On June 11th at 9:55 am, while my students were in their mainstream classes, I sat at my classroom desk to get ready for a Pro-D session and meet fellow English Language Learners (ELL) teachers. I was nervous and excited at the same time as it was my first Twitter Chat (#ELLChat)! We started our chat by introducing ourselves and had discussions on characteristics that make ELL teachers, classroom teachers, and/or subject teachers effective with ELL students. Also, we discussed ideas about ELL training programs as well as our experiences of professional development sessions that were beneficial. We ended our chat by sharing our biggest strength as a teacher of ELLs. Time flew! I expanded my professional learning network (PLN) by connecting with people whom I met during the chat. Through PLN, teachers share ideas about teaching, learning and classroom management; find relevant resources and tips; explore the latest trends in the field; get feedback and emotional support (Tour, 2017, p.182). The chat gave me the chance to not only reflect on my teaching but also to broaden my perspectives by listening to other ELL teachers from the other side of the world. I was able to get some useful resources as well! My first Twitter chat experience would not have been as memorable without these challenges. First, I accidentally retweeted a post that I should have replied to because I was not used to the reply and retweet icons. Second, I forgot to include the hashtag (#Ellchat), and the co-moderator had to remind me. My biggest challenge was to find a Twitter chat that works for my schedule since I live in South Korea, and there is a big time difference. Despite all these challenges, my Twitter chat experience was so beneficial that I plan to participate more often during my summer vacation and also look for other chats that are relevant to my teaching. Also, I've shared my Twitter Chat experience to my colleagues and encouraged them to participate with me! Resources:
Judie Haynes. (2019, June 11). Hi! Don't forget the #ellchat hashtag! We don't see your tweets without it. #ellchat [Twitter post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/judiehaynes/status/1138254156207140865 Tour, E. (2017). Teachers’ self-initiated professional learning through Personal Learning Networks. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 26(2), 179-192. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1475939X.2016.1196236 Unless otherwise noted, all images presented on this blog are screenshots taken from the blog owner's Twitter account (@amy_kimhn).
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The more I spend my time in the field of education, the more I realize that teaching is such a difficult job. Yes, it is also rewarding, and there are countless reasons why I pursue this career, but one thing for sure: teaching is challenging. Hansen and Zumpano (2015), mentioned in their article, 7 tips for teachers building collaborative fearless PLNs, that “nearly 50 percent of educators will leave the field within the first five years of entering a classroom” (p.1), and that isolation and lack of support are the reasons for exiting the field. Therefore, building a Professional Learning Network (PLN) is crucial. PLN is the people whom you go to seek advice and support as well as the people whom you interact on your social media to seek professional opinions and resources. Through PLN, teachers share ideas about teaching, learning and classroom management; find relevant resources and tips; explore the latest trends in the field; get feedback and emotional support (Tour, 2017, p.182). Here is my PLN: My Professional Learning Network includes people whom I communicate face-to-face at work as well as people whom I interact online through Michigan State University graduate courses and social media. I feel grateful that I am surrounded by people who are passionate about education, which I consider as one strength of my PLN. It also made me realize that I connect with so many people online. I have grown as a teacher through MSU master's courses. I often use Instagram and Pinterest to gather ideas for my lessons, and I’ve also started using Twitter (@amy_kimhn)! One weakness of my PLN is that I am not contributing as much as I am gaining from my social media network. My goal is to start being active on social media by sharing more! Resources: Hansen, R. & Zumpano. (2015, March 16). 7 tips for teachers building collaborative, fearless PLNs. Eschool News. Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/03/16/teachers-fearless-plns-547/ Tour, E. (2017). Teachers’ self-initiated professional learning through Personal Learning Networks. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 26(2), 179-192. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1475939X.2016.1196236 |
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