Twitter As The New PLC

PLC was an acronym that I had not heard of prior to becoming a teacher. Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) or Professional Learning Networks (PLN's) (Professional Learning Communities) are defined as "a collegial group who are united in their commitment to an outcome" by the North Carolina Public Schools, specifically with a focus on student learning.

When I began teaching in October, I became a part of two PLC's. One met daily; my second grade team. This time was used for lesson planning, data analysis, the creation of common assessments, among other things. The other met weekly, and was called "vertical planning". It allowed second and third grade teachers to collaborate with other staff such as administrators and support staff (i.e. reading and/or EC teachers) to look at student data and best meet student needs.

Twitter is the newest outlet for PLC's outside of your immediate school staff to interact. Twitter provides a way for many different professionals, from many different locations, to collaborate and share their ideas. It allows people to search and follow their specific interests through a hash-tag (#). It allows educators to ask one another questions and receive an immediate response from someone they may not have ever met.

I first joined Twitter as an educational PLC when I took a graduate Leadership Class with High Point University. It was a way for us to share articles together, as a cohort, and communicate with other PLC's. While I have found that I do not post much, I enjoy reading and learning new things from others. You can see my personal twitter here. 

All Things PLC (PLC Focused Twitter Chat) is a twitter-based group chat that occurs weekly, where educators from around the world have the ability to share and converse about all things education! Although the chat occurs past my bed time, I would like to be able to follow it on real time at least once. I have been able to search #atplc the following day and read what others have posted, but I would love to participate in the chat.

Twitter has allowed me to begin "following" classmates and professors at High Point University, important names in education such as Arne Duncan and Sean McComb, as well as twitter's dedicated to STEM Education and other focus areas of interest. Twitter allows you to stay connected at your fingertips with all that is going on in your field.

Positives of PLC's (via twitter, at your school, etc.)

• Collaboration is key!
• New ideas form from new people working together!
• Technology is utilized
• Positive feedback and constructive criticism
• Meeting people that you wouldn't otherwise
• Common goals = student learning and success
• and the list goes on and on!

I really enjoy following and finding new education twitter's to follow. As a new teacher, I am always open to finding new ideas and expanding my horizons. Twitter is an excellent way to do that, as well as a way to expand by professional network outside of my immediate workplace. I feel as though I have found true and positive educators through Twitter as a PLC.

Teamwork Is Most Important In PLC's!

References:

PLC-Focused Twitter Chat. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.allthingsplc.info/tools-resources/twitter-chat/

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2015, from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/profdev/resources/proflearn/