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Teachers on Twitter: why you should join and how to get started

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Teachers on Twitter: why you should join and how to get started

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According to the article "Teachers on Twitter: why you should join and how to get started", these are the four good reasons to be a teacher on Twitter:
1º Find and share resources – Use the Twitter and explore the resources are already available. Chances are that another teacher will have created something that is perfect for you, and is using strategies you’ve never thought of.
Collaborating with online colleagues is an enlightening experience and as teachers we should want all students to learn, not just the ones in front of us.

2º Be informed – The blogs of some incredible teachers have taught the author far more about her profession, and given her more practical ideas, than her MA in education did. There is some incredibly useful research being carried out in education, but he didn’t encounter any of it until joining Twitter and following groups such as The Learning Scientists (@AceThatTest).

3º Get a fresh perspective - It’s fair to say that teachers are cruelly generalised. We are often portrayed as a miserable bunch, constantly striking and always angry about the latest injustice imposed on our education system. But, teachers of all ages and nationalities come together on Twitter and they are excited about the profession, their subjects and the students they teach. I’ve found that if you choose to associate yourself with these types of people, you might well become one. For this reason I, who had never had a twitter account, made one.

4º Embrace new ideas - Looking at teachers’ Twitter accounts will show you that we’re a diverse group and that many reject some of the prescriptive ideas instilled by PGCE training about how to be an outstanding teacher. Some of us have come to feel that much of the advice was just preventing us from being bad teachers, rather than encouraging us to be the unique teachers we wanted to be.
There are so many incredible teachers, each with their own approach that they are happy to share. These sharing can be done on both Twitter and other social networks.

If you’re not teacher on Twitter, I hope I’ve convinced you to join.

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I've been using Twitter for six months and it's already one of the best career decisions I've made.

For a while, it seemed that my relationship with teaching was going to be short lived (the first rush of excitement and energy was gone and in need of resuscitation). But thanks to some of the inspiring educators on Twitter, I have fallen back in love with teaching.

Earlier this year, a colleague (@historychappy) presented a 10-minute continuing professional development session on how to expand your personal learning network. By the end of the session I was convinced by his ideas, andhave since found Twitter to be an excellent way to develop professionally

Over the past few months, I have learned so much, not only about classroom teaching but also about wider educational debates. Here's why I think all teachers should join the conversation, and some tips for getting started.

Whatever resource you are about to make, stop - open Twitter and explore what is already available. Chances are that another teacher will have created something that is perfect for you, and is using strategies you've never thought of.

The productivity and generosity of teachers on Twitter is inspiring and I have also become more efficient in creating and sharing resources. Collaborating with online colleagues is an enlightening experience and as teachers we should want all students to learn, not just the ones in front of us.

The blogs of some incredible teachers have taught me far more about my profession, and given me more practical ideas, than my MA in education did. There is some incredibly useful research being carried out in education, but I didn't encounter any of it until joining Twitter and following groups such as The Learning Scientists (@AceThatTest).

And after a few days of reading blogs on everyday practice, my approach to lessons was re-energised. I've taken many useful pointers from Rebecca Foster (@TLPMsF) especially, who blogs weekly about practical ideas for the classroom.

It's fair to say that teachers are cruelly generalised. We are often portrayed as a miserable bunch, constantly striking and always angry about the latest injustice imposed on our education system. Even to me, the word "teacher" conjures an image of an exhausted, underpaid and overworked drone, counting down the years until retirement.

But this is not the case. Teachers of all ages and nationalities come together on Twitter and they are excited about the profession, their subjects and the students they teach. I've found that if you choose to associate yourself with these types of people, you might well become one.

Looking at teachers' Twitter accounts will show you that we're a diverse group and that many reject some of the prescriptive ideas instilled by PGCE training about how to be an outstanding teacher. Some of us have come to feel that much of the advice was just preventing us from being bad teachers, rather than encouraging us to be the unique teachers we wanted to be.

