NSJLE 2016 Proceedings: Visible and Valuable`

Social media tools to enhance collaboration with students and colleagues
Shingo Gibson-Suzuki
Taylor’s Lakes Secondary College (Vic)

Introduction: How social media has changed the way we communicate
Since the public introduction of Facebook in 2006 (Phillips, 2007) and exponential growth in
the number of social media platforms and smartphone users in recent years, activity in thevirtual world has, in one way or another, become a societal norm. Checking one’s phone in
the morning is routine daily behaviour for most people. Michelle Klein, the Head ofMarketing at Facebook North America, told Social Media Week 2016 that the average
millennial checks their phones more than 150 times every day (Smith, 2016). Thesedevelopments raise some interesting questions for language teachers. What if we could takeadvantage of this habitual behaviour and turn it into professional development by connectingwith other educators around Australia? What if students could collaborate with other students
outside school hours to communicate with each other in Japanese under our supervision? And
why should we as educators be limited to using social media platforms solely to sharepersonal memories and experiences with our friends and family?

Background
School profile
I teach Japanese at a government secondary school located in the western suburbs ofmetropolitan Melbourne, where there is a mixed demographic ranging from low socioeconomic single-parent families to middle class, two-parent families. Many students view
language learning as a secondary option compared to subject areas such as STEM and English,
as language learning is often perceived as too difficult beyond simple script recognition (inthe case of Japanese) and how to ask each other’s name.
With increasing mobile data allowances on affordable smartphone plans, students andteachers are more readily connected to social media than ever. During 2012, in order to create
an online collaborative platform for my students to interact outside of class time, I trialled
various education social media platforms, with limited success. One student suggested setting
up a private group on Facebook that students could join without the teacher friending them. Inorder to ensure I was not working counter to any departmental guidelines, I consulted theDepartment of Education Victoria ‘Using Social Media’ policy prior to setting up a Facebook
private group. I observed social media usage behaviours in my colleagues and decided toimplement an approach similar to the one used to connect Japanese teachers through social
media platforms for professional development, resource sharing and support. The following
sections discuss these two initiatives in more detail.

Establishing online learning communities
When establishing a ‘learning community’, one must understand the nature of community,
including its purpose, characteristics, and how it is formed and maintained. According to theDictionary of Sociology (Marshall, 1998 as cited in McInnerney and Roberts 2004, p. 75) theNSJLE 2016 Proceedings: Visible and Valuable`
term ‘community’ refers to a gathering of people within a singular social structure, or asense of belonging to a social structure. Berlanga, Bitter-Rijpkema, Brouns, Sloep and Fetter(2011) take the definition further by adding the existence of a specific or joint goal, similarinterests and hobbies within the communities. Garrison (2007) also invokes ‘common
purposes’ when defining community. ‘Warm’ and ‘sociable’ conduct that fosters improved
communication and a safe environment that tolerates mistakes are viewed as a positive socialpresence essential to creating productive and beneficial online learning communities (Kear,2010).
Establishing online collaborative learning spaces takes little effort, but maintaining suchgroups by moderating and providing support to others can be difficult and must be built on
consistently appropriate behaviour and trust. Gerdes (2010) places strong emphasis on theimportance of trust and its influences on the overall outcomes of collaborative projects. Whensetting up a platform for students, ongoing support and moderation is crucial, as students
often need prompting before they feel confident to post or comment proactively.
It is also necessary for the teacher and students to understand the purpose of the online group
being created. For example, the purpose could be to foster enriched discussions and shareideas between individuals. Without clear goals and purpose, the group can quickly lose focus
and members will not participate and collaborate willingly and effectively. Relevant content
and frequent posts that encourage interaction help maintain momentum within the group. It isalso crucial for the teacher to model respectful online behaviour and demonstrate the positive
impacts social media sites can have on individuals.
Utilising ‘online’ classrooms
The specific ways I utilise the Facebook group with my Year 12 students differ depending onclass dynamics and learning styles. I primarily use the group for two purposes. It is an
excellent platform to check students’ understanding at the end of the day through asking
formative assessment type questions. This can be as simple as typing up short sentences using
vocabulary and grammar structures learned earlier in the week, which students are required totranslate or respond to using familiar sentence structures and vocabulary. If you have aparticular student who has certain weaknesses in grammatical usage, such as particles, it ispossible to tag the student in the relevant question to ensure he or she responds directly.
Another use of the group is for online reminders or passing on information regarding
upcoming assessments or events. When Facebook groups are small, the platform shows how
many members have viewed the post, which is an efficient way to track how often yourstudents view your posts.
When it is difficult for participants to anticipate outcomes without instantaneous responses it
is crucial that clear guidelines for participant roles and commitment be developed. Theprimary benefit to using a Facebook group is that most Facebook users are already familiar
with the functionality and features of the social media tool, as it is often incorporated into
users’ daily routine for personal use. Schools often warn students about their online presence
and potential consequences of certain behaviours. Utilising Facebook as a platform is a reallife opportunity for teachers to model and teach acceptable social media use: not making
personal details available, and protecting their professional image by never posting
unacceptable material.

