Saturday, January 2, 2016

#OntarioClassMatch

Just before the winter holidays kicked in, I had a lovely chat with Rola Tibshirani (@rolat) about collaboration, and getting folks involved in sharing on social media. We agreed that pursuing personal professional development through social media sites like Twitter has been a game changer for the both of us, and we would love to be able to share that.

However, convincing others to give it a try isn't always easy. Teachers new to Twitter often find it overwhelming. The sheer amount of information can be quite daunting, and many won't take the time regularly to flip through what others have posted, let alone find time to contribute themselves. 

Educators who have been active in the Twitterverse for several years, however, are starting to experience a bit of Twitter-fatigue. Once-exciting Twitter chats seem to just be asking different spins on the same old questions, and while Twitter is still a great resource bank for ideas, the connection and collaboration aspects seem to be waning.

This got me thinking about why I use Twitter as an educator. The most powerful uses of social media, for me, have been the connections I've been able to make with other people and/or classes around the world:


It's connections like these - which would have been nearly impossible to arrange prior to Web2.0 - that are making the biggest difference in my classes. I want to be able to help others make those connections, too.

#OntarioClassMatch

So, without further ado, introducing #OntarioClassMatch. I'm hoping that through the use of a common hashtag, reaching out to other classes in-province will be simpler and more accessible than before.

What can you use #OntarioClassMatch for?
  • Collaborating with another teacher currently teaching the same course;
  • Extending literary circles outside your classroom walls;
  • Getting a class survey answered by students across the province;
  • Connecting your students with an older/younger class in Ontario to teach or mentor;
  • Gathering data (à la Pumpkin Time Bomb);
  • Having your students collaborate with other students on mutual or cross-curricular projects;
  • Learning about, through first-hand resources, different aspects of our vast province;
I'm hoping I can help! Please help me spread the word, talk it up, and most importantly, use the hashtag! Let's break down those classroom walls and continue working toward making Ontario educators the best in our field.


UpdateThank you to everyone who has been spreading the word about #OntarioClassMatch! Now that the hashtag is out there, what can you do with it?

  • Use it! Include #OntarioClassMatch in your tweets to help find a class you'd like to connect with.
  • Create a column in Tweetdeck and follow the hashtag - you never know when someone else might be looking to connect with your class!
  • Keep spreading the word! You may not teach grade 3, but you might be able to connect a grade 3 #OntarioClassMatch request with someone in your school. We can all help make those connections and break down classroom walls :)