Twitter as a Professional Learning Network

My Twitter Experience
I have been an avid Twitter subscriber for numerous years. When I first signed up for Twitter, I followed the daily news, national news and weather, as well as a few select celebrities. I had it on my computer, iPad and iPhone and utilized it mainly when I had nothing else to do. All that changed, however, when I discovered writing sites.

I first began writing as a teenager. Poetry, short stories, children's stories and essays made up some of my writings. I published a few pieces. I worked as a reporter. I worked in television news. After a brief non-writing period, my wife helped me start a blog, Fuzzy, Black Dogs. Approximately a year after starting that blog was when I discovered that writers use Twitter!

I began paying more attention to the accounts I followed on Twitter. I "unfollowed" some accounts that didn't tweet (the sending of messages on the feed), accounts that didn't follow me back and accounts that I wasn't sure why I was following. In other words, I tailored my follower and following accounts to those that pertained to writing, whether they were authors, copy editors, illustrators, or people who just enjoy reading poetry, books, essays and, especially, blogs!

While I didn't send out a tweet every day, I was checking my Twitter feed on my iPhone more regularly. I began advertising my blog on Twitter. As a result, I've seen my readership numbers grow. My writing has improved since I began following a few sites that have daily writing contests. There's one that challenges you to write stories in six words or less. Each day, the site gives a different topic about which to write your own six word story.

If I can advance my writing skills and advertise my blog on Twitter, then how could it possibly help me as a teacher? I'm in the process of finding out now!

I have several teachers across the country that I follow. Whether you tweet a lot or just a little, Twitter can provide you with a wealth of knowledge. About the same time we began learning about Kahoot! in my technology graduate school class at High Point University, Mrs. Atkin's class (@Atkins1st) tweeted about how much the kids enjoy using that app to review math lessons!

In this way, Twitter can be used much like Pinterest, garnering ideas of what to do or use within your own classroom, regardless of what grade or subject you teach. I mainly teach guided reading to first through fifth grades. I have a few accounts dedicated to guided reading that I go to for title selections for the various grades with which I work.

You may be thinking, I know how to teach my third-graders. I don't need someone on Twitter to tell me how to teach. That may be true, until you find yourself faced with a new situation. There are many experts out there and many of them are also on Twitter. As an author, I wouldn't hesitate to send a Direct Message to someone asking them how they found an illustrator for their first book. As a teacher, I found myself directly asking fifth grade teachers about coaching their own Battle of the Books teams.

Even if you don't need new ideas and hate the idea of reaching out for help, most major magazines and journals can also be found on Twitter. As an author, I constantly read article on advertising my blog in order to increase my readership. As an instructional assistant in the process of becoming a teacher, I am now reading online journal articles about the state of our classrooms and new technology that is becoming available to teachers and their classrooms.

I also follow Guilford County Schools' (@GCSchoolsNC), the district for which I work, Twitter account. Classroom ideas or not, I want to know how the search is going for a new school superintendent. I also want to know as soon as possible if we will have school in the morning when the the local news station is calling for snow!

I personally don't tweet much. However, I don't hesitate to utilize Twitter in order to stay current with the latest in the field of education. Face it. Twitter has become an excellent resource and many people's "go to" in order to maintain a professional learning network in whatever their field of choice may be.

What Is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social networking service that allows members to connect, communicate and stay connected through messages. These messages, known simply as "tweets" can only be 140 characters long, though they may also contain links, photos and  videos.

A Twitter account is free, and is highly advisable since members may read and posts tweets, as opposed to just being able to read tweets. That way, you can stay connected with your friends and family, or with your professional community. Also, if you're not a registered member, there is no way for you to use Twitter to establish your own credible online presence.

In this age of digital technology, social networking sites, such as Twitter, are essential tools for networking. Through Twitter, you can connect with others in the same field, you can stay informed of new developments and news, and you can even use it to find jobs. As you're getting started, keep in mind that the accounts you follow and that follow you define your account as professional or personal.

