Twitter Chats

#PersonalizedPD, #edtech, #edtechchat, #haysedchat.... ever wonder, "What's with the hashtags?" There is a good reason other than people trying to be trendy (what is what I always thought).

Not until recently did I understand that power of twitter as a professional. As I slowly began immersing myself in this virtual world of tweets and twitter chats, I finally realized that there is a world of resources and minds that are ripe for the picking. You can find some of the most prominent people in a field on twitter. They are sharing their insights to anyone willing to read 140 characters or less. These "tweets", in and of themselves can be profound, but they can also lead to other great resources and other communities. For example, I began on twitter, which let me to Google+ communities, which also led me to Podcast channels, which encouraged me to register on feedly and begin my own blog which you are reading right now!

I was very fortunate to come across this calendar and chat list managed by:

@cybraryman1

@conniehamilton

@thomascmurray

@cevans5095

@jrochelle

https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar

This page give the time and date of the educational chats registered, as well as a brief description and possible link to a home page for more information. 

Here is a youtube video clip (less than 2 minutes) of how twitter can work for you- the educator.

This clip discussed the value of a PLN formed on Twitter.

Here are a few tips if you decide to participate in a twitter chat.

1) to find a chat, use the search option and enter the #......

2) usually there will be a moderator and they will post questions in the format of Q1 for question one.

3) if you want to respond use the notation: A1 for an answer to question 1, and don't forget to include the hashtag of the chat so your comment will be included in the discussion.

4) have fun, follow and be followed!

I hope that you seriously consider joining twitter and engaging in a twitter chat some time. Being a connected educator is a priceless commodity these day that will inevitably benefit your students in a tremendous way!