Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
TWITTER "[It] connects me to thousands of teachers across the country who do inspirational things for students every day. It gives me the opportu- nity to express my perspective and receive feedback that makes me a better educator." — JON RESENDEZ, Irvine TA "Twitter is my first go-to. If I need a lesson idea, tech help, app idea, etc., I have a great network of friends/colleagues that I can reach out to and tag. I usually have a response within an hour or so, some- times in just minutes." — NOR A ALLSTEDT, Exeter TA "I use Twitter, Facebook, Insta- gram and Pinterest, but I find that people are more responsive over Twitter. For example, if I have a question, I usually get an answer or response. Also, I keep Twitter dedi- cated to work." — BENJAMIN COGSWELL, Alisal TA "As an AP English lang teacher, I find Twitter a great resource for nonfiction essays and news articles. It helps me bring current events into my classroom. Because it is so diverse and global, I find writing I might not have found in my local newspapers or online news outlets." — MAT T CORCOR AN, Anaheim Secondary TA "I'm a science teacher and I follow various Next Generation Science Standards accounts on Twitter. All offer great links, podcasts and curric- ulum. I also follow @PrincipalKafele, who does great motivational talks live most Sundays. When districts don't pay for PD, I make do with the awe- some, cheap offerings on Twitter." — MICHELE HETL AND, Sacramento City TA PINTEREST "I use it a lot. School counselors post great ideas on everything from newsletters to social-emotional lessons. I was stoked to implement a new way for students to request to see us using their phones and a QR code." — ERIK A ZAMOR A, Alvord EA "I've used it for creating anchor charts and specific-topic lesson plans. I have boards for every topic I teach and can refer back to other people's ideas. As an elementary teacher with about 10 preps, it saves me time [and] also sparks my cre- ativity. I research topics, age group, ability level, and it's all visual (I'm a visual learner)." — LISA HICKMAN, Tustin EA "For me Pinterest is a pretty, shiny time sink where every time I go there, I feel envious or inadequate. Plus, I've been bitten too many times by links that just want to take my money. I curate my own resources in Evernote and Google Keep instead." — TERESA OZOA, Irvine TA "I learned how to use Pinterest to create a personal learning com- munity to share ideas and grow as a teacher. Pinterest continues to provide me with time-efficient visuals without me having to scour the web. Pinterest also curates additional resources that may be of interest based on related pins." — SUSAN SUNG, Little Lake EA "As a middle school teacher, I like to [post things] that cut down on management. The most helpful thing I found on Pinterest last year was a door sign that reads 'Today You'll Need' [with] a series of pictures I post under it. For example, if I have a picture of their ELA notebook, stu- dents know to grab it on their way in." — MICHELLE VOELKER, Sacramento City TA INSTAGRAM "I get ideas related to curriculum, instruction, and even bulletin boards and classroom decor. Our local union also uses it to connect with members." — NICOLE WILLIAMS, Salinas Elementary Teachers Council "Instagram has more lesson and classroom ideas that are easily imple- mented. I prefer it over Pinterest as there is less reposting and more orig- inal ideas/credit to sources (depends on who you follow). It's easier to find and follow teachers who are relevant to my practice/grade and teacher soul mates to be inspired by." — LOR A CAREY, Alisal TA "I teach high school Spanish and use Instagram to expose students to authentic language and cultural traditions throughout the Spanish- speaking world. Inspiration from a post may lead me to develop a whole activity [around] it. My students had fun creating fake profiles of famous historical figures and [writing] posts and hashtags they may have used." — SAR AH ROBINSON, Redondo Beach Teachers Association "I'm new to the profession and I benefit from reading about and visualizing classroom struggles and triumphs of my colleagues throughout the state. Their stories of classroom experiences [are] the most authentic resource I have." — IRENE AMEZCUA, Student CTA "I was an early elementary spe- cial education teacher with a mix of students with mild, moderate and severe disabilities, and no curriculum or training to support [them]. I used Instagram to find teacher communi- ties for tips, lesson ideas, activities and moral support. I don't think I would've made it through last year without [this]." — AVA MARINELLI, UTLA 15 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 019