Twitter for #PD

As I continue exploring the benefits of social media in education, I'm still finding more and more uses for Twitter.  I used to see Twitter (and all social media for that matter) as a platform for people to have a voice, share their opinions on things and follow the gossip/news producers of the world.  While that holds true for some, like any good product, Twitter has multiple uses that make it more than just a rumor grapevine.  I'm finding a lot of wonderful uses for the classroom and see it as a great source for professional development, especially for educators.

I came across a couple of articles that can articulate some of these alternate uses better than I can.  What I'll do is I'll share those sources with you and pick out a few of my favorite points.  In the first source, the title says it all: The Teacher's Guide to Twitter.  This article gives the how to for everything an educator may need, including how to connect with students, general twitter tips and even many of the most popular education hashtags.  My other source, 25 ways to teach with Twitter, gives more strategies directed toward professional development and making the right connections that will benefit your students classroom experience. 

Some of my takeaways from these helpful resources were that Twitter is like free professional development, it's important to post content (not just read) and connections are essential.  We're not always able to attend the professional conferences or seminars but there are a number of resources on Twitter that can provide the same effect, no matter where you are.  Tools like Twitterchat and following experts can provide some support for education affairs.  Plus, the connections you make with others on develops your own professional network and can lead to a number of great opportunities.  However, it's important to not just be a consumer; you've got to produce content as well!  It keeps others engaged with you as well as populate your twitter feed with your interests.