Why You Should Have a Twitter Account

Just six short months ago I did not understand Twitter. I saw no real value in using Twitter as an educational tool. Today, I get it! Twitter has totally transformed me as an educator! I currently follow over 300 educators on Twitter, and many of those educators are the very best teachers in the country (and planet)! The best thing about this network of educators is they LOVE to share! They are constantly sharing their ideas, their plans, their blogs, and their failures. I have changed from a teacher who learned to improve by sitting through inservice meetings twice a year to a teacher who learns new tools, strategies, ideas, technology, and tricks EVERY SINGLE DAY! Anytime I feel like learning how to be a more effective teacher, I just open up my Twitter App and read for 10-15 minutes. Ok, my wife will tell you I read for 3-4 hours, but I can't help it; I get sucked in! My point is you don't NEED a lot of spare time to learn a lot from Twitter. Even if you only checked your Twitter for 30 minutes a week, that is 30 minutes of specialized, differentiated, classroom tested, teacher approved professional development that you cannot find or receive anywhere else! 

So, I follow 300+ teachers on Twitter, and that's awesome! But, another cool thing is that there are over 200 teachers who follow me! Anytime I want to share something to the world, I put it out on Twitter, and my Professional Learning Network (PLN) responds and gives me feedback. When I was branding my classroom and creating a logo for my classroom, I shared my logo on Twitter. Within minutes I had teachers giving me feedback on how to improve my logo. Without having much experience with design, I asked for help, and almost immediately one of my Twitter followers had created a new logo for my classroom! Also, this summer I read a book called "Teach Like A PIRATE" by Dave Burgess. I had a question about an idea I had inspired by the book. I sent Dave a tweet, and by that afternoon, the author of the book answered my question! Those are conversations that couldn't have happened without Twitter. In fact, after I read the book, I wrote a blog about what I learned from reading the book. Dave saw my blog, and tweeted a message endorsing my blog to his followers (he has nearly 23,000 followers)!

Twitter had allowed me to make connections with hundreds of teachers from all around our country and the world. Those connections have allowed me to pick and choose little pieces of advice or information that have helped me transform as an educator. If you would like to learn and share ideas with top notch educators from around the globe, I would highly recommend Twitter to be the tool you use to make those connections.

Singing up for Twitter is a breeze. You can create an account through the website (www.twitter.com) or though the app (in the App Store simply search for Twitter and download the free app). To sign up, you'll need an email address and you'll need to create a Twitter handle or username. All twitter usernames start with the "@" sign. My twitter handle is @JustinBCoffey. Remember, you want a professional twitter name that other teachers will respect and want to follow. However, don't get too hung up on your name because it can always be changed later. What are you waiting for?? Go sign up!!