#EdTechChat and #FlipgridForAll Twitter Chats

Twitter Chats

#FlipgridForAll

#EdTechChat

Recently, I participated in two Twitter chats, the #EdTechChat (March 9) and #FlipgridForAll (April 8). I found these chats to be very relevant and helpful, as both focused on how to best implement distance learning as a result of COVID-19 school closures. #EdTechChat's focus was on the overall ideas of online learning (this chat happened early in the online-learning transition for some of the first districts to make the change) and #FlipgridForAll's focus was how to best use Flipgrid for both instruction and maintaining connections with students during online learning. 

Similarities & Differences

#EdTechChat and #FlipgridForAll were similar in the sense that they both focused on remote learning (what doesn't these days?). There were a few major differences between the two chats. The first is that I found #FlipgridForAll to be much faster-paced and active than #EdTechChat. This may be because the #EdTechChat occurred when most districts were still meeting in-person and it was in the evening, while #FlipgridForAll occurred when most educators have switched to online learning and was during the afternoon, while many educators were online working. The other main difference I noticed is that while #EdTechChat seemed to be a general overview of what online learning could look like, #FlipgridForAll provided many practical ideas that I could immediately take and implement. 

Challenges and Improvements

The challenges between the two chats were very different. The most challenging part of the #EdTechChat was waiting for new responses. It seemed like there weren't many active participants, and it had a slow pace. I decided that I wanted to try a faster-paced chat for my next one so I had more opportunities to actually interact with people's questions instead of just answering the moderator's questions. The #FlipgridForAll chat was the exact opposite- incredibly fast-paced. Even using TweetDeck, it was hard to keep up with the chat. I was trying to jot down good ideas I saw from other participants, but I couldn't keep up. Next time, I will just "like" them, then refer back to them after the chat. 

Connections

In both chats, I made connections with other professionals in the education field including teachers, principals, technology advisors, and superintendents. Some of the people I followed include the moderators of the chats (@ajpodchaski, @savvy_educator, @jessxbo, @annkozma723) and other educational professionals (@filibuster3, @jimsullivanedco, @maclejeune). Connections became my biggest take-away from the Twitter chats I participated in. Though I felt unsure at the beginning of my first chat, I felt my self-confidence grow with every response, like, follow, and retweet. The interactions with others made me feel like I had valuable information to contribute and gave me the confidence to stand behind my answers when they were questioned. Overall, I am glad to have participated in Twitter Chats, and I look forward to continuing to grow my PLN.