Many educators have wondered whether they should be leaving Twitter and what social media platform might emerge in its place since Elon Musk completed his purchase of the company at the end of October 2022. 

Several researchers who study social media use by educators and within education are still looking for the answers to these questions, which is still an evolving situation.

Are Educators Leaving Twitter?  

No studies have yet been conducted on Twitter patterns among educators since Musk’s takeover, but certainly some individual educators are leaving the platform in search of less toxic pastures. However, this does not seem to be happening en masse, at least not yet. 

“I’ve seen a lot of talk about leaving,” says Jeff Carpenter, Professor of Education and Director of Teaching Fellows Program at Elon University (which has no relation to Elon Musk). “There’s a lot of concern about what's going to happen with the platform, and will there be a point at which I need to leave?” 

This concern is two-pronged for many educators. “There's that real and important concern about the platform and its ethics in the decision-making since the leadership change,” says Carpenter. “Then they're also just weighing what's going to happen with my people. Because a lot of teachers feel that they have meaningful sort of connections to other teachers on Twitter.  And so some of it is coming down to where will other people go? And will they go?” 

Will Educators Leave Twitter for Mastodon?  

Mastodon is probably the most talked about potential replacement for Twitter. The open-source and free software offers a decentralized, self-hosted social network.

“Mastodon is something that some of the education students I know have mentioned,” says Christine Greenhow, an educational psychology professor at Michigan State University. “But I think they're just in startup mode. It's very new. It's very niche.” 

One potential obstacle Greenhow sees to the app taking off with educators is that Mastodon requires users to choose a server. This process can scare off less tech-savvy users, even though adherents of the platform say it is much less involved than it sounds. 

Questions about the sustainability of Mastodon are also viable. “I like the ideas behind open source and free, and not tying into these capitalist structures,” Carpenter says. But success stories with that type of model, such as Wikipedia, are rare. 

What about Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit?  

Educators who leave Twitter may end up spending more time on other familiar social media platforms. “Facebook is the most studied social media among K-12 teachers,” Greenhow says. “We know that the majority of educators in the last few years are still using Facebook to network.” 

Many teacher-centric Facebook groups are very active with large memberships. “I wouldn't be surprised if some people are trading in their Twitter for Facebook,” Greenhow says. 

Teachers also frequently use Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. However, none of these existing social networks perfectly recreate what drew some educators to Twitter. Instagram and TikTok tend to be more influencer-driven and less of a networking spot, while the closed nature of Facebook groups can create a barrier to networking opportunities, Carpenter says. Reddit has a norm of anonymity, which can have value but also makes it a very different place for educators to connect on than Twitter was at its best. 

Future Social Media Use Among Educators  

Going forward, if the situation at Twitter does not improve, finding a good replacement will be difficult. “I think that the big issue is that there's not some ethically pure platform out there, with all the right features that teachers want,” Carpenter says. “It's interesting to think of Reddit as a place that people might go to from Twitter because of Twitter being messy, because Reddit is plenty messy.” 

Facebook and Tiktok also have their issues, Carpenter adds. 

Joshua M. Rosenberg, a professor of STEM education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who studies social media use at schools, predicts that if teachers do leave Twitter in large numbers there will be more than one replacement for the social media site. “My guess is that Mastodon won't be the platform that teachers or others in education turn to but that there will be a greater proliferation of different spaces, social media and others, that teachers turn to achieve the same goal, but with maybe less of the downsides of some of these massive platforms that are pretty well-documented,” he says. 

On Twitter a teacher’s post might be seen by a relative or friend who is not an educator and that can sometimes be good because it widens the conversation, but it can also lead to unproductive debates and toxicity. 

“Social media is not a good place to engage in a nuanced debate,” Rosenberg says. “These different spaces could lead people with more niche interests to stay within those groups, and at least at the current margins, that seems like a good thing.” 

• How School Social Media Accounts Put Student Privacy at Risk
• How to Teach With Social Media

Many people ask me how I keep up with the latest technology trends and find so many free resources to share on Twitter (@ShellTerrell) and on this blog. Hashtags, text starting with a # sign (#word), are the key to discovering amazing education tools and apps and finding examples of how teachers use these tools with their students. Below are awesome hashtags to explore on Twitter related to education technology.

Top Education Technology #Hashtags

Just click on any of the hashtags to discover the latest resources on Twitter. You don’t need a Twitter account to explore the resources.

• #Edtech
• #Elearning
• #Edchat
• #Mlearning
• #STEM
• #STEAM
• #Coding
• #GsuiteEdu
• #GoogleEdu
• #AssitiveTech
• #Edtools
• #Edapps
• #AugmentedReality
• #VirtualReality
• #VR
• #AR

cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com

Shelly Terrell is a Technology and Computer teacher, education consultant, and author of books including Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions in Your Classroom. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com.

Twitter is an important platform for sharing stories, ideas, and connecting with others. However, many Tweeters are unintentionally leaving out 15% of the world’s population who have disabilities by not composing accessible Tweets.  Fortunately, making accessible Tweets only requires awareness in a few areas.

Camel Case Hashtags

When you use hashtags, make them camel case.  This means the first letter of each word is capital. This then becomes discernible to a screen reader allow the words to be read individually rather than a nonsensical word.

The example below shows an example of using camel case for the #GovTechLive conference.

 Avoid URL Shorteners

In the early days of Twitter, we shortened URLs because of the character limitation. Today URLs are no longer judged by characters, so it is not necessary. When you use a URL shortener, the screen reader says every letter. If you use the original URL most screen readers can read the words in the URL.

Plain English

Write using plain English. Some ways to do this include avoiding acronyms and writing below a 9th grade reading level. Most word processing programs have readability checkers built in. Online documents such as Google have extensions you can add.

Alt Text

Use alt text (short for alternative text) to tell those viewing your Tweet what is in the image. On Twitter you can set this up by going to “Settings and privacy,” then selecting “Accessibility” and checking “Compose image descriptions.” 

 Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) has worked as a public-school educator and administrator since 1997. She is a prolific writer best known for her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator. Nielsen is the author of several booksand her writing has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, Tech&Learning, and T.H.E. Journal.   

[The Real Way to Avoid Hearing from the Same 26 Facebook Friends]

Twitter

Smart classroom tool if used with care; priceless for PLNs

Pros: Its energetic, fast-paced communication appeals to those who like to be "in the know."

Cons: Safety and privacy issues definitely come into play with kid Twitter use.

Bottom Line: Twitter offers something for everyone: information, resources, and an easy way to connect with just about anyone.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

Have you really thought about the nature of social media? Most of us use it. I've even praised it, but lately I have begun to really examine it and its use in my own life. We users of social media often forget that it has specific design characteristics whose purpose is perhaps not what we think.For example, we have been fond of praising the ability of Twitter to allow us to connect with others. But is being "followed" or "following someone" a "connection?" Or, are we connected simply because the medium, in this case Twitter, has declared us connected? Connection, of course is in the words of the definer. We all have our versions of it, but I can't help but wonder if having former president Barack Obama as a follower and on my followed list is truly a connection. In my thinking it's not. He and I have never exchanged a word. For all I know, a publicist is the one who made the decision of who ends up on his followed list. That certainly destroys in my mind any thought of authentic connection. If I really want to connect with someone, we certainly have to have more than a declaration from Twitter or a few brief word exchanges in the form of a Tweet. But is connection really the purpose of Twitter?

[Time for a Little Heretical Thought in the Ed Tech World]

I really think the purpose, whether we Twitter users ever acknowledge it or not, is unabashedly self-promotion. It is one gigantic ego-inflation device where we can be someone and attempt to break out of our meager corners of the world and try to be a celebrity. Twitter's ego-inflation system is used by us to try to stir the world either up or in our direction. After all, in the United States, we currently have a "Tweeter-in-Chief" who knows too well about its ego-inflation abilities. He uses it as a blaring horn that declares for the world who he is and how great he is. Haven't we all felt a bit that same way when something we've posted on Twitter gets "retweeted" and "liked" many times? Our ego becomes a bit more inflated with each of these.

