I must say that I am frustrated with the topics my education colleagues address via social media. They seem unaware or uncaring when it comes to major issues that shape and control the context within which education functions. I had such high hopes for social media because I thought it provided a vehicle for each of us to voice our perspectives on important issues. We seem to have the time to discuss a few topics with like minded individuals resulting in very little change in anyone. Don’t we have the time to attempt to use the tools for broader impact? Shouldn’t we attempt to model the notion that every citizen’s view matters for our students?
Let me explain this as a researcher might. If this were a regression equation accounting for educational outcomes, too many comment and discuss the variables that account for a trivial proportion of the variability in performance. Why debate whether direct instruction or project based learning works best when neither functions work well when children and their parents have no health care and a low income? Equity issues wash out most variables when included in our equation. The method of experiencing information matters little in comparison. This was Maslow’s basic contribution. He called certain sources of motivation deficiency needs.
Maybe your local context does not expose you to these very real problems. Educators need to be more aware of big issues even if they are not personally influenced. To me, educators need to model the importance of a broad perspective. Read a major newspaper once in a while. Know how your representatives vote and offer your reaction.
I am not discouraging your personal interests in technology. I am encouraging you to use it to address more issues that matter. I am not egotistical enough to assume my perspective on various issues must be correct, but I am willing to say that taking the time to make my perspective known is an important thing for me to do.