Twitter: PD at your fingertips

One of the things that I’m so eager to share is my experience of using Twitter. It might not be for everyone, but I urge you to give it a try.

Without exaggerating, joining Twitter is one of the best professional decisions that I have made in my career so far. Never before has it been easier to connect with professionals or to share good practice. It is now possible to connect with educators all over the world, even the famous ones, and to learn from them on a daily basis. I strongly recommend that you sign up, follow people who inspire you and check your feed regularly.

For me, it works because I can flick through my feed on the go, from any device. I usually check it on my commute to/from work and this keeps me excited, inspired and up to date. As well as learning from others, I like to share what I have found and what I have done. Sharing online pages on Twitter is usually as easy as clicking a Twitter icon on the page. I do this regularly if I find something that my followers would also be interested in. In addition, I like to share what’s happening in my class. I hope to inspire others as much as they inspire me. Twitter is a fantastic tool for reflection. I’m continually asking myself: “What has happened in my classroom today that’s worth sharing?”

Before this year, I had mainly heard of Twitter in the context of showbiz and celebrities. A few of my friends use it socially, similarly to Facebook, but not enough to attract me to it. The key to successful Twitter PD is to ignore all of that. If your Twitter feed is a work/life mix, it is less likely to work. Have two accounts if you are interested in other topics. Educators who use Twitter professionally will probably unfollow you if you post non-education items.

After you have joined, start building your Professional Learning Network (PLN) by following me @AhillAdam. I hope that my tweets are useful to you and I look forward to following you in return. Coincidentally, today is Twitter’s 10th anniversary and it is still going from strength to strength. I predict that many more educators will join the bandwagon in the near future, and rightly so.