Personal Learning Network: Welcome to Twitter

Before this assignment, I had never been on Twitter and did not plan on joining. I had stayed away from the app because I wanted to limit my time on social media but I was pleasantly surprised when I joined for this assignment. I was able to connect with educational establishments that I knew about and some that I didn't. I admit that I had to learn how to navigate Twitter because it has components that are not available in other forms of social media. I knew that people posted their opinions and quotes but I didn't understand the magnitude of what Twitter could actually be. I was really shocked to see the resources that were available. There are a host of very important individuals that use their platforms to address a lot of the concerns going on in the world. I think that is the most amazing part of Twitter. It is inspiring to be able to read tweets from those in the world that you look up too. Take a look at my Twitter account @Mercede99536308

Twitter Chat

I was able to participate in a twitter chat using the hashtag #flipclass. I had never heard of a flipped classroom so I was eager to see what it was all about. There weren't many people in the chat at the time that I was logged on. I could tell from past tweets that the conversation is usually more intense. I discovered that a flipped classroom is one that uses videos to help move direct instruction to the students space thus clearing up the classroom for more aspects. The chat leader sent me a link to more information which I thought was very thoughtful and also informative. I was able to learn a lot and I see how flipping could be a great addition to a classroom. If you are interested, check out Flipped Learning Network and browse through all of the resources that they have available.

Source: https://twitter.com/Mercede99536308/status/1140775260813516801

   


Educational Resources

I have found so many resources on Twitter. One account that I absolutely love is @TeachersNet. TeachersNet is an amazing resource for all teachers: veterans, first-year, early childhood, paraprofessional, etc. They discuss all aspects of teaching and I find that so welcoming to everyone in the field. This blogs offers articles about current topics and chatboards to share your ideas with others. It encourages others to share and discuss topics with each other which adds to the level of inclusion I felt navigating through the blog. It even offers lessons that can be used in a classroom and offers general support to teachers. I have also seen links to job postings which I thought was an added bonus. 

The increase of blended learning programs has been a hot topic the past few years. @TeachersNet had a great article about blending learning and the challenges and some real life examples. Read the article by Barbara Blackburn and discover more about blending learning. Keys to Blended Learning