hacking twitter for educational leaders

Twitter has changed my professional career for the better. That's right. I said Twitter. Especially as a school and district leader. I actually wish Twitter was around during my teaching days. Every day I get to connect, reflect, and learn from educators on a global scale. A simple tweet of 280 characters or less, can motivate others more than you know. Whether you are sharing a resource, idea, or highlighting a learning experience that is taking place on campus, Twitter brings folks together in ways once thought unimaginable. 

So how can educational leaders in PK-20 spaces hack Twitter to enhance their effectiveness? The first thing you can do is click on the image above and purchase 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. The second thing you can do is take a look at the list below which contains easy to understand examples of the various ways leaders can take their Twitter game to the next level. 

Click on the image above to learn more about and register for the 4th Annual Tomorrow's Classrooms Today Conference.

1. ​Take theses online courses hosted on Participate.com. You have two options to pick from: Twitter for Beginners or Tell Your Classroom, School, or District Story with Twitter. 
2. Watch this video from Eric Sheninger on how he used Twitter as a high school principal. 
3. Watch this video from the Oak Lawn- Hometown School District on the impact Twitter has on educators in the classroom, school, and district level. 
4. Create a handle and hashtag for your classroom, school, or district. Then tweet out information, images, and videos using the hashtag to inform stakeholders of all the wonderful learning experience taking place in your educational environment. Check out the #WeAreChesterNJ hashtag as an exemplar. 
5. Do you work in a Google environment where students and teachers utilize Google apps and Chromebooks? Check out the #HackGoogleEDU hashtag to stay current with all things Google in education. 

There are so many things that educational leaders can do with Twitter. The list is above is just the tip of the iceberg. Now is a perfect opportunity to try Twitter. Lurk around for a few weeks, follow educators to see what they are tweeting about, and then when the time is right, compose your first tweet. Never discount the impact your tweet can have on an educator in another part of the world. Somewhere out there an educator is looking for a solution to a problem or needs to be inspired after a tough day at work. Twitter helps bring our educational community closer together and is a big reason why we live in one of the most exciting times in education. 

Brad Currie is the 2017 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year and Founding Partner of Evolving Educators LLC. Follow Brad on Twitter @thebradcurrie.