Got Twitter?

Where do you learn about the latest innovative teaching practices? How do you find the most recent tech tools and  resources that are available for your teaching staff? Where do you go for thoughtful responses to current educational trends and events? Do you have a one stop go to source that you can visit on your schedule no matter you are and whether you have a few minutes or a full hour to either catch up or just to explore the latest.

It may surprise you to learn that the best place to do all of this is on Twitter. I think for many of us who are (ahem) above a certain age, Twitter is considered a wasteland for star athletes and movie stars to post ridiculous, mundane, and occasionally outrageous thoughts. Or perhaps you see it an avenue for teenagers to communicate. Maybe you wonder what of any possible value could be communicated in one hundred forty characters or fewer. The fact is that Twitter is a powerful tool for educators.

First let’s deal with a few misconceptions that may keep some from jumping on board:

·         Twitter is a huge time sink – First it is a tool. You can use it as often as it works, though I think the more y

ou use it, the more you’ll see the value. I check my Twitter feed several times a day. Some times this takes as little as a minute or two. Other times I am captivated by a post or a linked web article and I spend thirty minutes or more investigating new sites and resources. Again, it is up to you.

·         You have to post and post often – The truth is that, unlike maintaining a blog, you never have to post. You can simply use it a resource to see what kind of information is available.

·         I’ll waste my time reading about what people had for breakfast – It takes very little time to determine who contributes material of value. It is easy to unfollow anyone filling up your feed with such drivel.

·         There is no value in just 140 characters no matter the subject – This may be true, but 140 characters is enough to capture your attention. You’ll soon find out that the most valuable people to follow are actually providing links to full web sites and blog posts that contain valuable ideas, information, and resources.

·         If I don’t have a lot of people following me, what’s the point – You don’t need to have a lot of people following you to benefit from what others are posting. Never underestimate the value of a retweet. If you retweet something and one of your followers does the same, there is no telling how many people you may reach.

I don’t end up using what I read on Twitter all that often, but I am a better informed educator and leader for what I do read. Often times I will find articles or resources that I can pass on to my staff. The most recent practical use I made of Twitter was on Sunday evening following the events at Sandy Hook elementary. I knew the building would have a different feel Monday morning and I was searching for a way to approach things with my staff. While scrolling through my feed that evening on my phone I found just the right words of comfort and strength. Later I was able to build on some of these same thoughts in my parent newsletter. I might have been able to have eventually found the right tenor for my comments, but access to the views of a wide number of educators helped me when I was at a

If you are looking for a place to start after signing up for an account, try some of my favorites:

@pammoran – Pam is the superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia and frequently posts on educational technology.

@Edutopia is all about new, innovative education ideas that really work.

@cybraryman1 – Jerry Blumengarten has a vast number of resources that teachers can turn around and use right away.

Of course, the truly desperate can find me at @gfurlich.