I have had a personal twitter for about four years, however, I only recently got a professional twitter to connect with other pre-service teachers and current educators from around the world. In this blog post, I will highlight my thoughts and experiences.

My Thoughts

I think that having a professional twitter can be an excellent tool for educators when used properly. With twitter, you can reach out to anyone from around the world and hear so many opinions, share and receive educational articles, and learn more about how other classrooms function. However, while there are pros, there are also cons. From my observations, I noticed some educators may be using twitter too much and possibly while they should be teaching. While having an educational twitter is good, educators should be teaching students while they are in the classroom and only using twitter on their own personal time. I know that each school has its own social media policy but a general rule is to not use any form of social media while working.

My Experiences

I have had many positive experiences while using twitter professionally. One of my favorite experiences was being able to connect in real-time with educators around the world using twitter chats. For those who are not aware, a twitter chat is a public discussion around a hashtag. In a twitter chat, moderators ask questions and participating users respond.

I used a twitter chat called #LearnLAP which stands for ‘Learn Like a Pirate’. The chat I participated in was centered around the topic of student leadership. In the chat, I would answer questions and participants would reply to me. Participants would reply with advice and comments about what works regarding student leadership in their classrooms. I found this very helpful since I am not a teacher yet.

One instance that I found the most helpful was that I answered a question about leadership in the classroom and said that roles such as line leader should be rotated daily. Two current educators told me that rotating roles daily may be too much for some students and that weekly is what they found works better. I thought this was very helpful because when I get a job as a teacher one day I can use the advice in my classroom.

Overall, I think professional twitters can be useful for the education field as well as other fields when utilized properly and not overly used.

Feel free to follow my educational twitter @cooper_jenna1. If anyone would like to participate in the mentioned twitter chat, #LearnLAP it occurs every Monday from 7-8PM central time.

I recently read chapter four of the textbook, The Global Educator: Leveraging for Collaborative Learning and Teaching. In the text, I learned about the impacts of global learning on students however, I wanted to learn more ways that global learning could be applied in the classroom. I checked out the article 4 Ways to Introduce Global Learning in the Classroom.

In this blog, I will focus on 3 ways to use global learning in the classroom and how it impacts students.

1. Connect with Classrooms Around the World

With technology, students can be more connected to the world than ever before. One way to do this is to skype with other classrooms from different parts of the world. I personally like this idea because it gives students the oppertunity to connect with others from around the world and see how other classrooms operate.

One way this can impact the student is by providing them with interest in travel and international study. Tina Schmidt, a USA educator states, “Our connections with other countries have made that country come alive for my students instead of it being just a spot on the map that they read about” (Lindsay 56).

I believe it’s important for students to feel a personal connection to what they are learning about and one great way to do this is through skyping other classrooms from around the world.

2. Celebrate a New Holiday or Tradition

Celebrating special holidays can help students feel more globally connected. The article says for educators to “Start with some research about the background of the holiday, where, why, and of course how it’s celebrated”. This can make students feel more engaged and excited to learn.

3. Read “Around the World”

If teachers have limited technology access, a great way to incorporate global learning is by reading about other cultures. When students learn about other cultures it fosters open-mindedness in the students.

If the teacher does have access to the internet and proper technology and can skype/ video call another classroom I think it would be a good idea to read to the student about the other classroom culture and then video call the classroom.

This gives the student’s background knowledge and the ability to connect with other students from around the world.

Overall, I thought both the textbook The Global Educator: Leveraging for Collaborative Learning and Teaching and the article “4 Ways to Introduce Global Learning” were both helpful sources that I hope to utilize in my future classroom.

Thanks for reading my blog! Feel free to follow my educational twitter, @cooper_jenna1.

Padlet is an online virtual bulletin board that allows teachers and students to collaborate and share ideas. I knew about Padlet for a while because my sorority uses it to document service and voulenteering opportunities, however, I did not realize Padlet had important uses in the classroom until reading the second chapter of The Global Educator by Julie Lindsay. In the textbook, I found out Padlet is under the category for Collaboration and Co-Creation and is used for collaborative learning spaces.

Here is a video that shows ten different uses for Padlet in the classroom.

While all ten of these are great classroom uses for Padlet, the three that I found most helpful are:

1. Topic Summary

Teachers and students can create summaries and/ or timelines for topics or books read. By using Padlet, teachers or students can add photographs to the timeline to make it more stimulating/ visually appealing.

2. Brainstorming and Sharing Ideas

Both students and teachers can brainstorm ideas and put into Padlet. Students would be able to see their classmates ideas and also come up with their own.

3. Making graphic organizers

Students can make graphic organizers such as Venn Diagrams that compare and contrast two things. This is great for students who do not have the best handwriting and for improving the students’ digital literacy.

While doing research about using Padlet in the classroom, I also wanted to find lesson plans for it being used. Since I am looking to teach at the Elementary level, I focused it on that age-range. I found this lesson plan intended for grades 2-5 about ‘Respecting Others and Ourselves’. The lesson plan uses Padlet and Wordle (another digital tool).

Overall, I think Padlet is an excellent digital tool to use the classroom for almost any age group.

Feel free to check out my other blog posts and follow my educational twitter @ cooper_jenna1.

In the news, I often hear stories of how social media can get teachers and other professionals in trouble. This is one example from 2017:

In these digital days, it is very easy for private posts to spread like wildfire. This video discusses how a teacher’s aide from Mansfield was fired after posting a Snapchat picture of her student’s face with the caption “She devil”. The mother whose daughter’s pictures were used by the teacher’s aide says, “It is very disturbing to have your daughter’s photos be exploited on social media without your consent”.

Clearly, what this teacher’s aide did was wrong however, the case is not always that clear. Here are 3 tips for teachers to not get fired over social media or technology use.

1. Do Not Post Anything Inappropriate

Teachers often do not realize that even if you think something is private, once it’s online it can get into anyone’s hands. In 2018, a North Carolina teacher was suspended after videos of her pole dancing in her home were posted on Facebook and later leaked to school officials. The article states, “Teachers have faced professional consequences for posting about their personal lives on social media—even when their activity doesn’t have anything to do with their school or their students”.

As a general rule, whenever posting anything inappropriate online, even something that you think may disappear after 10 seconds on Snapchat, think to yourself if it is worth losing your job over.

2. Know Confidentiality Rules (FERPA)

Teachers need to be aware of privacy concerns relating to students and their parents. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a legislation relevant to education agencies, institutions, and schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education. Some key aspects of FERPA relating to technology and social media use I learned from this guide are:

1. Only use technology that is pre-approved by your school. Do not use educational technology programs that your school does not have a contract for.
2. Do not share student photos or information (Like what the teacher’s aide in the video did).
3. Do not publically post student’s information online without a parent’s consent.
4. Do not use social media to connect with students.

3. Do Not Post During School Hours

Teacher’s should be working while at work and socializing after school is let out. Teachers should also not be using social media on any school-owned computer or another electronic device, only on their own personal devices and on their own time.

As a teacher, if you ever think “Should I post this or not?” It is probably best not to post it. But always remember, technology and social media can enhance your career and learning when used properly.

If you liked this blog post feel free to follow my educational twitter @cooper_jenna1