This document discusses how Twitter chats can provide professional development opportunities for educators. It notes that participating in chats like #satchat helped change the author's professional life and allowed him to build connections and share his educational philosophy. The document outlines benefits like professional growth, connecting with other educators, improving one's school and classes, learning best practices, and helping other educators worldwide. It provides tips for participating in chats by using hashtags and Q&A format, and recommends managing chats using tools like Tweetdeck. Overall, it promotes Twitter chats as a way for educators to grow professionally and give and receive ideas to help students.

1. TWITTER CHATS:
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL
Bobby Dodd
Principal
Gahanna Lincoln High School (OH)
Twitter: @bobby__dodd
Email: doddb@gjps.org

2. I AM LIVING PROOF
• Something as simple as a Twitter Chat could change your
professional life.
• I began using social media, especially Twitter about 5
years ago. One of the first things I did was join #satchat
each Saturday.
• Build connections and explain your educational and
leadership styles.
• Look at it as 24/7 and 365 days of Professional
Development.

3. Why Should You Use Twitter Chats?
• Professional Growth
• Increase the Amount of Educators You Connect
With
• Help Your School and Classes Improve
• Get Best Practices From Other Educators
• Help Other Educators Around the World Get
Better
• Share Your Best Practices with Others

4. Professional Learning Networks Growth
• Your Support Group Will Grow
• More Followers Means More Ideas and Help
• Followers from Different Occupations Will Help
• New Ideas Will Allow you and Staff to Take Risks
• Try new things that may or may not work
• You Will Give Other Educators New Ideas
• Great Things Will Happen to You and Your School

5. How to Participate in a Chat
• Utilize Twitter
• # are called hashtags. The majority of chats occur on threads
based on certain hashtags
• For example, Ohio’s educator chat is on Monday nights and the
hashtag used is #ohedchat
• Almost every educational chat in the world is on Jerry
Blumengarten’s site (@cybraryman1)
• Include the hashtag in each post in the chat
• Q1, Q2, etc. = questions
• A1, A2, etc. = for your answers

6. Different Chat Tools & Resources
• Manage Your Chats
• Tweetdeck, Tweetchat, Twubs, HootSuite
• Use bitly to shorten web addresses and Topsy to search
old tweets
• Participate in As Many Chats as You Like
• #satchat, #iaedchat, #ohedchat, #edchat

7. Start Your Own Chat
• Communicate Your Hashtag
• Get Others to Help you Promote Your Chat
• Call on Your PLN
• Get Staff and Stakeholders Involved
• Get Educators From Nearby Schools to Participate
• Select Topics Others Will Learn From and Resources
They Can Use
• Let People Take Away Concrete Examples

8. Grow Professionally for Kids