I'm a Better Teacher because of Twitter

Twitter has transformed my life as a teacher. The world has become much smaller and the role my students play within it has grown due to this social media outlet.

Twitter is a terrific way for me to allow parents and the community to witness our learning in action. The teens in my classroom may not always connect with their parents about their day. Posting the successes and events happening in our room 2-3 days a week (on average) enables parents to have a starting point for conversations about the learning and thinking that occurs. 

Twitter brings the world into our classroom. I have followed and been followed by leaders in Historical research, Authors, Educators, and educational organizations. My Student Historians and I have been assisted time and again by these experts and my students are excited to take part in these adventures. (So am I!) We've Tweeted to authors during Skype sessions, interacted with the National History Day Webmaster, been asked to Tweet our thoughts regarding a Graphic Novel we will be reading soon, and shown our gratitude for the research an Archivist found on our behalf. This access to excellence will continue to impact these young people long after they graduate from 8th Grade. Practicing positive Digital Citizenship requires a commitment to modeling positive Digital Citizenship. Our classroom Twitter enables us to hone our digital and social media behaviors and skills frequently.

Twitter allows me to grow as an educator. I have learned about and participated in Genius Hour Twitter chats, discovered resources and best practices research, and found inspirational ideas for lesson plans and projects. My re tweets and blog posts have allowed me to reflect and hopefully help fellow educators, as well.

I'm grateful to the professional growth I've achieved because of Twitter.


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