How can school leaders make the most out of technology and social media in their classrooms? 

George Couros, Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Canada, shares how in his article on ConnectedPrincipals.com.

"Recently in a workshop, I asked the group how many people thought Twitter was 'stupid', to which had seen several hands raised," Couros wrote. "I followed up with the question, 'How many of you think it is beneficial to learn from other teachers?' This has 100% of hands up in the air. So, if we think that learning from other teachers is beneficial, and we can use Twitter to do that, it seems like a no-brainer."

Couros said that instead of having teachers learn how to use Twitter or learn how to blog, leaders should use these tools to build relationships, connect with the community, and learn from others, according to a chart he provided in his post.

"The way I look at it, is that it is more about using some of these simple technologies, to do powerful things," he wrote. "Serendipitously, as I tried to put these thoughts into my head, someone shared this graphic from Bill Ferriter on, 'What do you want kids to do with technology?'. I then thought, what is it that we want leaders to do with technology, and based on Bill’s original idea, I put down my own thoughts."

Couros said his post is "not about measuring one’s ability with technology if they are able to use Twitter or write a blog post."

"It is about something much deeper," he wrote. "If the purposeful use of technology can enhance or accelerate those ideas above, shouldn’t more leaders look at how these tools can be used in their own practice?"

Read the full story and comment below. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor