Twitter Chats Rundown
Social networking sites such as Twitter have created innovative ways for people to connect and share ideas. Needless to say, educators are also taking advantage of these opportunities. In fact, when surveyed, 61 percent of principals found social networking very valuable for sharing information and resources. But with so many discussions taking place in the twittersphere, sometimes educators can miss out on some of the great conversations going on. That’s why we’ve highlighted a few education themed twitter chats we think are worth checking out:
Click on a hashtag to find out more:
#edchat | #ptchat | #ntchat | #satchat | #engchat | #mathchat
How to Follow Twitter Chats:
If you don’t already have a Twitter account, you’ll want to create one by signing up. You can follow these Twitter conversations by searching for their relevant hashtags (#edchat, #ptchat, etc.). More seasoned users might do well using websites such as TweetChat or TweetGrid, or programs such as TweetDeck or Hootsuite. These tools allow you to organize and keep track of tweets in real time, so you can follow chats more efficiently.
#edchat – Use this hashtag for anything and everything education. Anyone wishing to explore an education related topic can contribute their own ideas, links, or thought provoking questions. There’s never a shortage of fellow educators to share your thoughts with. The edchat hashtag can be used anytime, but two major edchat discussions take place every Tuesday, usually around 12 p.m. EDT and 7 p.m. EDT.
#ptchat – The Parent Teacher Chat is held to promote dialogue between parents and educators. Both groups learn the best ways to communicate and support each other in the common goal of educating children. The chat takes place every Wednesday, at 9 p.m. EDT.
#ntchat – The New Teacher Chat is a great place for those new to the profession. It addresses the needs of new and aspiring teachers, and focuses on advice for practitioners. Participate in this chat to gain insight on the new teacher experience. Chats occur Wednesdays, at 5 p.m. PDT (8 p.m. EDT).
#satchat – This discussion is geared towards current and emerging school leaders, and focuses on topics such as leading with passion, social media in the school setting, leading during a crisis, and supporting struggling teachers. This chat is perfect for early career principals. There are two chats held every Saturday, one at 7:30 a.m. EDT and another at 7:30 a.m. PDT.
#engchat – English teachers gather to join engchat every week and share their ideas, stories, and opinions. Each chat has a guest moderator who brings a unique perspective on teaching English. Engchat takes place every Monday at 7 p.m. EDT.
#mathchat – Much like engchat, this twitter conversation provides a forum for mathematics educators and enthusiasts to come together. Whether or not math teachers should give homework, or how to stimulate students seeing connections in mathematics are just a few examples of questions that mathchat addresses. Visit mathschat.wikispaces.com to find more about times and topics.
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