Perhaps we should give up the race for retweets and likes and more followers. After all, just the idea of these is truly more about us than we think. We wear these like medals. Some even like to remind others in their tweets just how many followers and unfollowers they have. If connecting with others were our true goal, it wouldn't be about the numbers of followers we have, nor would it be about how much of our Tweets echo about Twitterverse. It would be about the depth and authenticity of our relationships and discussions between other people in that world. Instead, we are prodded by this ego-inflation device to post in order to declare loudly what we want the world to see as us, but this "us" is simply a shadow in cyberspace.

What should we then do with Twitter? (Or Facebook, Instagram, etc. for that matter) I am not entirely ready to delete my accounts as Jaron Lanier recently argues in his book Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now. That seems draconian to me at this point, but it is worth consideration. Instead, I am going to own up to what Twitter (and social media) is, as I've come to see it. I might even conduct some experiments with it. For example, instead of just playing by Twitter's rules of "retweet" and "likes," I might seek NOT to have my tweets liked and retweeted. It is said that our world does not like to have reality thrown back into its face, so why not use Twitter and other social media as a means to question its created reality? Why not be truly real and post what we really are thinking instead of seeking validation of others through their liking and retweeting of what we have to say? Also, since Twitter seems to be a powerful "self-promotion" device as well as a idea-promotion device, perhaps I can use it authentically in that manner?

Considering the American character, is it really a surprise that social media like Twitter is an American invention? We've long since liked self-promoting ourselves through our own exceptionalist beliefs. We historically throughout our past have had leaders talk about us being a beacon to the rest of the world, a light in a world of darkness. Twitter, no doubt, provides us with a personal mega-horn, or so we think, to shout "What's happening?" in our lives and in our worlds that we think might serve as a beacon for others. But have we really stopped to think, are we really reading all those "tweets" in our timelines? Is anyone reading them? Or if we're reading them, are simply looking for words that also validate our view of the world? Then, because we've chosen whom to follow, these words are like the words of so many cyber-sycophants, only telling us what we want to hear?

cross posted at the21stcenturyprincipal.blogspot.com

J. Robinson has decades of experience as a K12 Principal, Teacher, and Technology Advocate. Read more at The 21st Century Principal.

Join us for our monthly #NYCSchoolsTechChat on Thursday, July 5th at 7 pm EST.

During this month's chat we'll reflect on past #ISTE experiences and prepare for #ISTE19 taking place in NYC's backyard right in Philadelphia, PA.

#NYCSchoolTech teacher Eileen Lennon moderates with me throwing in my two cents.

• What advice do those who’ve attended #ISTE have for #NYCSchoolsTech newbies? #NYCSchoolsTechChat
• Here’s a fun question. #ISTE19 is in Philly. What must we do, see, eat?
• Call for proposals begins in August. What kind of topics might you submit? Share here and maybe you’ll find others who want to collaborate. https://conference.iste.org/2019
• If you could only attend one day or two days which are most important? Why?
• #ISTE takes place during the school year for #NYCSchoolsTech staff. How can you convince your supervisor to release you? #NYCSchoolsTechChat
• #ISTE is expensive. Best ideas for funding? Also, who wants to share transportation and housing? Shuttle bus? Air B&B? What are your best suggestions? #NYCSchoolsTechChat
• Check out what others said they may want to propose. Any interest in collaborating? Connect. Share what interests you! #NYCSchoolsTechChat

Chat details are below:
Date: Thursday, July 5
Time: 7:00 pm
Topic: #NYCSchoolsTech Summit
Your Host: @eileen_lennon (@NYCSchools)
Co-Host: @InnovativeEdu (@NYCSchools)

[Apple, Google, & Microsoft... Oh My! Which is Best for Your School?]

Remember to respond using the hashtag #NYCSchoolsTechChat and include the number of the question you are answering in your response i.e. A1 and your answer.We hope you can view the chat live, but if you are unable, please visit our archive at https://www.participate.com/chats/nycschoolstechchat. You can also participate in the chat at that link or if you have an iPhone download the app at https://www.participate.com/apps.

Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.

Are you a teacher who's new to Twitter? Looking to start an online PLN (or professional learning network)? Because it's so widely used among educators, Twitter is a great place to connect with others, share ideas, and learn from one another. Use these tips to help you get started, and watch your PLN flourish.

Get more great tips on starting an online PLN from Common Sense Education.

Today, the Goal-Minded Teacher (#EduGoalsMOOC) free open online course Twitter chat took place about the topics, Classroom Management and Parent Engagement. We invited two incredible leaders in education to be our guest experts for the chat, Dr. Lynell Powell (@DrJoy77), assistant principal and host of the Dr. Joy Radio Show and Marisa Constantinides (@Marisa_C), Director of Studies of CELT Athens (where I received my CELTA) and author of TEFL Matters. Below find a few resources shared and the archive of the Twitter chat.

1. Thinking about Discipline by Marisa Constantinides (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)
2. Celebrating the Challenges by Dr. Joy
3. How to Become an Outstanding Teacher! https://t.co/rEob6ENGHN by Marisa Constantinides
4. Find a list of recommended parent engagement web tools here.
5. Parent Involvement or Parent Engagement?
6. Find strategies for specific behaviors at PBISWorld.
7. Apps and Websites for Improving Parent-Teacher Communication from Common Sense Education.
8. KidsHealth in the Classroom has free health-related lesson plans for PreK through 12th grade.

Read more

cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com

Shelly Terrell is an education consultant, technology trainer, and author. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com.

@DavidGeurin
Why should we want to restore curiosity, creativity, and hope in each learner? They came to us with these qualities, so shouldn’t they leave us with them also?

@jeffhiseredu
Regardless of our roles as educators or the age groups in which we serve, all students deserve leaders who approach each day with empathy & enthusiasm!

@web20classroom
Regardless of our roles as educators or the age groups in which we serve, all students deserve leaders who approach each day with empathy & enthusiasm!

Want to get some new ideas for new tools or resources you can use in the New Year to make teaching and learning more effective? Then join us for our monthly Twitter chat at 7:00 pm EST where #NYCSchoolsTech educators will share the favorite #EdTech tools they've been using this year.

#NYCSchoolTech teacher Eileen Lennon moderates with me throwing in my two cents. We will also be joined by some leading ed tech companies who will share what you can look forward to in 2018.

You can prepare for the conversation by thinking about answers to these questions:

Q1 Share your favorite #edtech tool for this school year w/a link & why you love it. #NYCSchoolsTechChat

Q2 Look at the #EdTech 11 tools fr @CommonSenseEd. Share which you <3 the best & why #NYCSchoolsTechChat https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/the-edtech-eleven-this-months-must-know-tools

Q3 Connect w/ someone who has shared an #edtech tool you’re interested in by asking them a question abt the tool #NYCSchoolsTechChat

Q4 What are the most important factors you look at when choosing #edtech tools? https://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2016/12/choosing-right-edtech-resources.html #NYCSchoolsTechChat

Q5 Give a shout out by RT, like, or reply to someone who has inspired you in today's #NYCSchoolsTechChat

Chat details are below:

• Date: Thursday, January 4
• Time: 7:00 pm
• Topic: New #EdTech tools for the new year.
• Your Host: @eileen_lennon (@NYCSchools)
• Co-Host: @InnovativeEdu (@NYCSchools)

Remember to respond using the hashtag #NYCSchoolsTechChat and include the number of the question you are answering in your response i.e. A1 and your answer.

We hope you can view the chat live, but if you are unable, please visit our archive at https://www.participate.com/chats/nycschoolstechchat. You can also participate in the chat at that link or if you have an iPhone download the app at https://www.participate.com/apps (coming to Android soon).

Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.

Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.

Right now, as you read this, there’s likely a Twitter chat happening. Educators are tweeting, learning, and sharing ideas, leveraging the power of social media. Dozens of these conversations take place regularly, every day of the week. When I participate in them, these chats often challenge my thinking and I discover new ideas and make meaningful connections.