NSJLE 2016 Proceedings: Visible and Valuable`
Using the Facebook group was great because everyone in my class had it[Facebook] and we already knew how to use it. When I had questions, I could justask and someone, not just the teacher, responded. (Year 12 Student, 2016)

Another collaboration platform I regularly use with my students is a Cloud-Storage platform,
Box.com. While the Facebook group is predominantly used for communication, Box.com
caters for sharing classroom resources and checking work that students submit online toshared folders. At the beginning of each school year, I create a shared folder for my Year 12students, where each student gets his or her own online folder. When submitting writing
practice, students are required to submit their written work directly by simply taking photos
using their mobile phones and uploading using the Box.com app. I then use annotation
software such as ‘Explain Everything’ on the tablet to record my annotated notes and voice
instructions as a video and upload these back into their folders, which they can view in theirown time. Students benefit greatly from this method as they can view the feedback multiple
times as well as hear the correct pronunciation. Both of these platforms, as well as others withsimilar functionality, can also be used with colleagues as collaborative tools.

Social networking for teachers
In 2014, I established a collaborative Facebook group, Japanese Language Teachers ofAustralia, in order to address the lack of opportunities for Japanese teachers to effectively
connect and share ideas across different states in Australia. The purpose of the Facebook
group was to create a nation-wide collaborative space that encouraged the sharing of skills,professional knowledge and development and support for teachers encountering the uniquedifficulties of teaching Japanese in Australia. I was not alone in identifying the need for
greater connectivity, as this issue was addressed during the panel session at the National
Symposium for Japanese Language Education in 2014.
Prior to the group’s establishment, Japanese teachers predominantly communicated throughemail newsletters at state level, and there was limited opportunity for interstate teacher
communication, resource sharing and collaboration. This prompted me to explore the optionof using a Facebook group as a way to share and collaborate between educators from different
states and sectors. Initially, I used my professional connections to recruit potential members
while blocking fake users or users with no connections to Japanese language education. The
group steadily grew in numbers over three years and currently consists of more than 2,400
users (as at December 2017).
Members are generally very active in sharing useful teaching-related resources and requesting
assistance. Posts requesting ideas, resources, or assistance from others often attract many
responses, demonstrating the dedication of members and their willingness to help others
regardless of their backgrounds. According to a survey of members of the Japanese Language
Teachers of Australia Facebook group I conducted in 2016, more than 80% of respondents
indicated the main reason they participate in the group is to share ideas with other teachers.
The remaining respondents reported using the group mostly to ask questions. These responses
indicate high levels of interaction and perceived usefulness of the group.
Online learning communities have become more readily available to individuals, regardless ofgeographical location, thus allowing communication and collaboration in synchronous andasynchronous manners. Ke and Hoadley (2009) refer to learning communities as effective
ways for teachers to gain professional development skills by allowing the sharing of ideas andNSJLE 2016 Proceedings: Visible and Valuable`
knowledge through practice and theory. The ability to approach other teachers across stateand national boundaries for professional development ideas and teaching resources could
contribute to improved best practice in teaching methodologies on a local basis.

