I was out to dinner in Adelaide with some amazing educators on the weekend. While there Shaileigh Page asked me for five educators I thought teachers to twitter should follow. I had a few names that came to mind quickly, then I thought of more (going past my original target of 5). Building their twitter network can help Australian teachers to develop their Professional Engagement (one of the new National Professional Standards for Teachers).
The people teachers should follow on twitter depends on what they are looking for. It is important to think both of local leaders and global thinkers. Here are 10 I recommend and why.
1. Tina Photakis (@Tina_P) is the heart of the South Australian teacher education network known as CEGSA. She knows all the important educators and events in Adelaide and shares these with her network. As I am told by her fellow ISTE study tour buddy Steve she also knows people all over the world. Even with this global reach she is still incredibly friendly, approachable and caring. If you are in South Australia Tina is a must follow.
2. Looking further afield George Couros (@gcouros) is a Canadian Education Leader who shares some amazing resources for developing online educational connections and understanding. His blog The Principal of Change is also a useful thing to follow. George came to Adelaide earlier this year and shared some of these insights with the CEGSA conference (in a very enjoyable keynote and some powerful workshops). While there he connected with many of the teachers, the fact this connection has continued along with his connection to about 7000 other educators shows some impressive skill in managing his network.
3. The next educator I have not had the chance to meet, but he is someone who George knows very well. George’s brother Alec (@courosa). Alec is a University Academic in Educational Technology and is an excellent source for new research. It is also interesting to read the interactions between the two leading educators Alec and George (you can tell they are brothers their is both support and play).
4. Closer to home one of the most important leaders in Educational Technology in Australia is Roland Gesthuizen (@rgesthuizen). Roland has been involved in the running of ACEC conferences and has links to the other organisers. He also shares ideas from his innovative teaching practice.
5. Another educator who is in Adelaide that I think is worth following is Selena Woodward (@TeacherTechnol). Selena, who is originally from England is currently lecturing in Education at Flinders University and has introduced many of her students to twitter. She guides them in their use and provides many resources for their first steps into the world of social networks (including blogs).
6. The Australian Teacher Librarianship community is blessed to have Judy O’Connell (@heyjudeonline). She is an advocate for the use of technology in libraries and education.
7. One of the best lists of Australian educators on Twitter is managed by Sue Waters (@suewaters) follow her and let her know you are a tweeting Australian Teacher.
8. My favorite tweeter from “over the ditch” (New Zealand) would have to be Allanah King (@AllanahK) her thoughts on blogging, Apple technology and internet trends are useful to me.
9. While Jarrod Lamshed (@jlamshed) may not be one of the best known names in Australian Education what he is doing with his class in Adelaide is exciting to see. He is also a great bloke (just don’t ask him about that karaoke incident)
10. My last follow is not a person. It is the twitter account for the 2014 Australian Computers in Education Conference (@ACEC2014) This event will have more than 600 educators from across Australia and the world sharing the way they make learning personal using technology.
It is interesting to note that one of the educators that I mentioned to Shaileigh didn’t make this list. I like the work of Stephen Heppell but he quite didn’t make my top 10.
There are lots of other amazing people in education check out my Science and Education list Sue’s list or those of the SA Teachers’ Conference
David Folland
Here’s a link to a post of mine from earlier in the year – http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2012/06/21/25-non-north-american-educator-tweeters-worth-a-follow/
- these are some of the best thinkers in my Twitter Following list. There are a few North Americans worth following – but I do find that many don’t look beyond their own borders for inspiration. Many Australian ed-tweeters on the other hand tend to ignore home grown expertise and feel that the only people worth following are North American… and because of my first noted observation, Australian educators on Twitter start to feel less worthy. Does that make sense – and only my personal observation.
I really do tweet a lot of drivel with some gems thrown in from time to time.
Keep the ANZAC spirit strong.
Allanah
Here is a presentation I found today, http://www.slideshare.net/jessedee/you-suck-at-powerpoint-2
You might want to look at it
TM
Pingback: Four types of teacher | lordfolland