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The influence of social media is getting increasingly difficult to ignore. So tricky, in fact, that an entirely new subset of cyber-entrepreneurs has emerged in the past decade or so: influencers. As true as this sentiment is, the fact remains that some people have a little more pull than others.
However, the good news is that influencers don’t have to be relegated to the banality of consumer culture. In reality, every sector of society has seen its group of influential people propel their respective industries forward. Education is no exception, and in the age of online certificate courses, they have been warmly welcomed.
Today, we’re going to introduce five of Australia’s leading online education influencers in education. Read on to learn about the lives and ideas of these fascinating leaders in Australian education.
Eddie Woo, Founder of Wootube
Camperdown native Eddie Woo has made a splash with his maths channel on YouTube, aptly titled Wootube. His YT channel boasts more than 300,000 subscribers and over 16 total million views. However, it’s not just Woo’s engaging and graspable daily maths lessons that have won his followers over.
He also has no plans to monetise his channel, driven by his core mission to help stumped students everywhere. “I have a salary. I have a job. It would be a real step backwards for me to say, ‘I’m just going to do videos full-time’,” he says.
Dr. Inger Mewburn, Research Fellow and Blog Editor
Only a few people understand the unique challenges of the PhD dissertation process. Dr. Inger Mewburn, Director of Researcher Development at the Australian National University, has risen to answer these calls. He actively engages with many of her 46,000 Twitter followers in the hashtag #phdchat.
She is also the editor of The Thesis Whisperer, where frazzled PhD candidates come for her knowledge. The Thesis Whisperer has not gone unnoticed. It boasts 100,000 followers across four social media channels and has had over nine million page visits since it started.
Sarah Lanser, Year 4 Teacher at Epping Public School
Of course, online education influencers have also made their homes quite comfortably on the eye-popping Instagram. 25-year-old Sarah Lanser of Canberra is no exception, either. With nearly 25,000 Instagram followers on her popular teaching page, @teacherishappy, Ms. Lanser is making waves with fellow millennials thanks to her gorgeous, candy-coloured classrooms.
While she claims that she’d decorate her rooms like this no matter how many people saw them, she finds that Instagram is a great way to share classroom decoration and motivation ideas. Social media platforms are excellent places for teachers to exchange thoughts and learn from each other. These platforms are also unique for connecting with other students who are enrolled in a study certificate course online, as you can share your experiences and help answer any questions you might have.
Mark Scott, Head of the New South Wales Education Department
If you’ve just enrolled in a study certificate course online and are unsure of how they’ll contribute to your future, you might be inspired by this next influencer. Although Scott spent many years as a television broadcaster, he’s no stranger to the education world.
Not only does he hold a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard, but he was also a former senior adviser to education minister Terry Metherell and worked for the NSW Greiner government as chief of staff to Education Minister Virginia Chadwick. His individualised, data-driven approach to education seeks to diagnose learning problems early on so that tailored learning plans can be prescribed as soon as possible.
Dr. Colin Jones, Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania, School of Management
Dr. Jones is unique among many modern-day educators. While teachers from every era have long been aware of the potential benefits of using popular youth media to spread their philosophies, Dr. Jones is walking the walk. If nothing else, let his Twitter bio give you an insight into his intriguing mind: “Reformed failure practising the art of perpetual failure so that I might one day succeed.” He’s expanded on his educational philosophies on his popular education blog, Teaching Entrepreneurship. His influence is helping to shape the ever-evolving ideals that govern education, and often spurs young people to learn new skills online that could help propel them in their career.
The rise of online education influencers in Australia underscores the transformative power of social media in the realm of learning and professional development. Figures like Eddie Woo, Dr. Inger Mewburn, Sarah Lanser, Mark Scott, and Dr. Colin Jones exemplify how innovative approaches and influential voices can reshape the educational landscape. Their unique contributions, ranging from YouTube math lessons to insightful educational blogs, demonstrate that learning and inspiration can transcend traditional classroom boundaries. These influencers are not only guiding lights in their respective fields but also serve as catalysts for change, inspiring a new generation to embrace online learning and career advancement.
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