It seems that all you need to rekindle the blogging bug is a bit of a buzz. Currently at Gillingham school in Dorset talk has turned to Twitter and other media tools that can aid teaching and learning.
I reluctantly joined Twitter during my PGCE year, thinking that it was all self indulgent celebrities and acceptable stalking. So I promised myself I would only use it as a tool for teaching, and 2 years on I can safely say that it is one of the best CPD tools out there for teachers. I follow a mixture of teaching heroes, Geography related organisations and fellow teachers. What I absolutely love about it is you can find inspiring and astounding resources in seconds, alongside sharing ideas and thinking on a level with NQT’s and head teachers alike. Twitter keeps ideas fresh and involves you in a dynamic community of teachers far beyond your own department and school. I cannot claim to be a post a minute or even a post a month person, however whenever I need a different perspective on the content of a lesson I am planning, or a brilliant image for a starter I know I will find something useful if I scroll through my Twitter feed.
As we progress with technology both in teaching and the real world, I know it will be absolutely essential to use social media such as Twitter to help inform and motivate students. This is particularly the case for Geography teaching. As a student I remember there was always a sense of awe and wonder when your Geography teacher brought current events into the classroom, the difference is that when I was at school we were lucky if it involved a newspaper clipping from the day before. Now we have no excuse not to bring the wider world into the classroom, with the aid of social media that Tornado in Oklahoma that we hear about on the 6 o’clock news can enter the classroom minutes after it has hit….call me a geek but that’s where the learning’s at!!
Below I have listed some of the great people and organisations I follow:
@Learningspy
@WHO
@FAO
@HansRosling
@worldmapper
@natgeo
@followthethings
@Geoblogs