For many of us, summer is a great time to catch up on our professional development. That might mean going to a conference, attending local training sessions, or taking classes toward an advanced degree. Whatever form that lifelong learning takes, it is an important component to refreshing our state of mind for the start of another school year.
Taking that learning to the next level might involve sharing what you know with your Professional Learning Network (PLN). This can happen in a variety of ways: in the hallway between classes; during your PLC time; at a staff meeting; in your blog; on social media. It is the last one, specifically Twitter, that I want to encourage you to explore this year. Twitter Chats have become quite popular in education over the past six years. In his article, Why Twitter Chats Matter, Stephen Anderson explains why he co-founded #edchat and the biggest benefits he sees for participants. These benefits include meeting new people, hearing new ideas, being exposed to opposing viewpoints, finding new resources, and creating action.
If you are a veteran to our BPS Twitter Tuesday Chats, you already know the benefits of sharing your experiences. If you are new to the concept, let me give it to you in a nutshell. Bismarck Public Schools hosts a Twitter Chat every other Tuesday at 8:30 PM. By following the hashtag #learnbps, you can see what others are posting. The moderator will post with a “Q1”, “Q2”, etc. and then a question. To answer the question, you respond with “A1”, “A2”, etc. and your answer. For a more detailed description of the process, please see the presentation: Getting Started with Twitter.
Our first BPS Twitter Tuesday Chat is on August 25 at 8:30 PM. Please consider joining us on the topic: “What did you do this summer?” The full schedule is below. If you need a reminder, just click here and fill in your information.
Our blog has also gotten a “refresh” over the summer. We will be posting on the opposite weeks from the Twitter Chats. If you would like to be a guest author on the blog, please contact the Staff Development Office or the Technology Department. We would love to hear from you!