Twitter, Blogs & Mathematics #blogging #twitter #mathed #mathchat

Are you tweeting? Are you blogging? How are you using social media to enhance your teaching and the learning of your students?

Over the past years, I have gone to numerous events with the goal of progressing and developing student learning. This includes networking daily discussions with fellow teachers, attending whole day and evening workshops, as well as conferences, which can last several days. No matter the format, I reflect upon the experience and think of ways in which I can use my new knowledge to support the students in the classroom.

As times have changed, educators have found time and money to be factors, which limit the professional development opportunities in which they can partake. With districts tightening budgets there just is not enough money or professional days to be shared. How can educators get around this? My answer would be using social media. It is free and available at all times and the professional learning communities which benefit student learning are truly astounding.

For some the idea of transforming to social media for professional learning may be frightening. The best way to overcome this challenge is to take baby steps. Try reading or following a few bloggers. You will find a range of individuals sharing their professional philosophies, lessons, projects, articles and brainstorming sessions. Some of my favorite bloggers are Elissa Miller (http://misscalculate.blogspot.com) and Julie Reulbach (http://ispeakmath.org). Have you read Dan Meyer’s blog (http://blog.mrmeyer.com)? How about Fawn Nguyen’s blog (http://fawnnguyen.com)?

And then there is Twitter. Ask a peer to help you create a Twitter account. For those who are fearful, don’t worry; you do not have to “tweet.” Instead start to check in with #mathchat or #mathed once a week. Here you will find other teachers who are sharing their mathematics from daily problems to lessons, which they need help developing. Start to follow these people. Soon you will find yourself engulfed with professionals, and resources, which you could never gain in workshop. You will have flood of professionals available to you beyond the one day.

The ultimate goal is to build upon the mathematical network you currently have. Go outside the walls of your classroom, your building and your district. Use social media to develop your professional learning communities; it is there all the time, and there is no cost. No budget restraints and the benefits you bring back to the classroom will be nothing but substantial for your math students.

I hope to see you on Twitter soon and maybe read you blog post some day.