“When we are connected to others, we become better people.”   -Randy Pausch

EC-5 Kaneland Twitter Chat Series on Personalized Learning  #PLbeforetheBELL

What a celebration that 35 Kaneland Staff members took time to experience our first district wide Twitter chat!  Kudos to KST with 15 contributing staff members! We had and incredible span of participants from experienced tweeters that have led their own Twitter chats to an individual who tweeted for the very first time.  Through this initial conversation, staff members shared topic suggestions related to personalized learning as well as scheduling options that will work best for them.

 

 

This idea evolved from the #20QPL chat that Nancy and Natalie hosted last spring.  In that chat Kaneland participants had conversations with educators across several states.  When we reflected on this process, we considered how we really wanted to be having these conversations with our Kaneland colleagues.  That is not an easy task when our school district spans over 140 square miles. There are so many questions to ask, answer and ponder.  Please consider this an opportunity for us to strengthen our understanding of personalized learning and support one another as we experience this journey together.

 

We will sort through all of the information provided from our launch chat and develop a series of chats that will allow all of you to connect and collaborate to grow your understanding and application of personalized learning.  We will post topics, as well as questions, ahead of time so that you can consider which chats are suitable for you.

 

With so many new to Twitter Chats, be on the lookout for a Lunch and Learn opportunity regarding the use of Tweetdeck, hosted by your Instructional Coaches.  Tweetdeck makes participating in a Twitter Chat so much easier. If you prefer to be an independent learner, here is a brief tutorial.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to a coach for technical support!

 

Still on the Fence? Why Twitter?

Twitter is one of the many social media options for people to reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and beyond.  I often hear people say they don’t have time for another distraction or don’t see the value in Twitter. However, Twitter offers opportunities to explore outside of our classroom, school, district, state, and even country.  I admit, when I created my account 5 years ago, I needed some real guidance. I started following people, but really didn’t know what to do, so I set it aside and didn’t really come back to it for about 6 months. It took me a while to figure out who to follow and how to make it useful, but once I did, I was astounded at the depth of learning that I have been able to experience on my own terms.  It was through participating in Twitter Chats that I was able to discover other educators outside of my Kaneland network, which in return, helped me bring more back to my Kaneland network of educators.

 

Twitter Tips for Success

Twitter is what you make of it.  It is not about keeping up with others or feeling left out It is about connecting with others, finding more colleagues who are like minded, and validating the hard work you do everyday.  Here are a few suggestions that have made Twitter more effective for me.

 

• Allow your activity on Twitter to ebb and flow with your mood and activity level.  There is no pressure to be constantly checking on what is out there.

 

• Keep your teacher account professional so that when you are on Twitter,you are in the frame of mind to connect with teachers.  On the flipside, other social media accounts, keep strictly personal. This helps create that work life balance by not intermingling the two.  Some people even prefer to have two separate accounts on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook so that they can keep their focus separate.

 

• It is okay to just follow others and digest what is there.  You don’t have to post often to benefit from an educational Twitter account.

 

• There are several educational hashtags that you can search to see what people are sharing. Linked below are some recommended Twitter Chats for educators, but you can simple search the hashtag at any time and it is as if you had been there.  It is almost like eavesdropping, but no one cares!

 

What Other Chats can I Explore?

If you are looking beyond Kaneland, participating in a chat with colleagues at your grade level or who have a similar interest could be extremely valuable.  Here is a list  from Scholastic of some recommended chats for educators.  If you have participated in a chat that you would highly recommend to your peers, please comment on this blog….and you might just find a delicious thank you heading your way!  Sharing is sweet!