Instructional Design Reflection: Social Media and Social Justice

How this informs my approach to professional development:

This lesson demonstrates instructional design principles I apply when facilitating professional learning for educators:

1. Start with the learner: Just as I connected to students' social media experiences, I begin instruction by understanding current practices and challenges

2. Scaffold complex tasks: The lesson moves from simple personal reflection to complex persuasive writing—the same gradual release model I use when training educators on new tools or pedagogy

3. Provide clear success criteria: The writing task included specific elements (facts, importance, action)—I apply this same clarity when designing learning objectives for professional development

4. Build in authentic application: Students created real social media posts, not worksheets—similarly, my PD focuses on classroom-ready strategies teachers can implement immediately

5. Make space for choice: Platform and cause selection gave students agency—I structure PD to honor teacher expertise and allow adaptation to individual contexts

Materials Included

• Full lesson presentation (6 slides)

• Student handout specifications (groups of 4, paper-based planning)