Let Twitter Take You There

FlippingWithFisher

If you're like most teachers, the summer is not only a time for lying on a beach somewhere soaking up the rays, but it is also the perfect time to perfect your craft. There are so many wonderful conferences going on right now . . . International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Model Schools Conference (MSC), and Teachers College Reading Writing Project (TCRWP) just to name a few. I was fortunate to attend ISTE2014 when it was held in GA a few years ago but as much as I would have liked to attend this year, it was not in the budget! Who am I kidding? I don’t have a budget!

I still want to learn new things and be a part of the excitement. So what's a teacher to do? The next best thing is to experience these conferences virtually. I can be a part of the action through Twitter. Yes, Twitter!  Participants at the conferences are happy to share what they are leaning. 

How can I do that? Glad you asked. Just put the hashtag (#) in front of the conference name you want to visit and you will be connected to some awesome educators who are willing to share what they are experiencing. By visiting #MSC18, #ISTE18, or #TCRWP, you will be able to get a snapshot of some golden nuggets left by others. 


Check this out. There is even a dedicated hashtag for people who can not attend ISTE. Enter #NotatISTE18 and it's like you are there. Thanks to @heyMattFrat and @mbfxc I was even able to see the FlipGrid Poster sessions and view many of 

the inspiring Ignite Sessions at ISTE. Thanks!! 

I have to give a "shout out" to my sister, @keashr. She used Twitter to magically transport me to the TCRWP Summer Institute. She is relatively new to Twitter, so I had to convince her to tweet out some pics and words of wisdom from the presenters. I'm trying to get her Twitter game up!  

So even if you're lying on a beach somewhere (like I wish I was right now), you can still experience these wonderful conferences through Twitter. As Mavis Staples once sang, "Let me take you there". 

          

Follow Your Gut!

Just this week alone I have read 3 different posts on Twitter about how Minecraft, @MinecraftEdu, has improved students' reading comprehension or math skills. Every time I read one of these posts I can't help but think about Isabel.

To say Isabel LOVED Minecraft would be an understatement.  It was her passion. I don't believe a day went by without her trying to convince me that I should let the class download Minecraft on our iPads. She even enlisted some of the other students to try and convince me. And each day my response was something like "let me look at it" or "we'll see".

If I were to be completely honest I'd have to admit I was afraid.  Yep! I was afraid what other teachers would say if they ever found out I was letting my class play a game on their iPads. I was afraid that I couldn't justify why I was letting students play a game when they should be working. I didn't really understand the game myself. I, I, I . . . I wasn't thinking about the students!

Our class was only 1 of 2 classes in our entire school with a class set of iPads, so I felt like I had a responsibility to make sure the students used them for academics, not playing games. What I failed to realize was that playing games could lead to improved academics.  After all, we played other games in class to learn, didn't we?  How was playing games on a device any different?

I have often regretted not being brave enough to take a chance and follow the passions of my students.  Two years ago my fifth-grade students knew something that I am just now beginning to understand--don't be afraid to be different.  Don't be afraid to listen to your students. More importantly, follow the passions of your students or should I say follow your gut!