Leveraging Social Media to Enhance Instructional Practice: TikTok/Instagram as Spaces for Early Childhood Education Micro–Professional Development

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Early Childhood Conversations and Practices (Table 12)

Abstract

Professional development (PD) is an important lever to enhance teacher’s early literacy practices. Considerable investment is made into PD; yet, the effects appear mixed. A potential cause for the mixed effects are the various barriers teachers experience to engaging with and implementing lessons learned from PD. Barriers often stem from capacity to engage, motivation, and/or opportunity. In order for PD to be effective, it is important to mitigate these barriers. One innovative approach to mitigate barriers is micro-PD: short video bursts with practice-based applications that teachers can select, watch, and implement in a short time span. This study will examine micro-PD opportunities inherent in social media networks and plot future directions for this burgeoning field.

Authors

• Margaret F. Quinn, Texas A&M University
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca Rohloff, Georgia State University
  Presenting Author