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Maybe I would try...

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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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None of my friends and very few of my colleagues use Twitter.

I hope I like it in the future.

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As a social networking platform, Twitter can be a place for rich, informal learning for individual academics.[1] But can it have an equally valuable role in deepening what happens in college classrooms?

For some adult students, Twitter already has a place in their personal or professional lives, as they use it to:

Follow and interact with experts and sources (including news outlets, blogs and publications) in their specialty areas;

Access local, national and global breaking news;

Connect with professional organizations and fellow members; and

Follow conference backchannels on-site or from a distance.

As a social networking tool, Twitter creates an environment for personal learning networks that link individual students to peers and resources that build capacity and relationships in their professional lives.[2] Harnessing that power in the higher education classroom can extend learning and introduce (or reinforce) the value of developing a global professional knowledge base.

There are myriad ways to use Twitter, both to support classroom management and increase student engagement. One example of the latter usage comes from a colleague who asks student peer groups to research topics and share discoveries on Twitter using a common course hashtag (a way to identify messages related to a specific topic in social media). Students not only share what they learn with classmates, expanding the group's collective knowledge, but with others who read their tweets. This opens discussion and learning opportunities to not only fellow class members but to a larger global audience.

Similarly, students can follow content-related hashtags or terms (e.g., #nonprofit or #governance for students in my classes) to access live discussions and news related to topics germane to the course. This opens the potential to not only discover live, current resources not found in textbooks, but to interact directly with those generating the content. Many authors, opinion leaders and practitioners welcome opportunities to interact directly with those interested in their work - especially students.

Students can follow conference hashtags, benefitting from knowledge and ideas shared without attending personally. For example, students in my courses regularly are encouraged to follow the backchannel of the annual Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action conference to sample cutting-edge research on the sector.

Backchannels can be used in the classroom as well.[3] Faculty can use Twitter to encourage comments and questions in a live classroom using a course hashtag. This creates not only an additional mode of participation for students (especially those who may hesitate to raise their hands in class), but to create a running log of ideas that resonate and resources germane to the topic in large lecture classes. (Using a curation tool such as Storify enhances the value and permanence of Twitter-based discussions - and courses more generally.) It also offers a chance to extend conversation beyond the classroom.

Twitter can support course management in other ways. For example, instructors can use it to announce quick schedule changes (e.g., session cancellations or classroom changes) that are more readily accessible than email for students using mobile technology. Students can use that same pathway to pose questions to instructors. Twitter also allows for direct messaging, offering the same immediate communication benefit in a private setting if needed.

Twitter can be used to share information and reminders about events of interest to students. It also can be used to generate thinking and interest in advance of a class meeting. For example, the instructor could send out a question or article link to stimulate thinking before class. Students then have an opportunity to come better prepared for a stimulating conversation, one that may already be in progress on Twitter.

Incorporating new tools in a classroom setting can spark anxieties for instructor and students. Adding Twitter to the mix is no exception. Setting personal boundaries as an instructor, and classroom policies for everyone, is essential.[4] Engaging students in defining ground rules about interacting with classmates, sharing information and respecting privacy improves the potential for quality participation and deepens understanding of what it means to participate in an increasingly connected and global society.

A related concern is the public nature of Twitter. People can, and occasionally do, say things they later wish they could take back. They follow profiles that tweet on topics that are, at best, not tied to a student's academic interests. They may even get lost in their Twitter feeds during class instead of the work in front of them.

Certainly, those risks are real. They also are part of online life in a space where, if students are not already engaged, they will be - or should be - as working professionals. Modeling appropriate online behavior and jointly engaging in critical assessment of information can be an important additional contribution to their learning experience.

For a curated list of resources related to using Twitter in the classroom, click here.

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References
[1] Debra Beck, "Social Media Vital to Professional Development," The EvoLLLution. Accessed at https://evolllution.com/opinions/social-media-vital-professional-development/

[2] "Building your PLN," Pinterest. Accessed at http://www.pinterest.com/npmaven/building-your-pln/

[3] Katie Lepi, "10 New Ways Twitter is Changing the College Lecture," Edudemic, July 25, 2012. Accessed at http://www.edudemic.com/twitter-college-lecture/

[4] "Class Twitter Policies," Prof KRG. Accessed at http://www.profkrg.com/courses/class-twitter-policies?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=bufferd4464&utm_medium=twitter

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Debra Beck | PR Coordinator for the College of Education, University of Wyoming

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Sara Kisseberth | Web Communications Manager, Bluffton University

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Holly Zanville | Research Professor and Co-Director of Program on Skills, Credentials and Workforce Policy in the Institute of Public Policy, George Washington University

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Carol Aslanian | Founder, EducationDynamics' Aslanian Market Research

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Tweeting to Learn: Extending Social Classroom Learning Via Twitter - The EvoLLLution

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As a social networking platform, Twitter can be a place for rich, informal learning for individual academics.[1] But can it have an equally valuable role in deepening what happens in college classrooms? For some adult students, Twitter already has a place in their personal or professional lives, as they use it to: Follow and interact [...]

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I have my PLN on Facebook - Školska zbornica, Nastavnici.org, Učitelji informatike, Učitelji i projekti and many others.

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I think, I'm  The High-Energy Teacher. I like informal learning very much.
I am educated through Loomen and many other courses.

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I work as an IT teacher in elementary school for 25 years.
I am happy with the changes in the curriculum and these are the challenges for me and my work.
I like to work with kids and I love to teach. I'm interested in learning new things in this education!