Teachers Tweeting on Twitter

I was recently speaking with two peers of mine, both student teachers, as we left a seminar together. Jess (@MsSiegelReads) and I were sharing some of the many uses of twitter and how much we were learning and connecting to other educators and our PLNs. We mentioned to the third person, our friend Brittany, that she needed to get on twitter and start using it a lot more.

Brittany explained that she was hesitant to have one. “What if students, or even worse, parents find it?” “That’s.. kind of the point,” we tried to explain to her. Still, Brittany wasn’t sold. She was nervous and afraid of the potential harm that social media can place upon us. I know this is a common feeling among many educators.

Not many think of twitter as a resource, but that’s exactly what it is. It’s an amazing hub for exchanging and sharing information and ideas. I’m constantly clicking on links to blogs, articles and apps to check out and use in my classroom. I would not have found these blogs, articles and apps without twitter.

Twitter chats are also a great way to learn and connect. Chats are usually held weekly at a specific time and using a certain hashtag. Each chat (hashtag) is dedicated to a topic each week that we come together to discuss. In one hour, I have sometimes learned more about a topic than an entire semester at my university. These passionate and inspiring educators are up to date in their field, want to share their wealth of knowledge, and want to learn just as much from everyone else sitting around the virtual table. In #TeachChat, I even won these “Better Choice Chips” because of the answers/tweets I was sending (thanks again, @ReallyGoodStuff!).

I realize that most of my readers are tweeters, bloggers and educational progressives, so perhaps most of you skimmed this week’s blog more than read it. Still, maybe this post needs to be shared with someone who isn’t quite as comfortable; whether it’s an administrator, fellow teacher, peer or mentee. Hopefully it could at least inspire a conversation. I know I’ll be sending the link to my student teacher friend, Brittany. Maybe she’ll find a little more comfort in tweeting.

Did you find my blog through twitter? Did you find my twitter though blogger? Let me know in the comments and then be sure to follow both Jess (@MsSiegelReads) and Brittany (@LetsLearnMoore). ...and of course, if you’re not already following me @CallahansClass!

My Philosophy

WOW. I must say, when I started this blog last week I thought it would be a good place for me to document my thoughts as I continue through this world of education. I thought I would maybe see ten visits to the site. I was shocked to receive 125+ hits on my first blog post within 24 hours. The power of twitter and a PLN... (Which will be another post soon enough.) In order to tell you a little bit more about myself, I thought I would make a post on my philosophy of education. The foundation of my philosophy was started over a year ago, so I am constantly working to improve and update it. 

A little more about me.. 

From a young age, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I have always been an excited and motivated student. I have always had a desire to be in a school, and I have always had a desire to learn. While some may say that the sole purpose of school is to learn academics, I believe that it is so much more than that. 

School is somewhere that children learn skills that are essential for survival in our society. School is also a place where children can discover who they are. The most important purposes of school are to have an equal opportunity to develop both academic and social skills. While students must have adequate intellectual abilities, it is one’s social skills that are so essential to effectively communicate these ideas and intellects. School is where both of these skills can be fostered and developed. Learning occurs socially, academically, and as a combination of the two. The student, however, must feel that information being taught is relevant to them in order for learning to take place. Proof of true learning is not just understanding the material presented, but synthesizing (and eventually evaluating) the material. It is not simply memorizing nor learning it by rote. All students may not personally connect with all material, but all students need to see the relevance of the material in their lives. 

The curriculum for a classroom should be one that is relevant to the students. The curriculum must also teach the students essential content knowledge. Students should feel motivated to learn the curriculum material, but the material should also be flexible and open enough for the students to begin to develop their own ideas, views and opinions. Students should learn from each other just as much as they learn from me. That’s why I believe in having a responsive classroom where community learning is incorporated into daily lesson plans.  

There is no doubt that each student is different. Each comes with a variety of different views, interests and experiences. Regardless of these differences, it is essential for students to be taught how to discover and think on their own. I believe in the power of inquiry based learning. Any concept or theme can be taught and therefore later forgotten, but if a student is guided as to how they can make their own discoveries and think on their own, then the possibilities for education and learning are endless- both inside and outside of the classroom. As a teacher, bridging learning between inside and outside of the classroom is my ultimate goal.

Most importantly when designing my classroom, I want my students to be able to both think and learn independently. The most effective way to do this is a student-centered approach to education through guided discovery. I believe that providing a student-centered atmosphere is the best way for students to stay engaged and motivated with their learning. Furthermore, I believe that lesson plans should be rich enough for students to move from engagement to empowerment. I want my students to feel competent and powerful with their newly gained knowledge. My students should be able to connect what I am teaching in the classroom to their everyday lives outside of the classroom. My lessons are useless without real life application.

The world is constantly changing. Times change, students change, and because of this my lessons will change as well. The one thing that will not change is my desire for my students to feel independent, powerful and competent young adults as they continue through life. What happens in my classroom is just the beginning. 

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For my full educational philosophy, and philosophies on assessment, homework, technology and other topics, click around my website at mrcallahansclassroom.weebly.com. If you have a quick hello, tweet me @CallahansClass. 
Finally, what are parts of your educational philosophy? What do you agree and disagree with? What should I have considered and included? Let me know if the comments below.