How & why STEM educators need to be using Twitter Jeffrey P. CarpenterElon UniversityTwitter handle: @doccarpenter

This presentation @ http://bit.ly/twitternoyce

“Teachers are taking over Twitter” - @braveneutrino

Learning targets Participants will know

how to use the micro blogging service Twitter

how Twitter can enhance in-class and out-of-class learning, & communication with students & parents

how Twitter can enhance STEM education professional development via resource sharing, collaboration, individualized learning, & leadership

Who am I? How did I end up on Twitter? flipped learning personal excitement about Twitter counter negativity around traditional PD more student-teacher, student-student

interactions more audience & feedback for students'

ideas

Less CarlyCrunkBear, More deposing dictators

Set Up Twitter & one of tweetdeck, hootsuite, etc. – to follow #

hashtags, chat Handle – professional, maybe some personality Profile – necessary for non-lurkers; no profile, no

followers

Following – Who you follow > who follows you

People @TomWhitby @web20classroom @teachingwthsoul @shellterrell @mathhombre @cybraryman @nmhs_principal

Organizations @educationweek @edutopia @nsta @eyeoneducation @edudemic @isteconnects @mindshiftkqed

How do I figure out who to follow? Stalk other

people’s followers & following

Look @ profiles Look @ # of

followers

Watch who posts using hashtags of interest to you

My resources curation (more later) has more recommendations

How do I tweet? How many characters? What is this: # What does it mean to “tweet at”? RT ? MT ? DM? Who sees my tweets? General settings:

Followers Anyone who searches / follows any #s used Anyone who searches any terms used Possible to limit to followers only

Using hashtagshashtag = community w/ shared interesthashtag = broadens convo

#edchat #21stedchat #ntchat #edtech State chats (e.g.,

#nced)

#mathchat #stemchat #scichat #chemchat #flipclass #flipsci

Do nows Backchanneling Find related resources Communication & questions – teacher-

student, student-student

Twitter for students

PS - for k-12 world Communication w/ students – they

follow you, not vice-a-versa Communication w/ parents – what’s

going on in class, pics of great student work, etc.

Twitter is for teachers too!

Why bother? Asynchronous resource sharing &

acquiring constant source of filtered or vetted ideas

& links - “None of us is as smart as all of us”

current: STEMbites– Google Glass videos based outside of the classroom

More why bother Networking & community – connecting

w/ those w/ similar interests from around the country & even globe E.g., Andrew Thomasson & Cheryl Morris

are co-creating their English classes – in NC & CA

E.g., Conducting research w/ someone from Wichita State University I met via Twitter

Twitter participation: voluntary- people want to connect!

Backchanneling at conferences

Another big reason to tweet Chats! "Oddly invigorating" "Might be addicted to Twitter chats!”

What is a chat? Pre-arranged, typically weekly or

monthly conversation on one topic One-hour of tweeting w/ specific # Big & small Poll beforehand, archive afterwards Follow the chat in hootsuite, tweetdeck,

etc.

More chatting Moderators Introductions & then Q1, A1 format Lots of tangents, side convos

What might be considered unprofessional/ misbehavior in traditional PD is encouraged in chats

Favorite-ing for later reference

Some chats to consider #edchat – the original, the largest Tuesdays @

noon & 7pm #ntchat – new teacher chat, Wednesdays 8 pm,

also #edteach Tuesdays 8 pm #21stedchat – Sundays 8 pm #stemchat – variable times, monthly #chemchat – Thursdays 9pm (new AP curriculum) #mathchat – Thursdays 8pm #flipclass – Mondays 8pm

Combatting isolation- location- interest/philosophy

Isolation & PD negativity - it doesn’t have to be that way! Young, novice, and even veteran

teachers need to be around positivity & problem solvers

Need to have a place where they can share & acquire ideas w/o judgment

Twitter … Allows for individualization & autonomy

in learning Can provide sense of community &

support Just in time learning Positive, solutions-oriented environment

For young & novice teachers Enhanced sense of self as professional:

"I had not considered myself a teacher yet, or much less one of that quality or caliber."

“Offers validation as an active member of the teaching community.”

For veteran teachers Another way to contribute to the

profession & share your wisdom A way to break out of potential rut &

expand your thinking

For Noyce programs? Keeping in touch w/ & supporting

graduates as they begin careers

Resources How to: Info for the Twitter Novice –

short version http://bit.ly/M0TWx0 long version

http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/ Videos Tutorials: http://bit.ly/YWXk2p Chat List: Chat topics and times

http://cybraryman.com/chats.html Educators to Follow: A list of influential

education tweeters http://bit.ly/TxhouC All Things Twitter:

Jeff’s curation of web content regarding Twitter for educators http://bit.ly/SjFIMo

wiki page about Twitter in edu http://jillthompson.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/Twitter

Questions & Discussion

Presentation @ http://bit.ly/twitternoyce