Connected Educator's Month is coming to a close and the new school year is about to begin. However, this doesn't mean that educators around the globe will go back to their classrooms and stop connecting.
On the contrary, many teachers, administrators and others in the education field are looking forward to associating with each other through the use of Twitter Chats. A 'chat' is organized so that people can connect on certain topics or specialties and is usually held on a specific day/time.
One very popular chat is #4thchat. It was brought to life by @jmplus2 (Jeanne McQueen) from Colorado. She began the chat with the hope of bringing fourth grade teachers together to share and discuss this wonderful grade level. Other moderators include @plnaugle @newfirewithin @CYarzy and me, @ncarroll24. #4thchat is held each Monday night for an hour and has grown in popularity.
Moderators take turns hosting by preparing questions on a topic ahead of time in an effort to keep the conversation rolling and focused. During the chat people are sharing their ideas, resources or asking questions. There can be as many as 20 – 50 participants. Often people start by "lurking", which means they are just following the conversation without offering any remarks.
For those who miss out on a particular chat night there is an archive of the discussion. The archive is posted on the #4thchat Wiki where there are many other resources as well which are geared towards and created by the participants of the chat.
Conversations in the last year and a half have included: Writing Strategies, Project Based Learning, Social Media in the 4th Grade Classroom, Homework, Getting Organized and so many more topics. Learning from one another is so easy and fun! If ever we have a question we post it on Twitter during the week and within minutes we have an answer posted.
The #4thchat has connected me with so many wonderful educators who now are my friends. Many of us are in contact with one another outside of Twitter. Just as importantly the walls of our classrooms have been flattened because of our #4thchats, and our students are the beneficiaries of our connections!
Feel free to join us on Monday nights to experience the camaraderie yourself!
My Town Tutors is a website that connects parents with teachers who tutor. We are completing a Teacher Challenge: Make a Difference, 50 States in 50 Days to recruit teachers who tutor. If you are a teacher who tutors, we are always looking for qualified teachers from all 50 states who tutor to join our national directory of teachers who tutor.
One of my colleagues has joined #4thchat and I would love to find a chat for primary teachers (I teach first grade). Are there any resources for primary chats on Twitter?
Let me look into it I am sure we can find one for you!
#1st chat takes place on Sunday evenings from 8-9 EST accroding to their wiki http://1stchat.wikispaces.com/. Check it out!
Nancy this is a great review of our #4thchat. I am so proud to be a part of this great group. I have learned so much and value the friendships that have beem forged through this connectedness. Thank you for all that you do to help make #4thchat one of the greatest edchats on Twitter.
Thanks so much for sharing! We love all that you do! Keep up the great work!