(Originally posted on uoitmed.wordpress.com)
One of the most relevant things to remember about using Twitter for professional development is that it is more important to follow really interesting and thought-provoking people, than to be concerned about how many followers you have. I often create Twitter lists to which I direct learners when I am showing them how to use Twitter. The title of the list indicates the kind of learning you may be apt to do if you follow the people on that list.
But another great way to find really interesting people to follow on Twitter is through the hashtag #FollowFriday or #ff . Though it is updated on Fridays, you may put that term in the search bar to access this information. I don’t do this enough (I am always worried about leaving someone out), but whenever I get mentioned in a Follow Friday list or see someone sharing one, I am always pleasantly surprised to find a new person from whom I think I can learn on Twitter and beyond.
Building Community using Follow Friday
Any leader who is trying to build community using a District or organization hashtag might want to create a #FollowFriday post. What this does is not only honour the contributions of people within that community, but also indicates to others who else to connect with.
Dr. Robin Kay, Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Ontario’s Institute for Technology makes a point of posting about people in Ed Tech who would be good to follow.
Doug Peterson has long been supporting and building a community of Ontario Educators by creating several #FollowFriday posts.
Both Julie Balen and Lisa Noble shared a #FollowFriday post with me this morning that reinforced the amazing people I already follow, but introduced me to a couple of people whom I have never met. Often, there is an ongoing sharing as in this example when Donna Fry added some other great folks to follow:
So what are you waiting for? Take some time by the pool or on a patio today to check out the hashtag and follow some amazing educators today who will help you to learn throughout the school year!
If you are really new to Twitter, you may find this resource helpful.
