Rutgers Alternate Route to co-host #SATCHAT this weekend
Alternative teaching certification program, Rutgers Alternate Route, will be co-hosting nationally renowned Twitter education chat, #SATCHAT, on Jan. 24th, 2015.
Twitter is shaping into the foremost channel for teachers to engage in professional development. Each week, teachers and educators from across the nation convene via the social network, Twitter, to discuss teaching strategies, share lessons learned, resources and much more.
Our partnership with leading Twitter education chat, #SATCHAT, is part of our larger initiative to ensure graduates from our alternative teaching certification program have the professional development tools and skills needed to launch lasting careers as educators or teachers.
Why should teachers use Twitter for professional development?
As a teacher there are a million tasks and deadlines competing for one's time. School leaders hold teachers accountable for turning in lesson plans, assessing students and so forth. No one, however, keeps track of whether a teacher is actively investing time into her/his professional development growth. Teachers must develop within themselves the habit of engaging in professional learning networks.
During the fall phase of our alternative teaching certification program one of our instructors, Robert Zywicki, began organizing Twitter chats for his class participants.
Our first #RUGSEAR chat was a little shaky as my students were challenged by navigating how Twitter chats work. By our third chat all of my students were engaged and responding actively. The real value of starting #RUGSEAR are the interactions between students and other educators that take place between chats. It is exciting to see novice teachers expanding their PLNs via Twitter. —Robert Zywicki
Teaching strategies, research and resources are not enough to lead a long, successful career as an educator or teacher. A commitment to lifelong learning and professional development is what advances teachers' careers. That's why, in the end, 100% of those taking Robert Zywicki's course and thousands of teachers across the country engage in Twitter education chats like #SATCHAT and #RUGSEAR.
Heather Ngoma has over 25 years of experience collaborating with educators across New Jersey to drive education innovation. She currently serves as the Director of the Rutgers-GSE Alternate Route Program in the Department of Learning and Teaching, a program which helps career changers, recent college graduates, and other aspiring education professionals become licensed teachers in New Jersey. Follow her on Twitter @heatherngoma.