Early in my career, I had a suspicion that I liked didactic teaching. My PGCE experience made me afraid of "teacher talk" but Twitter made me realise that I was not alone and that there are schools built on the principles of didactic teaching. Without Twitter, I would never have read the blogs of their wonderful head teachers reassuring me that I wasn't meant for the dark ages.

There are so many incredible teachers, each with their own approach that they are happy to share. Twitter has opened my eyes to the fact that there isn't just one teaching style. I am proud to say that I've embraced different ideas and believe my teaching has improved as a result.

With marking, meetings, parents' evenings, administrative tasks and exam entries, teachers aren't left with much time to discuss teaching practices with colleagues. But we want to talk about what works. On Twitter, it's refreshing to get an outside view, away from the politics and day-to-day conversations of your own school.

First, set up a profile. Most teachers seem to use their real names, but you can make your account private, so that students can't find you.

You'll be asked to select areas of interest: choose education, schools and anything else that takes your fancy.

Add your interests to the "About You" section, so that people with similar interests can follow you, and you can build mutually beneficial professional relationships.

Follow everyone to begin with, then narrow it down. Twitter will then recognise the types of people you engage with and refine its recommendations. I've learned so much from @MrsSpalding, @FKRitson, @fod3, @mr_englishteach and @shadylady222 about teaching English. For wider educational debates, @DavidDidau and @JamesTheo are always posting interesting thoughts.

Take part in discussions, read blogs and see what resources are around. Teachers seem to be on Twitter and chatting on weekday evenings, and most subject areas have a specific chat period. For English, @engchatuk sets up a discussion on Monday evenings that anyone can host.

Use and follow hashtags. As an English teacher, #teamenglish is essential, and you can find hashtags for your subject areas and more here .

Think before you type and remember your Ps and Qs. Remember that the veil of a screen does not mean people won't be offended.

Be a radiator, not a drain. Don't just take resources, share them too. The lovely education bubble on Twitter can only exist for as long as we keep sharing ideas and resources.

If you're already a teacher on Twitter, thank you. If you're not, I hope I've convinced you to join. I promise that Twitter will save you more time than it will ever cost you.
Follow us on Twitter via @GuardianTeach. Join the Guardian Teacher Network for lesson resources, comment and job opportunities, direct to your inbox

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Teachers on Twitter: why you should join and how to get started

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I've been using Twitter for six months and it's already one of the best career decisions I've made. For a while, it seemed that my relationship with teaching was going to be short lived (the first rush of excitement and energy was gone and in need of resuscitation).

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A PLN (Personalized Learning Network) is a tool that uses social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere, anytime. Participating educators around the world make requests and share resources. Each individual educator becomes a potential source of information. Collecting these sources in a location to access them is the PLN. There are no two PLNs that are the same.
PLNs Develop Thought Leaders because that PLNs seem to promote a great deal of reflection and collaboration. Additionally, this activities stimulate, for many, the need to express themselves further in blogging, speaking and writing books. So, PLNs accept people for their ideas, not their titles.
Collaboration as a method of learning is not new in education, it has been with us from the beginning of education. However, it was mostly limited to face-to-face interactions within school buildings, districts or, in some cases, conferences, if educators were fortunate enough to attend one. This is how teachers connected and collaborated through history. Today, technology has fundamentally changed collaboration by removing barriers of time and space.
According to the author of this article, there are three deterrents to educators using PLNs as a tool for learning and professional development (PD):

1.       The PLN is a mindset, not the outcome of a workshop or the PD offered annually by many school districts. It is not a one-shot fix.

2.       Successful users of PLNs overwhelm the uninitiated with techno-babble.

3.       It requires, at least at first, digital literacy beyond a Google search.
With PLNs childrens can share cultural information with other children around the world and teachers can exchange methods and strategies. Online discussions and links enable access to materials that would not be revealed otherwise. Resources are accessible and exchanged through networked teachers, not filtered through politicians and corporate monopolies. Facebook, instagram, Twitter, are social media application, are the backbone for most PLNs. With an post allows quick and easy transmissions of information to links yielding websites, videos, podcasts, blog posts, articles, interviews and excerpts -- dream resources for classroom professionals. By simply asking, teachers receive content and strategies from sources around the globe.
To conclude this brief reflection, we must remember that lifelong learning requires effort. We expect this commitment from students. We should accept no less from ourselves.

