Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
For professional development, is your go-to Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter? By @samdemuro Pinterest, a longtime favorite social media platform of educators for classroom ideas and professional development, may have some competition. In our recent poll, many CTA members still view Pinterest as their go-to site, but some shared that Instagram and Twitter are now their platforms of choice (see facing page). What about Facebook? W I T H A D E C L I N E in Facebook usage, it had us wondering: Are educators still using Facebook for pro- fessional development? Survey says yes: "Facebook allows deeper conversations, and my networks post very interesting things. It also functions as my social-emotional support!" —JAYSON CHANG, East Side Teachers Association "I like how Facebook provides the ability to engage on an issue and interact one-on-one but also in public, like a visual Socratic seminar if the inquiry is good. Others can observe the discussion happening and weigh in, which allows for leveled participation. Search functions better in Facebook too. Folks ask me about specific projects, articles or topics, and even though I posted years ago, I can find them easily. I hashtag things as file labels, but the search is so usable this isn't even necessary. Metrics are also easy to monitor for admins, so I know which topics get which kind of responses." — ANGEL A DER R AMOS, Alisal Teachers Association Which platform do you use most? Let us know by tweeting @samdemuro or using the hashtag #CaliforniaEducator. Battle of the Social Media 14 cta.org In the Know D I G I T A L B U Z Z