From Junk Drawer to Toolkit

We have to stop treating social media like a junk drawer when we’re trying to use it as a professional learning tool.  It’s extremely easy to save posts, follow pages, join groups, and collect resources with good intentions.  The problem is that collecting information is not the same thing as learning.  At some point, the pile gets so big that it becomes noise.

Muljana and Luo (2023) discuss the need for self-regulation when seeking internet solutions.  The authors use Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning model as a framework for facilitating personal learning.  Here are three steps that will assist the shift from aimless internet wandering to strategic research and problem solving:

First, start with a problem, not a platform.

Don’t open LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook groups just to “see what’s out there.”  That’s how the junk drawer starts.  Instead, begin with a specific question:  What am I trying to learn?  What problem am I trying to solve?  What decision do I need to make?  A clear goal helps filter what deserves attention.

Second, check the source before you trust the advice.

Social media gives everyone a microphone, but not everyone has expertise.  A polished post, attractive graphic, or confident tone doesn’t automatically mean the information is useful.  We need to ask whether the advice fits our situation, whether the person has real experience, and whether the information lines up with what we already know from credible sources.

Third, apply and reflect.

The goal is not to save more resources.  The goal is to improve practice.  If you find a useful strategy, test it, observe the results, and decide whether it actually helped.  Did it improve the process?  Did it make learning clearer?  Did it solve the problem?  If not, it may belong back in the drawer.

Social media isn’t the problem.  Aimless wandering is the problem.  With intention, filtering, and reflection, the internet can become less of a cluttered drawer and more of a working toolkit.


References

Muljana, P. S., & Luo, T. (2023). Pursuing professional learning by using social media: How do instructional designers apply self-regulated learning? Research in Learning Technology, 31, Article 2934. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v31.2934


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