50 Africa Based Educators to Follow on Twitter...via Mr Kemp

Twitter is a great tool for educators. I couldn't live without it. I am @fibeal on Twitter. So when I read Mr Kemp's post on his blogpost entitled '50 Africa Based Educators to Follow on Twitter'  http://bit.ly/2mFtNzF in May,  I was delighted to see my name there! Thank you Mr Kemp! He says: "I have been doing some research, connecting with my PLN and finding the best of the best Educators from every corner of the globe to feature in my series of Location Based Educators to follow." 

Are you wondering who Mr Kemp is? Craig Kemp describes himself as the "passionate Head of Educational Technology at a large International School in Singapore. I am a lifelong learner, dream creator and thought leader. I love to inspire others and find inspiration." He has a very popular blog called MrKempNZ (he is a New Zealander). 

Why I love Twitter
This got me thinking about why I love Twitter so much as a teacher. Here are my top five reasons:

1. Become part of a global community of teachers

I joined Twitter in 2009. I have got to know so many teachers around the globe through Twiiter. In fact when I attended the Google Teacher Academy in New York in 2012, we referred to each by our Twitter handles (mine is @fibeal) because we found that we already knew each other from Twitter.

2. Keep informed about using technology in the classroom

Twitter is one of the best ways to find out what is happening around the world technology-wise in classrooms. Twitter posts often lead to blog posts. And, there are some incredible teachers out there with amazing, informative blogs. Teachers love sharing with one another. I have been inspired by all the wonderful ideas that teachers pass on. ' One idea always leads to another' is what I often think to myself. Here in South Africa we use the #ZAedu hashtag for sharing ideas that might interest South African teachers.

3. Share ideas and resources

Sometimes you either create a really good lesson, or you discover someone else's excellent post and you really want to share this with your followers. Twitter is the perfect tool for sharing ideas and resources.

4. Embrace new ideas
Twitter is a form of professional development. It\s a place to learn about best teaching practices. Often one has an idea one would like to try out and then you see others are doing it and tweeting about it. I find that this gives me courage to step out and embrace change and new perspectives.

5. Enjoy Twitter chats
These are the best. I love connecting with local teachers in South Arica in a Twitter chat talking about something really relevant. In fact here in South Africa we have an exciting monthly Twitter chat on the #ZAedu, led by the innovative pair @LadyWesner and @MsMorrisTeach. It takes place on the last Wednesday of the month at 20:00. This month it will be on a chat about the changing educational landscape in ZA and ideas on how to navigate it.

50 Africa Based Educators to Follow on Twitter
So who are the 50 Africa-based educators to follow on Twitter according to Mr Kemp? Here is the list from his blog.

1. @jcd118 (Zambia)
2. @JeanetteViljoen (South Africa)
3. @pandiononline (Ghana)
4. @BrotherMENN (Ghana)
5. @EarlGreyTeacher (South Africa)
6. @hall_patch (Sudan)
7. @Pam_Macmillan (South Africa)
8. @moniquefranzsen (South Africa)
9. @EduRonen (Ethiopia)
10. @MacJordaN (Ghana)
11. @ajegbers (South Africa)
12. @TechTeachersZA (South Africa)
13. @MichelleLissoos (South Africa)
14. @rharwood17 (Ghana)
15. @Luke_MacBride (Ghana)
16. @LadyWesner (South Africa)
17. @EdTechKevin (South Africa)
18. @SarahHTANZ (Tanzania)
19. @teachmrj (Ethiopia)
20. @HartElsabeEdu (South Africa)
21. @Omashani (South Africa)
22. @egbal_karrar (Sudan)
23. @BronwynWrites (South Africa)
24. @MrZachG (Sudan)
25. @GillianGouws (South Africa)
26. @MsMorrisTeach (South Africa)
27. @butterfly_class (South Africa)
28. @mikewamaya (Kenya)
29. @awittor (Ghana)
30. @LynethCrighton (South Africa)
31. @rsharwood1 (Ghana)
32. @j_iglar (Ethiopia)
33. @che_marnie (South Africa)
34. @Kevin4Ed (Senegal)
35. @MsLauraSWA (Tanzania)
36. @phutiragophala (South Africa)
37. @msholcombe (Liberia)
38. @SeanHCole (South Africa)
39. @Ebunayo (Nigeria)
40. @kunleAdewale505 (Nigeria)
41. @MissLFreedman (Ghana)
42. @chezwi (South Africa)
43. @nikkibarnard (South Africa)
44. @abdiism (Kenya)
45. @teblesmo (South Africa)
46. @fibeal (South Africa)
47. @EdtechAnt (South Africa)
48. @KarenWalstra (South Africa)
49. @Alister_Payne (South Africa)
50. @irenebasson (South Africa)\

To conclude. Thank you Mr Kemp, and Twitter!

How to get started with Twitter

My personal opinion is that it is vital for a teacher to get on to Twitter in order to find out what is happening in education in the broader community. I have learned SO much from Twitter and am connected to fantastic educators all over the world as a result of using it. This post will show you how to get started. 

What is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social networking service that allows its users to send and read short 140-character messages known as tweets. It’s a fantastic way to share ideas and learn from other teachers – in fact it’s an indispensable tool for educators around the globe. Once you have got started on Twitter and benefitted from networking with other teachers, you’ll wonder how you survived before that! (By the way, my Twitter handle is @fibeal

Get started with Twitter

 

A YouTube tutorial

Here is a five minute YouTube tutorial on getting started with Twitter made by Matthew Frattali. It is fairly old (2012) but it also gives you the general idea.