Benefits and pitfalls
Benefits
Students and teachers are already familiar with the functionality of popular social media
platforms, and therefore the use of such platforms for learning purposes is readily absorbed
into daily social media habits and behaviours. The informal appearance of formative
assessments conducted through social media platforms creates an easy to use and studentfriendly approach to essential data gathering. By providing a supportive and interactive
environment where students feel respected and safe to make errors, teachers can create a morefriendly ‘face’ to language learning, particularly in the senior years.
Groups aimed at teachers often consist of active members who contribute regularly by
responding to questions and sharing ideas. Teachers feel supported and validated by sharing
their knowledge and requesting information from each other. It has been indicated by teachers
in the Facebook group that, through the group, they have discovered new teaching strategies
and resources regardless of their experience levels. Teachers are able to develop low-effort
formative assessment that produces an accurate reflection of individual student understandingof material being taught. Cloud-based storage of resources frees up physical space andsignificantly increases the ability to share resources in a school-wide, state or even globalcapacity. This capacity is particularly important to teachers in regional or rural areas that may
feel isolated or have access to limited resources, and professional development.
Pitfalls
Students may feel they are constantly monitored and required to follow and respond to posts
that come up at inconvenient times of day. Some students may also feel their social media
usage is being intruded upon by their teachers. If a student has their access to social media
removed for some reason, they could be disadvantaged in the classroom unless steps are taken
to mitigate the loss of access to the online material.
Although it is great for teachers to be able to connect with students and colleagues at all times,
it is also difficult to switch off and disconnect from the virtual world. In order to alleviate thisissue the teacher can set boundaries and limits about their availability, such as protecting theirpersonal time from being eroded by not responding to posts after a set time. There is a riskthat constant connectivity could increase teacher burnout. There are potential down-sides tothe use of social media for collegial sharing as well. Teachers could feel pressured to perform‘better’ after seeing others teachers’ posts about what they are achieving with their students.

Conclusion
Participants become part of learning communities due to their similar learning goals andobjectives. This is true for both student-based groups and teaching-based groups. Members of
the Japanese Language Teachers of Australia Facebook group come from diverse
backgrounds, but they all have similar interests and goals, which are to enrich theirknowledge and understanding of Japanese Language in educational settings and to share theirNSJLE 2016 Proceedings: Visible and Valuable`
ideas in discussions. These groups provide numerous opportunities for participants to askquestions, seek clarification, and contribute their ideas and knowledge to the benefit of therest of the group community. Social media plays a large part in modern society; students inthe twenty-first century are constantly exposed to this and expected to be familiar with it.
Many future occupations require the use of social media to promote products and services,and collaborate with others. As teachers, we can seize this opportunity to prepare our students
with skills likely to help them succeed in the workforce of the future.

References
Berlanga, A., Bitter-Rijpkema, M., Brouns, F., Sloep, P., & Fetter, S. (2011). Personal
Profiles: Enhancing Social Interaction in Learning Networks. Int. J. Web Based
Communities, 7(1), 66-82.
Garrison, D. (2007). Online Community of Inquiry Review: Social, Cognitive, and Teaching
Presence Issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Retrieved fromhttp://sites.google.com/site/galexambrose/mylog/communityofinquiryarticlereview/2007JALNOnlineCommunityofInquiryReview.pdf
Ke, F., & Hoadley, C. (2009). Evaluating Online Learning Communities. Education TechResearch Dev, 57 487-510. DOI 10.1007/s11423-009-9120-2
Kear, K. (2010). Social presence in online learning communities. In Proceedings of the 7thInternational Conference on Networked Learning 2010, 3-4 May 2010, Aalborg,
Denmark Retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/21777/
McInnerney, J., & Roberts, T. (2004). Online Learning: Social Interaction and the Creation ofa Sense of Community. Education Technology & Society, 7(3), 73-81.
Phillips, S. (2007). A Brief History of Facebook, Retrieved fromhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2007/jul/25/media.newmedia
Smith, S. (2016). Four Things to Consider about the Future of Communication, as told byFacebook Head of Marketing Michelle Klein, Retrieved fromhttp://www.gtxcel.com/four-things-to-consider-with-the-future-of-communication-astold-by-facebook-head-of-marketing-michelle-klein-smwnyc/