Page 125 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

their mistakes, and not getting down on themselves. Model the behavior
and share your own successes and failures and how you learn from them.
This modeling should be framed as a teachable moment so students can
see what you were attempting, why you failed, how you learned something
from reflecting on the failure, and most importantly, how you incorporated
that learning and made a new attempt. This personal sharing builds trust
and teaches an essential lesson on how to reflect and persevere.

New teachers might be apprehensive about personal sharing like this, but
it can be beneficial and prepare you to face any fears you might have. Occa-
sionally, students might see your failure as a weakness and challenge you
on something you shared, especially if it is early in your relationship; a chal-
lenge such as this is often just a test, so react to it calmly and add context
about the failures of well-known STEAM leaders and how they persevered.
In other words, reframe the challenge.

Social Media and Engaging Professionals

Social media is one of the easier ways to share and it has been a game
changer for educators, especially in STEAM. It allows us to connect as
colleagues and to share and learn from each other regularly. Sharing our
work on social media extends the reach of the classroom to the world, and
you never know who is going to see it. It helps to include the context about
what was being learned and why it was important when sharing work to
make a bigger impact. Connections made on social media can develop
into meaningful relationships with professionals that continue to benefit
students and educators for many years.

Many key individuals developing and using STEAM are also present online,
so it’s possible to connect with them and develop a greater awareness of the
field. Major players accessible on Twitter, Instagram, Skype, and LinkedIn
will occasionally connect with classes and play a role in projects. A project
such as the STEAM trading cards (Chapter 6) can be shared on social
media with the professionals portrayed on the cards, opening the door to
communication with them. Sharing a project in this way can help it become
more engaging and powerful and help inspire others.

Chapter 12: Connections 95

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