share their thoughts, resources and experiences using the hashtag
#satchat. This great social media vehicle was founded by Scott Rocco
and Brad Currie on April 14, 2012.
In its infancy #satchat averaged around 20-25 participants a week. Fast
forward to the present and it has exploded to around 110 participants
each week.
In fact recently #satchat hit the 200 participant mark for the first time in its history. The chat enables current and emerging school leaders to
share their insight on topics ranging from social media, professional
development, crisis management, vision, bullying, leadership and
teacher recruitment. Recently #satchat has expanded its influence to
the west coast where Shelly Burgess, David Culberhouse, Darin Jolly
and Amy Illingworth co-moderate the extended session.
The power of #satchat is quite remarkable and is a true example of
collaboration. Each and every week educators are able to share ideas
and instantly turn them into something that can have a profound impact
on a wide array of school stakeholders. The tools of #satchat enable
participants to also see the value of certain web 2.0 tools in an
educational setting. Twitter is the main tool of the chat and allows
everyone to have a voice and collaborate 24/7. Leading up the chat
various tools such as Audioboo, Buffer and Facebook are used to
promote and inform. Once the chat has finished, Storify is then used
to archive the session and share with the Twitter world. School based
utilization of these tools are many and allow stakeholders to be
engaged in the educational process.
On a personal level the world of Twitter and all it has to offer has
been a game-changer in my professional life. Not only do I get a
chance to co-host #satchat, but I also participate in other chats on a
weekly basis. Some that come to mind are #ptchat, #edchat, #sschat,
#njed #21stedchat and #edhire to name a few. Having access to outstanding minds in
the educational world is also added benefit of Twitter and hashtag
based conversations. Being able to connect with inspiring educators
like Eric Sheninger, Vicki Davis, Todd Whitaker, Principal El and
others, brings a sense of community like no other. I am very proud of
all that #satchat has done for educators during this past year and is
just one example of how educators go above and beyond their call of
duty to better themselves professionally and in turn promote the
success of all students.
About the Author: Brad Currie is the Middle School Dean of Students and Supervisor of Instruction for the Chester School District in Chester, New Jersey. He is the co-founder and co-moderator of #satchat on Twitter. Brad has a tremendous passion for social media, PLNs and technolgy integration in the classroom setting. You can follow Brad on Twitter and read his blog to learn more about his commitment to doing “what’s best for kids” each and every day.
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From Vicki: There are many chats on Twitter. Jerry Blumengarten has a great list of Edchats for you. I wanted to take you inside a chat that I enjoy that happens each Saturday. I asked one of the organizers, Brad Currie, to share with you a little about this chat and what it means to him and others.
There are MANY educational chats on Twitter that have a great history and stats. This isn't to leave you out. If you have a chat that you'd like to share, please email me at vicki at coolcateacher dot com and I'll see what I can do. If you're a spammer or out to sell something, don't waste your time. I prefer real educators who disclose all relationships.
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