Mindlab Waimate intake 2018

Personal Learning networks are a great way to engage with peers and add another aspect to your professional development. Descriptive If I'm honest, I don't really use social media for professional development in my teaching practice and I 'm not a big user of social media in general. Although I have subscribed to the primary teachers Facebook page, I tend to 'lurk' and cherry pick the threads that I find interesting and occasionally comment if I have something of value to add. However, the biggest benefit I find is when people share links to resources or other websites as this cuts down on time (as I don't have to reinvent the wheel) or sparks an idea that that is worthy of further investigation. Although I feel I could use social media and personal learning networks to a greater degree, I find my professional time to engage in this practice is limited. Comparative Teachers by the very nature of the job are isolated and   as  Whitaker, Zoul & Casas,...

Technology continues to open new ways for us to communicate and share information. Thoughts, photos, videos, ideas and more can be posted online both privately and publicly with a click of a button at anytime of the day or night. For many, this is a blessing, but for teachers, we have to be a little more cautious. With the advent of social media and the ease at which it is to communicate, boundaries can become a little blurred and grey areas emerge and our morality can become tested on what we post and who we communicate and share it with (Ehrich Kimber, Millwater & Cranston,  2011). Descriptive As a teacher, I am bound by the code of ethics and as such I'm in a trusted position in society, have influence on my learners and have to uphold high standards of ethical behaviour  (Education Council, 2017). Even though I have other roles in society, I am often judged by my profession and as such, I even have to be mindful of the teachers code of professional responsibility...