Twitter connection
As a Technology Training and Integration Specialist with my school district, I have the privilege of working in the best district in Georgia, with the most amazing teammates, and many wonderful teachers and students. I serve four schools in my district and I love to amplify the work they do. I often use Twitter as a platform for sharing all the incredible things that are happening in classrooms.
Twitter is also a great place to learn through sharing and garnering ideas with and from others. Often, I am searching for new and engaging activities to share with my teachers. I have developed wonderful connections and become a part of many Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). I love learning and growing as an educator, and Twitter has helped me to continue to develop in order to better serve my district, schools, and teachers.
Microsoft Educator Community
One of my favorite PLNs is Microsoft Education. I constantly visit the Microsoft Educator Community to take courses and find connections via Skype Classroom. This community and I learn helped me to transform my classroom, which I now share with other teachers. When asked by the Microsoft TweetMeet Team to be a co-host for their August TweetMeet, I was more than happy to participate. I felt honored to represent my team and district in a global discussion about #BacktoSchool.
What is a TweetMeet
What is a TweetMeet you may be asking? They are monthly global, multilingual conversations on Twitter organized by Microsoft Education. They take place on the 3rd Tuesday of each month with a new topic being discussed. Each month 16-20 hosts lead the Twitter chat using the hashtags: #MSFTEduChat and #MicrosoftEDU.
Support from TweetMeet leaders
I have learned and grown so much through my participation in this experience. The @TweetMeet Microsoft leaders, Marjolein Hoekstra, Anica Tričković, and Francisco Texeira helped me to feel comfortable, capable, and prepared co-host this event. They were with us every step of the way, guiding, answering questions, and cheering us on. Everything was organized through Microsoft Teams, so even though they were six hours ahead of me, questions and concerns were answered quickly. They prepared a OneNote notebook with all the resources we could possibly need. I was able to read through my responsibilities and post questions on Teams to gain clarification. I learned more about Wakelet, Buffer, and even more about tweeting and TweetDeck. Each host also had a private chat sections for discussions that were individualized. This was so helpful since everything I did was outside my normal work hours. It was comforting to know they would support me when needed. Throughout the experience I met even more educators that share my passions for global learning, Skype Classroom, and Minecraft Education. I have followed many more worldwide educators and have gained a few followers myself.
Join the community
If you want to grow your PLN, I highly recommend you follow @TweetMeet and @MicrosoftEDU on Twitter and join in on one of their monthly TweetMeets. If you want to continue growing as an educator or are searching for a passion, check out the courses on the Microsoft Educator Community or find some classes for collaboration. Be active on Twitter and share your stories and the incredible work your students are doing. And, if you are ever asked to be a co-host for a TweetMeet, accept. You won’t be sorry you did!
Join me at the TweetMeet
There’s still time to join this month’s TweetMeet on August 20th! For more information, check out this SuperSway! For Back to School resources check out this Wakelet. For more information about Twitter and TweetDeck check out these tips. You can even create your own Friend Card
Check here for my next post about the August 20th experience.
Teach to Serve Others 