How Teachers Use Technology to Connect with Resources and Each Other

While many professionals enjoy a leisurely Saturday morning, Rutgers Alternate Route teachers often use precious weekend time to demonstrate their commitment to professional growth.

Last November, they participated in an invigorating #EdTech chat to discuss strategies for engaging digitally savvy students and leveraging technology in educational practices. Using the hashtags #EdTech and #TeacherEd, educators shared and discovered technology-centered ideas, responding rapidly to questions posed by the Rutgers Alternate Route host account.

In just 60 minutes, hundreds of participants tackled five questions on technology use in schools, showcasing the power of social media for professional development.

The Rutgers Alternate Route chat moderators were curious about how this teaching cohort utilizes technology to gain leverage in their field. It’s a strategy often employed on the Rutgers Alternate Route blog, where multiple posts draw on internet message boards and other online resources. Do teachers use these same strategies?

The answer is yes!

During the chat, participants highlighted their favorite digital resources, introduced new platforms and shared teacher-specific strategies for popular sites. Read on to learn what these educators recommend. 

TikTok continues to shine

A star of the pandemic, TikTok has become more than a video-sharing platform. The social media app has connected people across the globe, introducing them to new ideas, strategies and countless opportunities to learn.

“TikTok is a great resource to be exposed to different teaching strategies/resources that others are using,” said chat participant Monique Tawiah. “I have found plenty of websites and technique recommendations from other teachers on TikTok.”

Odera O. agrees, describing the user experience as cathartic.

“Believe it or not, I have gotten a lot of helpful teaching advice from TikTok. It is cathartic to hear other teachers’ experiences (good, bad and ugly) and know that I'm not alone.”

Connecting with that sentiment, Grace Newcombe said the connection helps validate feelings.

“Being able to see on social media that teachers are experiencing the same feelings I am is very reassuring and makes me feel like I am not crazy!”

In between opportunities to connect and learn, TikTok also provides teacher-specific entertainment, creating moments of necessary comedic relief.

“TikTok has shown me so many unique classroom management strategies and fun ELA activities for engagement. Also, the teacher memes in general are hilarious,” said Emilia Kudelko.

Facebook Groups provide community

Facebook offers educators a form of sanctuary through its Groups feature. In these public and private spaces, users gather around shared interests, while group administrators set rules and moderate conversations.

Ryan Smith, for example, is a member of a few music educator groups on Facebook.

“These communities are a great place to share ideas and ask for help when it is needed,” Smith said.

There are many niche groups under the education umbrella, with Jenny Amato turning to a Facebook Group specifically for first-year teachers.

“[The group] allows people to share questions and get advice with other educators,” Amato said. “Technology also allows us to easily share engaging and fun lessons with other teachers.”

Some teachers, like Kat, turn to Facebook Groups to help get ideas for lesson planning.

“I’m in a few different lesson planning/art content Facebook groups where educators share their favorite resources and full-on lesson plans, scope and sequence, and reference material,” Kat said. “It’s a great way to share ideas and learn from others around the world!”

X (Twitter) is still a valuable platform

Launched in 2006, Twitter stood out for limiting user updates to 140 characters. The format forced people to think concisely and be strategic about their communication. By 2010, users were sending 50 million tweets per day.

In 2023, Twitter went through a new ownership and name change (X), prompting many users to abandon the platform, particularly in the United States. Current users still see value in the social networking site, however, especially Rutgers Alternate Route educators.

Sandra Paul, a user since 2008, said X is a “great place to ask for help with tech and learning.” She cites the community of like-minded EdTech professionals, who “helped through both rough and good times.”

Dr. Rachelle Deńe Poth replied, agreeing with Paul’s sentiment.

“I've made some great friendships through these spaces and it has not only impacted me, but led to great learning benefits for my students,” she said.

New and different platforms

A few chat participants introduced some lesser-known platforms that are just as beneficial as the ones mentioned above.

Ronald J. Perez, PhD, shared how to use the Genesis portal for collaboration purposes.

“As a middle school bilingual science teacher, I communicate with other middle school teachers by using the Genesis Platform, which allows teachers to share lesson plans.”

Mohammed Kabbani recommended using Amplify and said, “Teachers can share robust activities with innovative feedback mechanisms that help students construct meaningful concepts in Math, Science, and ELA.”

Dr. Poth also referenced their ISTE membership as a valuable digital community, as did Juli Ross-Kleinmann, EdD.

Zoom as a connection resource was brought up by a few chat attendees, with Rachel Seay citing the Tools of the Mind PD session as a beneficial webinar. Similarly, many attendees brought up Google Drive and Google Workspace for collaboration.

“Tools like Google Drive let my colleagues and me co-create resources and stay aligned on curriculum,” said Pratibha Maurya.

Edith Cuevas cites online PDs as helpful, time-saving resources.

“I rely on online PD because it is too expensive to travel to the state or county where the PD is taking place,” Cuevas said. “I belong to Newsela PD, edWeb, LinkedIn, WIDA and the NJSTESOL group forum.”

Finally, Reddit was recommended—particularly the r/teachers subreddit—as a place to connect with teachers on a national, and sometimes even global, scale.

“I use Reddit to see if other teachers have encountered whatever I'm troubleshooting,” Danielle F said.

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.