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Guest blogger Tom Whitby, a 40-year veteran of the teaching profession and an extremely connected educator, offers some basic, practical wisdom about what a PLN is and how to get one.

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A light-hearted, American description of the different ‘species’ of teacher in school:
1. The Perfect Classroom Teacher;
2. The High-Energy Teacher;
3. The Stressed-Out Teacher;
4. The Heartfelt Teacher;
5. The Hard-Ass Teacher;
6. The Know-It-All Teacher;
7. The Burnt-Out Teacher;
8. The Big Brother/Sister Teacher;
9. The Health-Crazy Teacher;
10. The Always-Complaining Teacher;
11. The Over-Organized Teacher;
12. The Jocky-Coach Teacher;
13. The Super Teacher;
14. The Fashionable Teacher.

I think we are all a bit of each of these 14 types of teachers. We are "The Stressed-Out Teacher" and "The Burnt-Out Teacher", I think, very teacher gets to this state of mind at some point in the school year. It’s only human. There’s only so much one can handle between all the paperwork, meetings, and interruptions that drive us to the very limits of sanity. The question is not: “Are you these teacher?”, it’s: “At what point in the school year will you become this teacher?”.
Besides these two types of teachers, I think I am also a bit of:

“The Perfect Classroom Teacher” – because I drop a fair amount of money on materials, and I transform plain, old, ugly walls & drop-down ceilings into learning wonderlands.

“The High-Energy Teacher” – because This kind of teacher is like Energizer bunnies, they keep going and going and going.

“The Heartfelt Teacher” – This is the teacher who would do anything for their students.

“The Hard-Ass Teacher” – because this teacher is hard on their students, but for good reasons, and any teacher, sometimes, are a lite of this type of teacher.

“The Health-Crazy Teacher” – When you see students’ drawings hung up all over their walls, their desktops and drawers are full of random gifts every student ever gave them, and you might catch them tearing up over an “aha” moment or a simple sentimental gesture.

“The Over-Organized Teacher” – because this type of teacher is in love with lamination, color-coordination, labeling, bins, filing cabinets, bulletin boards, and their precious markers. Their drawers, desktop, and cabinets are meticulous. These over-organized teachers are usually super efficient since they know where everything is. As a result, they’re generally more composed, because they don’t lose their minds trying to find where they put things, all the time.

“The Big Brother/Sister Teacher” – because they’re always available for some much-needed support, and always there to let you know it’s gonna be OK.

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My name is Vânia Silva, I am Portuguese and my English is not very good, so I apologize for some errors that may exist. . Ideally is Learning Diary will be in English so that others can view it. However, if I'm not so confident in English, I write parts of it in my native language.
I am a Master's student at Escola Superior de Educação - Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal and trainer of the Gen10s Portugal project, where I teach Scratch programming to 2nd Cycle students, 5th and 6th years of schooling.
Besides being a student and a worker, I am also a mother, having a life full of adventures and learning. I love to walk, read and dance, so I always go on walks when I have a few free hours, I read in my moments of relaxation and I attend a dance school with my daughter.
I belive to grow as a teacher and to adapt to continuous changes in society in general and in education in particular, we all have to be lifelong learners, learning formally, non-formally or informally. That is why I enrolled in this course.

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This came about after I enrolled in the course "Networked Teacher - Teaching in 21st Century", in which I was asked to write a Learning Diary.  In it, I write my reflections and comments, collect ideas and resources related to the course and so on.
This short course aims to help us become a ‘networked teacher’, developing your pedagogical digital competence, learning about collaborative and active approaches to teaching and learning and connecting with fellow student teachers from across Europe to share ideas and build your future professional learning network.