With all of the focus on social network sites in the media, it is probably important to note that when and what you Tweet on Twitter is important for teachers to think about.
When should you tweet?
Be careful about tweeting at school – especially during classes. Make sure it is not against your school’s acceptable use policy. If you are not sure, ask. It might be okay to update and check on your tweets during your planning time but not okay during class. It’s best to check ahead of time then to get in trouble later!
What should you tweet?
Hopefully this is obvious to you – but don’t talk about your students! Even if you are just discussing how a class gets on. Remember, you never know if your students may stumble upon your Twitter feed. They’ll know if you are talking about them! Do talk about your methods and your activities. Ask your personal learning network for ideas and to point you in the direction of new information. Share what you are doing with your classes and how effective the teaching practice is, but do be careful.
You can also talk about personal things – it doesn’t have to be all school all the time. But once again, use discretion. Think about what you are posting before you do.
Here’s a link to a news story on the BBC website about a teacher in Scotland who got into a lot trouble for what and when she was tweeting. Hopefully this gives you an idea about what I mean.
Finally – don’t let this put you off tweeting! With only a little care, posting to Twitter will be an enriching and exciting experience for you!
