What do you think of when you think of a chat room or a group chat? I haven't had much experience with either in the past. But the little I have had wasn't very educational. It didn't really seem to go anywhere. That is, until I tried #caedchat.
I've had a personal Twitter account for sometime. I usually use it to post about my business or family. I also communicate with clients and try to keep up with the latest trends in the photography industry. However, it never occurred to me to use it as an educator.
As a teacher, I also need to keep up with the latest trends in education, technology, educational reform and all things related to teaching. At school, our professor asked his students to start a Twitter account (for education). I didn't really understand the value of using Twitter for education until I tried #caedchat.
My professor mentioned to us that the shelf-life of an edtech related degree generally has a shelf-life of 12-18 months. Kind of scary considering you spend a considerable amount of time and money on your education! However, I could relate to this because my husband is in IT and he's always researching the latest information in his field. Technology is always evolving.
A couple of weeks before our assignment was due, I decided to check out what #caedchat was all about. At first I was a little lost. But after following the hashtag, and opening up multiple windows in my Twitter app, I could follow along to see what was happening. It was fascinating! Multiple educators from all over the U.S. were working to collaborate to discuss problems in education! Here is an example of the multiple windows I could have had opened:
I've had a personal Twitter account for sometime. I usually use it to post about my business or family. I also communicate with clients and try to keep up with the latest trends in the photography industry. However, it never occurred to me to use it as an educator.
As a teacher, I also need to keep up with the latest trends in education, technology, educational reform and all things related to teaching. At school, our professor asked his students to start a Twitter account (for education). I didn't really understand the value of using Twitter for education until I tried #caedchat.
My professor mentioned to us that the shelf-life of an edtech related degree generally has a shelf-life of 12-18 months. Kind of scary considering you spend a considerable amount of time and money on your education! However, I could relate to this because my husband is in IT and he's always researching the latest information in his field. Technology is always evolving.
A couple of weeks before our assignment was due, I decided to check out what #caedchat was all about. At first I was a little lost. But after following the hashtag, and opening up multiple windows in my Twitter app, I could follow along to see what was happening. It was fascinating! Multiple educators from all over the U.S. were working to collaborate to discuss problems in education! Here is an example of the multiple windows I could have had opened:
On 4/19 the topic was "Adapting to Change". I had to follow along to get the idea of it, but it didn't take me long. Questions were posed in a google doc that was shared with group members at the beginning of the session. Some of the questions for the night were:
Q1: Students, teachers & parents are not afraid of change, they are afraid of uncertainty. Do you agree/disagree and why? #caedchat
Q2: How can we support members of the school community in dealing with the uncertainties that come with change? #caedchat
Q3: What change(s) have you experienced/witnessed in the past 2-3 years that you believe has had a positive impact on education? #caedchat
In order to respond to the content, members of the community had to respond with a A1 to answer the first question, A2 for the second and so on, and include the #caedchat hashtag, so that members of the chat can "see" your content. It was incredibly insightful to see so many people respond in my feed. There were times that there were differing opinions and that was okay. Everyone respected each others opinions. But not only that, it was great to hear other points of view. Because there were times I wouldn't have seen it from the differing perspectives. It was very eye-opening.
My experience was very positive. I was able to get different ideas on how to handle the same problem. It was like having multiple educators at your fingertips. This was amazing because how many times can you get so many people together at one time, other than for PDs or meetings, all from the comfort of your home?
As a relatively new educator, I value opinions and advice from others who have been in the field longer than I. I enjoy any opportunity to learn. This was by far one of the best settings in which to gain knowledge in such a short period of time.
After the first experience, I had to try it again on 4/26. The questions of the evening were related to
"Creating safe schools for LGBTQ youth". I feel our school is very welcoming to all of our students. But I know, I don't know everything, so being a part of a chat that had so much input from so many educators was incredibly valuable. I was able to get ideas, such as working with our GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) group in order to see how I can help LGBTQ who were being bullied or who were having issues at school or home.
So, in conclusion, overall my experience was a very valuable one. Where else can you have so many educators together at one time, helping one another. Aside from answering the posing questions, we were able to form relationships, help each other by providing different angles to the same issue. It was incredibly helpful and educational! I consider this avenue of learning a great way to work towards my own professional development and growth as an educator.
I look forward to collaborating in my next chat. And, I hope to share this with my fellow educators at my site. Because as educators, we are responsible for providing our students with the best we can give them. This chat technique is another way to help us to gain knowledge and experience in an easily accessible way. As educators, we must be life-long learners. Teachers are students too!
Q1: Students, teachers & parents are not afraid of change, they are afraid of uncertainty. Do you agree/disagree and why? #caedchat
Q2: How can we support members of the school community in dealing with the uncertainties that come with change? #caedchat
Q3: What change(s) have you experienced/witnessed in the past 2-3 years that you believe has had a positive impact on education? #caedchat
In order to respond to the content, members of the community had to respond with a A1 to answer the first question, A2 for the second and so on, and include the #caedchat hashtag, so that members of the chat can "see" your content. It was incredibly insightful to see so many people respond in my feed. There were times that there were differing opinions and that was okay. Everyone respected each others opinions. But not only that, it was great to hear other points of view. Because there were times I wouldn't have seen it from the differing perspectives. It was very eye-opening.
My experience was very positive. I was able to get different ideas on how to handle the same problem. It was like having multiple educators at your fingertips. This was amazing because how many times can you get so many people together at one time, other than for PDs or meetings, all from the comfort of your home?
As a relatively new educator, I value opinions and advice from others who have been in the field longer than I. I enjoy any opportunity to learn. This was by far one of the best settings in which to gain knowledge in such a short period of time.
After the first experience, I had to try it again on 4/26. The questions of the evening were related to
"Creating safe schools for LGBTQ youth". I feel our school is very welcoming to all of our students. But I know, I don't know everything, so being a part of a chat that had so much input from so many educators was incredibly valuable. I was able to get ideas, such as working with our GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) group in order to see how I can help LGBTQ who were being bullied or who were having issues at school or home.
So, in conclusion, overall my experience was a very valuable one. Where else can you have so many educators together at one time, helping one another. Aside from answering the posing questions, we were able to form relationships, help each other by providing different angles to the same issue. It was incredibly helpful and educational! I consider this avenue of learning a great way to work towards my own professional development and growth as an educator.
I look forward to collaborating in my next chat. And, I hope to share this with my fellow educators at my site. Because as educators, we are responsible for providing our students with the best we can give them. This chat technique is another way to help us to gain knowledge and experience in an easily accessible way. As educators, we must be life-long learners. Teachers are students too!