Teaching with Technology

Over the past few months I’ve become more and more convinced by the power of Twitter as a tool for my own professional development.

Twitter is a rather abstract concept to get your head round. Concieved as a way of social networking (think facebook status updates) it has taken on a whole new identity when pit into the hands of education professionals. I and others in my PLN (personal learning network) use it to post ideas about classroom practice, share useful websites, point followers to useful blogposts and perhaps most importantly ask each other questions.

In all honesty it has been one of the most useful and Inspiring things that I have ever done professionally. I see its strengths as follows:
- Brevity, there’s not much chance for waffle in 140 characters!
- Engaging with other educators globally.
- Non-judgemental discussion and opinion.
- Ideas, ideas, ideas!

If you are thinking of getting into Twitter, and I would recomend that you do, then the key is to follow people who have similar interests to you professionally. Linger around ‘listening’ to conversations, check out recent ‘tweets’ and use Twitter tools to see who’s following who to build up your PLN.

Most importantly engage and share tour ideas / views!

If you want to see what it’s all about follow me: @mrkp

Get involved in the conversation.

Today I’m on my way down to Bett 09 the biggest technology show / conference in the UK.

In all the time that I’ve been involved in Ict in schools I have to my shame never actually made it to Bett before! This had been for all sorts of reasons, but mainly I think because of the cost.

The conference itself is free, but there’s always the train fare, possible hotel bills etc and that horrible feeling that your colleagues back at school think that trips like this are just a jolly!

This trip is different as the finance side of things has been taken care of very kindly by Stiljes, but I still have that slight nagging doubt that leaving the kids is in some way letting them down.

I know that this is irrational and that I’m sure I’ll come back buzzing with ideas, but I wonder how many other professions and professionals feel the same way about leaving the office?

Another exciting development of Bett will be the chance to meet what my wife terms ‘my funny friends’ off my Twitter network. To actually put names to faces will be a rather strange experience, should be great though !

I came across this room yesterday.  It’s an interesting idea for bringing educators together.

Been trying this week to get my head round Twitter and how it can be useful to school and my own professional life.   It all seems to be a bit random at the moment I think that Twittergroups might be the answer as it seems to let you organise things a bit more simply, but need to investigate it a little more fully.