Yeah, we were the top trend on Twitter tonight!
Wow, just wrapped up #vachat and my head is just spinning! I've decided to completely revamp my blog post tonight and focus on the power of Twitter chats instead of the surprisingly highly controversial topic of our chat, homework. (link to the #vachat Homework Archive: http://t.co/OkFx5tHQ) Now, after all the homework I did on homework, you better believe I'm going back to that topic before the month is over with.
My wife officially believe me to be crazy. Yes, this is a weekly occurrence, but for the first time in our 13 years of marriage, this was because of Twitter.
What would you think if you heard the following mutterings?
Holy crap, I'm using my ipad and laptop and I can't keep up.
We are international, yeah baby!
I can't believe the conversations going on here!
Wait what, scroll down, scroll down.
Hoote suite crashed again
I'm moderating a tweet chat....
That last comment was the straw that broke the camels back. My wife got up, walked out of the room mumbling about how I'm Twitterpated...
That's when I decided this post had to be about the power of the tweet chat. For those of you not on Twitter an explanation is needed. A tweet chat is when a bunch of people get together, on Twitter, at a predetermined time, using a predetermined #hashtag, and discuss a topic. These chats happen everyday, and they can be incredibly informative, useful, and powerful.
I'm so overwhelmed, I don't even know where to start. To move myself along I'm going to go with some Stats.
60 minutes
7 questions
95 different people
600+ tweets and retweets
4 countries
15+ states
2 hours after the chat ended people are still commenting
Keep in mind numbers don't matter, a chat is only as good as its participants!
Tonight's participants were spectacular!
The tweet chat's power lies in its ability to pull together knowledgable people from all walks of life and discuss a topic. Tonight we had teachers, parents, building administrators, students, superintendents, and educational experts contribute their knowledge, thoughts, and opinions to a topic many of them are extremely passionate about. PASSIONATE & KNOWLEDGABLE, I must have starred 30 posts that I want to return to so that I can read the articles and blog posts they suggested.
The perspectives that our participants brought to the chat was as varied as their zipcodes. I'm amazed at the amount of energy and time they have placed thinking about homework. In my 16 years of education, I can't really remember many academic conversations about homework. The prevaling thought is, "I am a teacher, I am expected to give homework." little thought beyond this usually occurs.
A tweet chat is everything you wish and hope your faculty lounge/Masters courses could be. A virtual room of motivated and excited educators who are willing and able to share their knowledge with you.
I kept thinking during the chat that it would take tens of thousands of dollars to get these people in an actual room together, and we did it for free!
The tweet chat has the ability to expand your thinking and maybe even change your mind. These posts from Courtney and Reed explain it best!
Courtney L. Dieter
Reed Gillespie
As for my feelings, thoughts, and opinions about homework, have they been changed? I'll save those answers for my homework post. However, I am sure of one thing. After this chat I am a better educatorand administrator because I participated in a tweet chat tonight.
Did you miss our chat today? Join us at #VACHAT Monday's at 8pm EST.
A special thank you to Travis Burns (@travisburnspage)! This couldn't have happened without you!
You can follow me on Twitter @philgriffins
It was a really great chat tonight, Phil. At first I thought it was a chat only for Virginians but as I read the comments back and forth I couldn't help myself. I had to join in! The perspectives were varied and the discussion was lively. It was truly enjoyable, I learned a lot and made some new connections for my
ReplyDeletePLN. Twitterpated...yes! Me too!