How to host a Q-and-A Twitter chat

Cross-posted at Smartblog on Education

Many educators are aware of education Twitter chats and some have even participated in one of the hundreds of chats that take place each week. The reason Twitter chats are great is because they let you dive quickly into an issue with others around the world who share your passion. The people whose input you find valuable are ones that you can follow and connect with in the future.

For those who don’t know what a Twitter chat is, it is a way to bring together people from across the globe — tweeps — at a set time to discuss a topic of interest in a fast-paced format using an agreed upon hashtag. It can also give tweeps access to experts they otherwise might not be able to connect with. It gives experts a great vehicle to connect with others who care about their work.

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The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Social media advice for career-minded students. 10... May 4, 2014,	2513
Erase Unnecessary Costs by Getting Smart about Interactive Whiteboards... May 14, 2010,	1978
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1541
5 Ways to use social media to spice up your next museum trip... Apr 16, 2014,	1415
Caution banning cell phones may interrupt learning Apr 20, 2014,	994

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10 Reasons to Attend a Google for Education Summit

Google Summit attendees in Vermont.

Whether it’s Docs, Earth, Glass, Translate, Voice, Hangouts, Blogger, Chromebooks, and more, Google provides some of my favorite tools for education.  If you feel the same way or are just intrigued, you may be interested in a Google for Education Summit.  

Here’s why.  

1. Try out shiny new tools like Google Glass, Chromebooks, and Android devices

Do you want to experience the world through Google Glass? Did you know Chromebooks are instant on? Summits have a dedicated classroom where you can drop in any time to demo Google products and learn more about using Android tablets in Education. 

2. Become a speaker and raise your profile in EdTech circles

Presenting a session during summits is a fantastic way to highlight your expertise and raise your profile in the Google for Education arena. Many educators who have attended past summits have grown their practice and experience and are coming back as speakers.

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Social media advice for career-minded students. 10 things to consider.

This week I had the pleasure to speak on a panel to career-minded students at the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation's annual conference. Our panel consisted of four experts familiar with social media who shared advice about what to do when it comes to how to best use Facebook, Twitter and other digital platforms. The main message as reported in the Staten Island Advance: Think before you post, tweet ... and curse.

Below are the 10 statements the Staten Island Advance selected as the best. Take a look. There are some new considerations. For example: What does it say about a person who constantly posts selfies? Does having less friends mean that you are more discerning about who you associate with and having more mean you are trying to win some silly popularity contest? 

See what the panelists said. What do you agree with? What ideas are new to you?  Is there anything you disagree with?

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The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Caution: Banning Cell Phones May Interrupt Learning ... Apr 20, 2014,	2850
The Ten No Nos of Teaching with a Smartboard... May 10, 2010,	1962
Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative May 12, 2010,	1857
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1606
5 Ways to use social media to spice up your next m... Apr 16, 2014,	1381
Erase Unnecessary Costs by Getting Smart about Int... May 14, 2010,	1315

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Ideas for enjoying tech-free meals

The research is clear. Time together around the dinner table has beneficial results including improving quality of daily life, your children's chances of success in the world, and your family's health according to the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department at the University of Florida. In fact, your child may be 35% less likely to engage in disordered eating, 24% more likely to eat healthier foods and 12% less likely to be overweight (Hammons & Fiese, 2011). A study done by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse revealed that teens who eat fewer than three family dinners per week compared to those who eat five to seven a week are twice as likely to use alcohol and tobacco and one and a half times more likely to use marijuana.

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The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
5 Ways to use social media to spice up your next museum... Apr 16, 2014,	3926
Is boredom the real epidemic in our schools? Mar 23, 2014,	3231
Students, parents, teachers, principals + elected ... Apr 20, 2014,	1591
How obsolete is your school? Take this quiz to fin... Mar 19, 2014,	1177
8 Real Ways Facebook Enriched Ms. Schoening’s Firs... Jul 15, 2010,	947
10 ways the research behind banning #mlearning for... Mar 26, 2014,	888

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