Dive Brief:

• Tips for educators considering the use of Twitter in their PD strategy include using and following hashtags to grow an online community and considering a Twitter mentoring program like the NT2T (New Teachers to Twitter) chat.
• According to eSchool News, Twitter experts also suggest using hashtags to build a school community and involve parents, using SMS Follow so people who aren’t on Twitter can receive text messages about new tweets.
• Twitter-savvy educators also recommend being open to polite disagreement in online professional learning community conversations, looking past “edu-celebrity status” to find genuinely good people to follow, and using Twitter to model appropriate social media use for students.

Dive Insight:

The internet has greatly helped professional learning communities spring up with members from all over the world. Some hiring managers are looking for teachers who excel at this type of networking. They want teachers who can bring a global perspective into the classroom and who can show they have connections outside of the school building when it comes to professional improvement.

When it comes to reinforcing ties within the school community using Twitter, administrators should consider their own accounts to keep parents and others informed. Regular communication can foster support and understanding, and school-related topics can be grouped together using hashtags.