Excited, connected educators are contagious. But their unconnected colleagues don’t know what they don’t know. They haven’t experienced the power of Twitter. Some see professional learning on Twitter as a one-sided conversation since all participants are obviously connected, but there are plenty of self-reflective, continuously learning teachers not on Twitter. Don’t treat unconnected teachers like they are doing something wrong. Reflection doesn’t have to be done online to be effective. Being a connected educator is just another opportunity for inspiration and lifelong learning.
There are great unconnected educators just like there are ineffective connected educators. You don’t need social media, like Twitter, for self-reflection, but shared reflection can thrive in an online environment. Encourage colleagues to explore the benefits of being connected. Bringing in new ideas from social media can transform a classroom for any educator. Teachers can’t wait for professional development on social media, but they can create their own through their personalized learning network (PLN). The key to connected learning is collaboration. Connected educators can work together and share ideas that better the classroom experience of their students.
Being connected isn’t about finding time, it’s about making time. Everyone has the same 24-hour day – it’s just what you do with it. Not everyone has to tweet though, there are many effective means of connecting these days. Promote the concept of being connected in faculty meetings and interactions with other teachers. If people see value behind being connected, they will connect. We all learn differently and PD on Twitter is just another method of professional learning. Great educators don’t need to be connected to be effective. PD on Twitter just happens to be a fluid space for reflection and learning that can happen anywhere at any time.
Being connected is more than connecting online. There are many great teachers who are not “connected”, but are clearly plugged into the needs of their students. A connected educator is not a better educator. Being connected is just another way for an educator to be an empowered and informed leader in their classroom, school, and district.