Science Teacher Guide to Twitter (aka Free Online Professional Development for Teachers)

To sum it up, if you are a science teacher, here is your one stop guide to twitter.  This post is full of resources, so be sure to check out all the links.

One of my goals this summer is to be more active on Twitter. I started making this guide just for myself, then realized other science teachers could benefit from having this info all in one place. There is so much information about twitter for teachers, it can honestly be a bit overwhelming, but it IS worth it! This post is a simple and specific guide just for science teachers.

Just like in the classroom, twitter is all about building relationships and helping others. I want to connect with more science teachers in a meaningful way, and I invite you to join me!

Twitter is like free pd for teachers. Twitter can help you build true professional learning communities and answers to your science teaching questions. And better yet, twitter is meant to be quick (280 characters and less) and relatively easy. Here’s some simple social media training on how to use this educational technology and an even more comprehensive guide to twitter for teachers here.

If you are a total newbie, here is the best cheat sheet for teachers new to twitter. Next step is reading up on Jennifer Gonzalez’s advice on how teachers can use twitter better.

The lists of twitter hashtags, twitter chats, and who to follow can be overwhelming. So, here is a condensed version of science specific hashtags, science chats, and science-y people to follow. It doesn’t matter if you teach elementary science, middle school science, or high school science – this guide is for you!

First and foremost, hashtags are my favorite. They are a great way to connect with new people and find exactly the information you need. Now, there are hundreds of twitter hashtags related to science. Here are a few of my favorite:

Twitter Hashtags for Science Teachers

Twitter chats are a great way to meet fellow teachers and learn new teaching strategies.They are practically impossible to follow without a social media manager like TweetDeck or Hootsuite. When comparing TweetDeck vs. Hootsuite, they both have free options so ask around and see what your teacher friends are using.

5 Twitter Chats for Science Teachers
FYI: Some chats take breaks during summer!

#ASEchat – Mondays; 1 PM PT/4 PM ET: This weekly chat is hosted by The Association for Science Education (ASE). ASE is an United Kindgdom based organization that has been supporting science education from pre-school to higher education for over 100 years.

#scichat – Tuesdays; 6 PM PT/9PM ET: This weekly chat is hosted by The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE). This chat is for any informal or formal teacher of science to get together and discuss “how we best foster a scientifically literate public enabled to make informed decisions on science and technology issues that affect the entire planet, inspire and engage the next generation of scientists and engineers, and prepare our students for the high technology job market of the 21st century”.

#scitlap – Wednesdays; 6 PM PT/9PM ET: This weekly chat is a spin-off from the #tlap chats (on Mondays 6 PM PT/9PM ET) inspired by “Teach Like a Pirate” by Dave Burgess. For those that haven’t read it, PIRATE is all about utilizing Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Asking/Analyzing, Transformation, and Enthusiasm in your teaching. This chat is that, science style.

#PrimarySTEMChat – Thursdays 3:30 PT/6:30pm ET: This weekly chat focuses on STEM education. Even if you are not a primary teacher, ideas discussed here about inquiry, educational technology, and design thinking are applicable to K-12.

#NGSSchat – 1st & 3rd Thursdays; 6 PM PT/9PM ET: This chat is focused on helping share ideas and host discussions around implementation of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). If every other Thursdays are hard for you – like it is for me – a moderator for the chat set up so you can signup for chat reminders (you might need to get the Remind app for this!).

Science-y People to Follow on Twitter

The best way to find people to follow on Twitter is organically. As you browse hashtag feeds and participate in chats, you’ll find people. When you are just starting out, or just looking to expand your network, here are some resources on who to follow:

Science Teachers to Follow on Twitter: Adam Taylor manages a list of hundreds of science teachers to follow on twitter. There is also another list of hundreds of science teachers over on ClassTools. You can even add yourself to both lists! There is even an A to Z list of science teachers on twitter! That is a LOT so here are some specific science teachers to follow that stand out from the crowd include (just a handful of helpful science teachers active on my own twitter feed while I was writing this post):

  • @GaryM – Gary McFarlane is a retired biology teacher that is very active and helpful on Twitter.
  • @daleyscience – Kristin Daley Conti is a 7th Grade Science Teacher that fully immerses herself in PIRATE teaching.
  • @BealsScience – Craig Beals is a VERY passionate science teacher that has the coolest science experiments and ideas.
  • @jengutierrez18 – Jen Gutierrez is a K-12 STEM Ed Specialist that is always sharing science resources for teachers.
  • @tdishelton – Tricia Shelton is a high school science teacher highly involved in NGSS implementation.

Scientists to Follow on Twitter: Not just teachers, but scientists are being encouraged to use twitter.

There are plenty of lists with scientists to follow on twitter, from general lists like The Top 50 Science Stars of Twitter from Science Magazine (and its sequel) to specific lists like 50 Stem Cell Influencers on Twitter.

  • @drlucyjones: Dr. Lucy Jones is a seismologist who retired from the U.S. Geological Survey to now run the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society.
  • @sciencegoddess – Joanne Manaster teaches upper level university laboratory courses in histology, molecular and cellular biology and bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
  • @vaughanbell – Vaughan Bell is a neuropsychologist and associate professor at University College London.
  • @Tessa_M_Hill – Tessa Hill is a professor at UC Davis studying climate change and the ocean.
  • @AstroKatie – Dr. Katherine J Mack is an astrophysicist/cosmologist and science writer.

Science Organizations to Follow on Twitter

The Best Science Twitter Accounts is a hodgepodge of science-y people and organizations worth a follow. Other science organizations helpful for science teachers to follow include:

  • @ImpactSciEd – UIUC Science Education Collaboratory is a collaborative between UIUC science educators, scientists and K-12 teachers.
  • @NewsfromScience – Science Magazine’s account for the latest stories in science.
  • @nprscience – The NPR Science Desk has science news, commentary and conversation from NPR.
  • @PopSci – Popular Science has been sharing awe-inspiring science, tech, and DIY for 146 years strong.
  • @NSTA – The National Science Teachers Association promotes excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

So that’s my guide. What is YOUR top twitter hack, hashtag, or account for science teachers?

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