Becoming a more informed, more knowledgeable, more connected educator through your Personal Learning Network (PLN).
It’s spring, which at Rethink can only mean one thing—it’s User Group Season! Throughout April and May Rethink has been visiting districts across the country that are utilizing Rethink in their special education programs and facilitating conversation and sharing around best practices.
What becomes clear with every User Group is the incredible value for those involved. the user group is a wonderful time for sharing resources, and most importantly, best-practices with one another whether you’re:
- an administrator
- a coordinator
- a teacher
- a paraprofessional
With all the demands on educators’ time and resources, these in-person opportunities for sharing can be few and far between. This is why many educators have increasingly turned toward building their own PLNs online.
This month, as a follow-up to User Group Season, we are sharing some ideas for building your own PLNs using one of the most popular social media sites for educators, X (previously Twitter).
...the user group is a wonderful time for sharing resources, and most importantly, best-practices...
1. Follow Other Educators and Thought Leaders
X is full of educators. One of the most powerful things about the Internet is its ability to bring together likeminded people with similar interests who may never otherwise have the opportunity to connect.
To build your personal network on X, start by following other educators and organizations germane to what you do in the classroom or the populations you teach. Here are a few great resources that point you to some awesome special education X accounts.
Also follow Rethink and our team of clinicians and educators. They are a wonderful source of information, tips, and encouragement!
- Rethink @rethinkfirst
- Angela Pagliaro @NJAngelaP
- Anna Marie Rainers @amrethinksf
- Jen Bessette @RethinkJen
- Meredith Ouimette @MeredithRethink
- Stephanie Whitley @WhitleyRethink
- Jennifer Wilkens @JenniferRethink
- Patricia Wright @piwright
2. Join Weekly X Chats
X chats provide an opportunity to follow topical conversations live on X. X chats bring together all of the best aspects of X into a structured forum with:
- a shared time
- hashtag
- topic to discuss
Participants can ask questions, share topical ideas, and stay up-to-date on latest trends in education. To participate in a X chat, use a tool like Tweetchat to easily follow the conversation.
A few X chats you might consider joining are:
- #Spedchat – Mondays from 9-10pm Eastern: A chat specifically for special educators to discuss issues in special education, share ideas and resources, and connect with others in the field.
- #Edtechchat – Mondays from 8-9pm Eastern: A chat for all educators to learn more about best-practices for using technology in the classroom.
- #Edchat – Tuesdays from 12-1pm and 7-8pm Eastern: Like #spedchat but for all educators, this is a place to talk about trends, share best-practices, and connect with other educators.
- #EWedchat – Wednesdays from 8-9pm Eastern: A chat hosted by Education Week that discusses a different topic every week germane to education.
For more information about joining a X chat, check out this blog post.
3. Live Tweet Events
Live- tweeting events, trainings, webinars, and conferences is another way to build your network and keep you in the socially connected. Many events (including all of Rethink’s public webinars) will share a hashtag with you for live tweeting. Using this hashtag to live tweet during the event helps you connect with others participating in the same event, gather succinct ideas, and chat with others online about a topic, even after the event is over.
Some examples of the kinds of things you may consider tweeting during an event are:
- quotes or interesting ideas mentioned by the presenter/s
- questions you have about something mentioned by the presenter
- questions you have for other event participants
- ideas that occur to you during the event/presentation
- resources pertinent to the topic being discussed
X is just one of many social media tools you can use to navigate the landscape of digital learning. Best of luck finding new ways to build your PLNs and connect with other special educators. See you in the Xsphere!
