My Twitter PLN

I look forward to Monday nights and the opportunity to spend up to two hours collaborating with teachers from across the United States (and sometimes even around the world). I have several people that I collaborate with as part of my PLN, professional learning network. This collaboration happens from the comfort of my own home as I log on to Twitter and participate in chats. There are two chats that I like, #sschat (social studies) and #tlap (teach like a pirate). Sometimes I lurk and just watch as people comment on questions given by the moderator, but most times I participate by sharing my lessons and ideas.

Each week, there is a different topic. We have discussed many topics including close reading, student presentation skills, using documents, lesson hooks, current issues, simulations and much more! It is extremely powerful to share ideas with educators (teachers and administrators) alike. The conversation is fast paced and a program like Tweet Deck helps. I am always inspired and find a few good ideas that I can implement the very next day. In addition, I can share some of my most successful lessons with them!

Last night, I participated in a chat about student engagement in an online environment. Seeing as my students are in the computer lab today, I took those ideas and added an Edmodo discussion component to their assignment. It is perhaps the best part of the lesson as students share their ideas. While I am not able to get online every Monday (thanks to my one year old who would rather play with the keyboard than sit still), I always go back and view the conversations. 

Every 21st century educator needs to get a Twitter account and start joining chats. There are tons of chats for every subject. And what better way to inspire your students to become life long learners, than by showing that you are also one!

Lesson Hook: Simulating a Bus in Alabama, 1955

At Dave Burgess's "Teach Like a Pirate" seminar, I learned the importance of hooking the students into a lesson and have been searching for ideas ever since.

My lesson on the Montgomery Bus Boycott provided the perfect opportunity. I took a deck of cards and made sure to have the appropriate number of cards for my class period, ensuring that there was just a small amount of face cards. As students entered the room, each one was given a card. Once everyone was seated, I had everyone to stand up around the room. As I called a card, starting with Ace, the students who held that card were allowed to choose any seat in the room. This continued through the numbered cards. Once all of them were seated, those with face cards were told they could choose any seat they wanted, as long as it was a seat that was already occupied. Those "displaced" students then took the remaining open seats. Some got up quietly, others protested.

We proceeded to have a discussion as I first asked the "displaced" students how they felt, and then those with face cards responded. It was the perfect introduction to the bus boycott and allowed me to mix up the table groups for the day's activity, a DBQ answering the question, "Why did the Montgomery Bus Boycott Succeed?" I will be actively planning more hooks like this for my lessons.