More and more teachers are turning to the rapid-fire world of Twitter as a platform for professional development and sharing philosophies. It's a way for educators across the country, and even across the world, to share their insights. They can find support and encouragement from others in the demanding profession, or they can research new ways to bring tablets and web tools into their classrooms.
Even though there are some limitations on teachers interacting with their students on social media, Twitter is still a powerful tool for educators to share tips, suggestions and ideas.
See also: The Teacher's Guide to Social Media
Whether you're a fellow teacher, a parent or just a civic-minded tweeter, these 10 people are A+ additions to your Twitter reading.
Children are voiceless (vote-less) so they are the group most likely to be poor today, a practical & moral failure http://t.co/sQFwev7pFn
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) January 9, 2014
Randi Weingarten is the president of the American Federation of Teachers. She's a vocal tweeter not just about education, but also public institutions and civic life as a whole.
For anybody who wants to have his or her finger on the pulse of education policy and activism, Weingarten's feed is a must-follow.
It’s not that Bill Gates or Arne Duncan endorse #CCSS. It’s whether I do or will get the proper support to make it work.
— Jose Vilson (@TheJLV) January 8, 2014
New York-based teacher and writer Jose Vilson is an active tweeter. Many of his posts focus on the need for education reform and activism for teachers and students.
He's especially vocal about the need to remove inequalities in the classroom, and he’s a great source of insights about education policy in NYC.
How I'm teaching about #grit - True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It @Edutopia http://t.co/UWZwf6GC17 #edchat
— Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher) January 10, 2014
Vicki Davis is the author of the Cool Cat Teacher blog. On Twitter, she frequently shares her thoughts on how to navigate the use of new technologies in the profession.
Whether she's sharing articles about great educational programs, offering tutorials on web tools or just voicing her passion for working with kids, Davis' tweets are a great inspiration for anyone who teaches.
How to Tap Into Kids’ Creative Confidence | MindShift http://t.co/8xyCzt6uON via @MindShiftKQED
— FEED THE TEACHER (@feedtheteacher) December 20, 2013
Tweets from Giselle Santos most often focus on how technology and gadgets can play a part in education. Based in Brazil, her Twitter feed offers an international look at the issues facing teachers.
She also has insights about life outside the classroom, sharing other articles about remarkable children and cool new tech trends.
Teachers: Making it to winter break is no small thing. Savor the much-deserved time away. Sleep. Get healthy. You are valued.
— Dan Brown (@DanBrownTeacher) December 20, 2013
For a behind-the-scenes look into teaching, check out Dan Brown. As the director of the Future Educators Association, he’s both interested in finding ways to teach better and to teach teaching better.
To that end, he regularly shares words of advice to those in the profession to try to keep them motivated.
No Girls, Blacks, or Hispanics Take AP Computer Science Exam in Some States #Edchat http://t.co/EC0psANljO
— Tom Whitby (@tomwhitby) January 10, 2014
Founder of #Edchat Tom Whitby has plenty of experience guiding the social discussion about teaching. He regularly shares the insightful tweets of others as well as links to his own writing.
From critiques of the common core to discussions of teaching philosophy, Whitby’s Twitter feed is a treasure trove of information.
Digitized Rare Books & Special Collections from @librarycongress http://t.co/NHLXBe7bC6 #history #edtech
— Jennifer Carey (@TeacherJenCarey) December 18, 2013
Another great curator, Jennifer Carey is the director of educational technology at the Ransom Everglades School in Florida. Her tweets frequently touch on teaching, but she also shares articles and news that are educational for any readers.
You might find a link to the Library of Congress’ digitized rare books and a discussion about plagiarism on the same day in her feed.
How BYOD Programs Can Fuel Inquiry Learning | via @MindShiftKQED http://t.co/5RgCoiGKba #mlearning
— Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) January 10, 2014
As principal of New Jersey’s New Milford High School, Eric Sheninger offers a look at the administrative side of education. He shares news about the programs happening at his school, as well as trend pieces about teaching and learning.
He’s also a social tweeter, frequently engaging in conversations with his readers.
#ntchat is New Teacher chat...Wednesday evenings, on your local twitter station :) Connecting New/Pre-service teachers & veterans. :)
— Lisa Dabbs (@teachingwthsoul) January 9, 2014
Lisa Dabbs is an active participant in several Twitter chats focused on education. She founded #NTchat, a discussion to help out and support new teachers, and she’s also involved with #CAedchat and #edcampLA.
Many of her tweets are part of these conversations, so teachers looking for ideas and inspiration will surely find something useful in Dabbs’ feed.
Loving how quickly students have picked collaborating using Google Docs. We are reviewing websites &… http://t.co/uRZYQleEZz
— Mary Beth Hertz (@mbteach) January 8, 2014
Mary Beth Hertz is a technology integration specialist in Philadelphia, and she gives followers a look at day-to-day life in her school. Hertz tweets many articles about classroom life, ranging from debates about zero-tolerance policies and methods to improving student engagement.
She’s also vocal about addressing gender gaps in schools, sharing many pieces and resources for teachers on that topic.
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Image: Flickr, Lucélia Ribeiro