Social Media & Teacher Professional Development

The idea of social media’s existing application and future potential for professional development drives a growing subset of academic research. As we encourage preservice and inservice teachers to engage in these platforms to hone or refine their classroom practice, a number of questions emerge: How do we assess participation in these spaces? What uses in particular should we recommend? Further, the very notion of conducting research in these spaces also poses interesting questions. From methodologies to frameworks, commonly accepted practices help shape the future of the field. Lastly, the issue of privacy and policy poses perhaps the most significant area for attention. The intent of this panel discussion is generate conversation on how future research and application on social media usage and research might evolve over time