If you are using tech to teach, I can pretty much guarantee something is not going right. You WILL have questions. Who do you ask? Who on your campus is a ninja at that technology? Who on your campus is a ninja at that technology and wants to be bothered with questions 24/7 from all the staff members? If you are using tech to teach, it probably did not exist when you were a student so you do not have any best practices to glean from. How do you get ideas for NEW ways to use technology so you are doing different tasks with your students?
If you do the same task, expect the same results.
Learning does not improve when you use technology. You have to change the task. How does technology make a student-centered environment more feasible? How are your students collaborating together and with other people around the world? How are you able to give high-quality feedback faster? To build critical thinkers, you need to be able to give feedback often, technology makes this possible. Where do you get enough professional development to make using technology in your classroom truly transformative?
There are thousands and thousands of educators on Twitter who you can ask questions from and get ideas from. Shifting your teaching to include technology is too hard to go it alone. Luckily you do not have to, utilize Twitter to ask questions 24/7.
Click Here for a directions document to set up Twitter as an educator.
If you need some encouragement to use Twitter, check out my Twittervention. I use Remind to send out a daily text message with a tip or reminder to check Twitter.
Use a Hashtag and ASK
No matter what time of day, educators are on Twitter. Make sure you include 1-3 hashtags on your tweets. This is like sending out the bat signal for the whole twitterverse to see (well, actually just those using those hashtags.) If in doubt use #edtech, #edchat and one specific to your grade level or subject area. Check out @cybraryman’s list of educational hashtags you may want to use.
At Mention
If you include a particular person’s Twitter handle in the tweet (do not put it first, ask for help first) that person will be notified. They may be able to help you, or they can retweet your question to help you find someone who can.
Click Here for a list of educators who would be willing to answer your cry for help.
2 thoughts on “Using Tech and You Are NOT on Twitter? Rethink That”
I am a fan Alice, you tweeted about a list of apps a while ago. I can’t find the tool/website that you had used to assemble the apps in a bunch, it was similar to : http://mylistofapps.com/ but i was another one. Could you help please if you understand my question. Merci beaucoup from Prof Numeric in Montréal, Québec. Thanks
uhhh, if you type in extension into the search on my site I have a ton of Chrome extensions… is that what you mean?