Tweet to Engage

Today we had our first Twitter chat as a county. We, as an instructional technology team, have been trying to find ways to engage teachers in conversations without having to require face-to-face training etc. It didn't take a lot of brainstorming to realize that Twitter is a natural medium to do this. We often get caught up in training on new tools, devices and gadgets that we leave ourselves little time to have meaningful conversations. What I have learned about those conversations is that they can be game-changing. You can plant seeds and change perspectives with conversation!

Consider using Twitter with students (of the right age ; ) and teachers. The chats are fun and so very engaging. You'll have to set your multi-task processor to high speed, but you walk away having gained so much.

Today's tweets from our #morgantechchat on "Keeping Technology in it Place":

If you focus on tools you are overwhelmed by what is available. If you focus on goal, just choose tools you need. #morgantechchat
— MorganiTech (@MorganiTech) January 29, 2015

Q3: If we keep tech in background to DRIVE instruction, would it feel so overwhelming to teachers? Why, why not? #morgantechchat
— MorganiTech (@MorganiTech) January 29, 2015

Foreground or background? Either way it should not be the focus. #morgantechchat
— Jay Cawley (@jcawley1) January 29, 2015

We are trying to organize or develop a focus for technology. We feel like if teachers focus on technology and use it for the sake of the technology itself,  they tend to get overwhelmed. Instead, if they focus on their instructional goals and only use the technology tools they need to accomplish those goals, then they are focused and the technology doesn't overwhelm them. Twitter helped us have this conversation we wouldn't have normally had.

So what are your thoughts? How are you helping with and/or doing tech integration? Through conversations? Would love to hear from you!