For example, I follow HPU's School of Education (@hpuschoolofed) simply because I'm a student there now. I'm able to stay in contact with my professor (@jbowser) in case I have any questions. As an educator, I can follow fellow HPU students and colleagues (@alyshachristian) to see what they are doing in their own classrooms. I can even reach out to them and ask them questions about the why or how of a certain lesson.

Other accounts that I follow include TeachersFirst (@TeachersFirst) and Teacher Goals (@teachergoals) to keep up with contacts and the field of education.

Whether you are using Twitter for personal or professional reasons, it is one of the best social networks for creating your own network connections. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get started on your own professional learning network!

What I Wish...

I absolutely adore writing prompts! My third-graders were given the following prompt and three minutes to write whatever they wanted. This, however, was my response...

Oh, the limitless possibilities!

(Prompt: If I could have one wish, I would wish for...) I would wish for large vocabularies for all my students.

If my students have large vocabularies, they'll understand what I mean when I tell them they are doing phenomenally. They'll be able to perform stupendous work. They'll be able to write prolifically.

They'll know to avoid egregious and audacious behavior. They'll also be able to keep the decibel level in the classroom to a manageable minimum. And they certainly won't be loquacious!

Above all, their reading levels would be monumental! Words like insipid, retroactive and redundant would inspire them to read with deep comprehension and alacrity! Wow!

I simply couldn't muster the courage to read any of the students' responses. I'm too afraid I'll see "I wish Mr. Haworth wouldn't throw all those big, scary words at me! What do they even mean?"

Technology Within the Classroom

Technology has been shown to be an asset to children within the classroom. While technology comes in many forms, the two most obvious are websites and devices. There are many websites available to students, whether in a classroom or home school environment. Similarly, there are many devices available as well.

Technology, in general, does three things for students. One, it gives them a larger audience with which to communicate. Second, it allows them to share what they create within the classroom. Third, technology offers students numerous literacy-related websites that can hook them and get them engaged in reading authentic texts.

Websites

One website that I would highly recommend for students would be Raz-Kids. The animated books and interactive quizzes are but two aspects of this award winning site that makes it popular among students.

Another website that I would recommend that is also popular among educators is Reading A-Z. Constantly evolving with new material, this affordable online curriculum resource offers students and teachers books and lesson plans.

Starfall, which is free, is yet another website that I recommend for classroom use. This site has created a system that helps children learn to read through phonics. The program integrates vocabulary, fluency and comprehension into its phonemic awareness practice through a systematic approach to phonics.

While there is a lot of technology and numerous websites available, it is important to research the website you want to use within your classroom. Ideally, the site needs to both engage students and maximize learning.

Hardware
Ideally, classroom devices should be such that they engage students and maximize learning. I feel that Apple products are some of the best because they are so easy to integrate within a classroom environment. Also, Apple sends representatives to schools to trouble shoot with their products, should problems arise.

I strongly recommend iPads for any educational environment, whether classroom or home school. They can be used alone. They can just as easily be integrated with other technologies (i.e. Interactive Whiteboards, computers, and document cameras, for example). The websites above can all be easily downloaded and used on iPads.

Children of all ages love the ease of use of iPads. The sound and the touch screen capability makes it interactive and engaging, helping students to stay on task while they work on literacy websites.

An Interactive Whiteboard, as mentioned above, makes for an amazing tool for any classroom. As the name implies, the teacher, or student, can interact with the board through the use of a keyboard, mouse, a pointer, an iPad, or even just the touch of a hand upon the board itself.

This seeming dry erase board has a computerized LCD projector linked up to it. This makes the board a large computer screen for the entire classroom to see all at once, eliminating the need for a teacher to recreate what is on the computer screen through the use of markers upon a board.

Like the iPad, the multi-sensory abilities of the boards can be engaging for students. This helps students to remain focused on literacy lessons, while the ease of use means teachers will be more likely to use it within the classroom.

While technology in all its forms can be fun and useful, it is not a teacher. When used properly, though, technology can aid and support various types of learners, such as ESL or special needs students. Usage of the correct technology tools available can help a teacher raise his or her students education to the next level.