Three years ago, a fun professional development tradition to start the new school year took shape. The FWSU Administrative Team had been discussing how we could encourage more of our teachers to participate and connect with a global network of educators on Twitter. The goal of the project was to build our teachers’ capacity to use social media and to have fun along the way. Thus the FWSU 20 Day Twitter Challenge was born.
Twitter is used in many ways by many people, but one of the most common segments of Twitter is educators from around the world. Each day educators share resources, share ideas and share their learning with each other. Educators see this social media platform as a tool that breaks down the walls of the classroom for teachers and connects them with a larger community beyond our communities and schools. It allows them to build a personal learning network to improve their practice.
Since we began the challenge, many teachers in our schools have started to use Twitter to fuel their ideas and learning. Many have taken the next step and use these resources and connections to bring learning to our students in ways that were inconceivable before Twitter. Students and classrooms in FWSU have connected with authors, researchers, and students from around the globe.
#FWSU
Over the last two years, many educators from Vermont, the United States, and across the globe have participated in our challenge. Some school districts have even launched their own challenge within their schools as a result. This year we are encouraging everyone again to join the FWSU 20-Day Twitter Challenge. Whether you are a teacher, an administrator, a parent, a student, or a community member – learning together is a good thing! Use our hashtag (#FWSU) to join the fun, and share your back-to-school pictures!
Question: How have you used Twitter to connect with others? What is one thing you love about Twitter? Leave a comment or tweet us about it!
The FWSU Story 