So I decided to give it a try in my classroom. If it’s a valuable learning experience for educators, we can extend the learning to our students, too. We planned to discuss, through an outer circle of Twitter conversation and an inner circle of face-to-face dialogue, the conclusion of a text we had all read. These digital natives would surely jump right in and see the exponential power of social media. Or so I thought. But I was wrong—at least at first. Participation was forced, shallow, and awkward. And I panicked.

After some reflection and some great conversation with the students, we tried it again and succeeded. Their in-person and online chats were meaningful, powerful, and collaborative. Once we found our groove—and our purpose— the Twitter chat was a great addition to our class. It took work to get there, though. On the journey to find success and real learning, I learned these three lessons:

1. LEARNING FIRST

Why a Twitter chat? I liked the idea because it was tech-forward and innovative, but I needed to make sure that the Twitter chat was the best activity, based on solid learning objectives. In the middle of our first attempt I revised my questions because they were too closed and didn’t lead to higher-level thinking. The students weren’t engaged and participating enough, and it was because the questions and lesson simply weren’t there yet. It’s sometimes tempting to put the shiny and innovative first, but I had to take a step back and reassess my lesson plan to make sure that students and learning were taking priority.

2. ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH TWITTER

My students quickly taught me that, for them, Twitter isn’t cool anymore. They had moved on to Snapchat and Instagram, and while many still had Twitter accounts, it took work to help them appreciate its value. We researched the power of Twitter for schools, created professional accounts, learned about digital footprints, and shared work with a worldwide audience. Some students are willing to try anything, but it took this foundational work to engage many students in the learning activities. Especially when we’re trying something new, innovative, or controversial, I think it’s essential for students to understand its value.

3. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY AND SPEED

There are times when educational Twitter chats overwhelm me. Tweets come flying in so quickly that it’s hard to keep up as a follower, let alone as a participant. I completely underestimated the value of wait time for this activity. At first, I assigned a specific number of Tweets per question for each student, but I didn’t allow enough time for students to process, share, and interact. One solution was to reduce the number of questions, which meant that students answered the questions more thoughtfully and took the time to reflect on and interact with others’ responses. Technology can make things more efficient, but we all need time to think and process—especially our students.

In the end, the Twitter chat was a great learning activity for my students. It built on our work with social media and digital citizenship, gave every student a voice and audience, and led to more in-class contributions than ever before. But just because our students are digital natives doesn’t mean that they’re all ready to use that technology and media in schools and for learning. The success of the chat was a reminder of the power of social media, but the groundwork it required was a good reminder to always put learning before technology.

At this month’s ASCD Annual Conference I had the chance to chat with Billy Krakower one of the authors of 140 Twitter Tips for Educators in collaboration with Brad Currie and Scott Rocco of Evolving Educators. Billy, Brad and Scott are the founders of #satchat which I’m looking forward to guest moderating later this year. They have put together an essential guide for teachers who are looking to get started with Twitter or take their use of this tool to the next level.

In 140 Twitter Tips for Educators the Evolving Educators team provides a detailed overview of Twitter for teachers who are new to the tool. It includes the basics of setting up an account, using a hashtag, and deciding what to tweet. For veteran users of the tool it includes ideas for taking your Twitter practice to the next level by hosting a book talk or using the list tool. The final chapter provides terrific tips for teachers who want to become Twitter rockstars – perfect for those of us who have been using social media as educators for a number of years.

Highlights from #140EduTips:

• Use Twitter to connect with you PLN in person. This is something I can personally recommend. I’ve met lots of folks I first connected with on Twitter at national and regional conferences.
• Save tweets for later. #140EduTips includes suggestions for web tools that will help you keep track of Twitter chats and favorite tweets.
• Connect Twitter with other social networks. There are great ideas for continuing conversations started on Twitter on other platforms.

Check out 140 Twitter Tips for Educators on Amazon. I definitely recommend this book for teachers at all levels of using Twitter. You’ll walk away with lots of tweetable ideas to expand your PLN and continue learning and sharing!

Do you have a favorite Twitter tip? Use the hashtag #140EduTips to share it on social media.

cross posted at classtechtips.com

Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.