Educators who are already using Twitter (and other social media) know the power of interaction with your own personal learning network. It's like a never ending seminar that you can freely visit to learn, share, and reflect. By far, the best professional development going! Likewise, more of our students are using social media to learn and to share their thinking / creativity with an authentic audience of peers.

While many teachers and students have embraced social media, most schools still lag behind, struggling with the question of whether they should formalize social media networks for their students, teachers, and community. 

First step - help school leadership better understand what social media is and how it can be effectively utilized. (Hint: it's more than Twittering about what you had for lunch.)

My hats off to Hans Mundahl, Director of Experiental Learning and Technology Coordinator at the New Hampton School, who has provided a great video that introduces the potential for social media engagement for schools. He even simplifies it to this tidy equation ...

(Engagement + trust) x targeted audience = impact

Which translates into...

(social media + shared authentic conversation) x personal learning network = quick useful resource

When your done with the video be sure to take a look at the great wiki page resource that his PLN created.

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