Twitter and Hashtags

I am new to Twitter, and to be honest I have not fallen in love... yet! During Module 3 we were to find at least 5 hashtags to follow and add to our TweetDeck. I chose: #targetteachers #edtech #parents #edchat and #stem. I have followed @targetteachers on Instagram for about a year now and I LOVE the ideas they post with stuff you can purchase at Target and use in the classroom. I decided to follow #edtech because with my Master's degree in Educational Technology, I thought this would be a good relevant trend to follow. When searching through some example hashtags I came across #parents and thought it would be a good idea as a step-parent and an educator to follow this trend for ideas relating to parents my two step-daughters and the connection between parents and educators. #Edchat came across my Twitter feed a while ago and I've found great articles posted with this trend. And last but not least I began following #stem because I am loving the creativity students and my kids at home are able to foster using STEM activities.

• #targetteachers posted a great idea in using $15 cushions from Target in their classroom as flexible seating! 
• This post on Instagram using #targetteachers gave me the idea to use Legos when talking about fractions. https://www.instagram.com/p/BET-3juN47K/ LOVE!
• This idea from #targetteachers would be perfect for field trips next Spring! https://twitter.com/target_teachers/status/716661882925424641/photo/1
• This is a great visual to start thinking about the summer as we teachers reflect on last year, and get ready for next year. https://twitter.com/Alex_Corbitt/status/742140610799403008/photo/1 #edtech
• Great post by David Geurin. http://www.davidgeurin.com/2016/06/7-ways-technology-can-transform.html #edtech
• Great way to save some extra cash at the end of the school year! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1st7G6BTLaIuoI4yiliHpRK9HmHqSdAnV2J-KMNHxHVA/edit#slide=id.g14e9bbad65_0_0 #edtech
• I'm always on the lookout for articles encouraging kids to eat healthy. http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/healthy-eating/help-kids-cope-with-food-peer-pressure?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=Leadify #parents
• Important article for parents and teachers to consider with children and stress. http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2015/11/sharpen-your-childs-stress-relieving-skills/#.V17dBI9Vrw8.twitter #parents
• All about those incentives, as a parent and a teacher! http://www.babble.com/parenting/kids-lives-game-discipline-better-behaved/ #parents
• Minecraft.. all kids love it, most adults don't know how to play it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcmAAvbskAk #edchat
• As a fellow introvert I loved this article! https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/02/19/strategies-to-ensure-introverted-students-feel-valued-at-school/ #edchat
• I teach at a Title One school and this is SO important! https://twitter.com/WeAreTeachers/status/740992621284233216/photo/1 #edchat
• This gives me the idea of contacting BUGS here in Idaho to come and talk about growing gardens. https://twitter.com/AstellasFDN/status/742458692126265344/photo/1 #stem
• Great ideas of using children's literature to teach harder concepts. http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/06/04/474715791/green-eggs-ham-and-metaphysics-teaching-hard-ideas-with-childrens-books?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social #stem
• So excited to get my hands on a GoldieBlox! http://www.niecyisms.com/2016/06/build-it-break-it-make-it-stem-it-with.html #stem

Using Twitter is becoming easier for me and I am starting to see the opportunities arise in each post. I can find quick examples of projects, or great ideas to use in my classroom. I think using Twitter as professional development could be helpful as long as the users bought into the idea. I think young and open minded teachers would be very excited to have their professional development at their finger tips 24/7. Others like the separation of work and home. I would be excited to use Twitter and other social media outlets as professional development.