Edutech for Teachers

Cool Tools for the 21st Century Classroom

Twitter: This Geeky Girl’s Professional Development BFF

June30

Have you completely lost your mind? That’s the look I received when I recently told a group of colleagues that one of the best forms of professional development is—drum roll, please—Twitter. Yes, I’m so totally serious! And here’s why…

I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend some of the best edtech conferences, workshops and training session on the planet with some of the biggest names in the edtech world—all of which have been extremely beneficial. Yet, my go-to place for continual learning of invaluable information highlighting best practices, innovative thinking, instructional strategies and the integration of technology is this super popular social media platform.

Call me crazy, but I honestly learn more and more every day about how to improve my craft by reading tweets the members of my professional learning network, or PLN, share across this network—resources, tools, articles, thoughts, opinions, inspiration, quotes, images, and more!

And the best part? It’s quick (with a 140 character max per tweet), free, available 24/7 and you can connect, collaborate, discuss, exchange and even debate all sorts of ideas with your virtual colleagues—all in your PJs (or bikini) if you want!

Chances are that if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already aware of my stance regarding the value of Twitter and the importance of finding your tribe within this global network of educators. So that means you’re either already an addict like me (Hey, it could be worse, right?) or a wannabe tweeter who’s not quite sure how to enter the dark side. Regardless, the following super cool resources will certainly either reinforce what you already know to be true, teach you a new trick, or kickstart that urge to become a hashtag fanatic!

That said, be sure to check out The A-Z of Twitter for Educators infographic shown below as well as Kathy Shrock’s Guide to Twitter for Teachers, a site jam-packed with all things Twitter including classroom examples, tips, tricks, videos, cheat sheets, fun stuff and more!

Educators-A-Z-of-Twitter-1

Props to  UKEdChat for developing and sharing this useful resource!

Classroom Connection:

Educators need to be consumers of information—constant seekers of current and relevant content in order to avoid becoming stagnant or complacent in our profession. Most importantly, we need to become the best we can be for our students. That said, use the info provided in this post to build an awesome PLN using Twitter, one that will definitely take your teaching to a new level.

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Hey, edu-tech gurus!

Looking for some technology integration ideas to enhance your classroom lessons? Then be sure to check out my "Tech Tips" for the latest and greatest Web 2.0 tools, applications and web sites that can be incorporated into activities and/or projects. Although some posts may not be applicable to your content area or grade level, be sure to check back often as I will be varying ideas in order to provide resources across the K-12 curriculum.

Be sure to add this awesome tool to your tech-box!

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