacher's need to embrace the changes taking place in technology. I think many, much like myself, are not aware of all of the possibilities and opportunities social media can create for students. There were many teachers involved in the chat, as well as researchers. The next time I participate in a chat, I think I will be more prepared to contribute and hopefully will not be overwhelmed. The feed is constantly being refreshed and it goes pretty fast, so I will be ready to contribute and ask questions.