Episode Details

Dr. Spike Cook, an elementary principal in Millville, New Jersey and author of Connected Leadership, explains how to build a professional learning network on Twitter and blogs without drowning in information. He joined in January 2012 after a karate instructor challenged his belief that social media had no place in education.

Cook's advice for beginners is concrete: spend 10 minutes a day, three or four days a week, reading two or three blog posts and scanning your feed. He also follows Twitter lists other people made, sometimes only lurks and learns in chats, and thanks people who mention his posts. He and Jethro Jones also talk about crediting sources.

What you'll learn

• Start small: 10 minutes a day, three or four days a week, is enough to read a few blog posts and scan Twitter.
• Read what the people you follow actually post, not only hashtags, as Cook does when he spends 10 or 15 minutes going through his feed.
• Group like-minded people into Twitter lists, such as other principals, so you can focus on one set at a time.
• Lurk and learn in a Twitter chat when you have nothing to add, and thank people who mention your posts.
• Say where an idea came from when you can, and accept that you can't trace every source.

Chapters

• 0:00 Spike Cook and his book Connected Leadership
• 1:19 Why your learning network matters most
• 2:15 How a karate sensei changed his mind
• 3:54 Giving back, not only taking, from your network
• 8:26 Starting small with the fire hydrant of information
• 10:02 Ten minutes a day and lurking in chats
• 14:06 Following people, not just hashtags, and Twitter lists
• 20:31 Crediting your sources when you share

Times are for the episode without ads. Your player may be off by the length of any ads.

Questions this episode answers

How do you build a professional learning network as a principal?
Cook says to start small and connect with a few people, finding social media mentors you can learn from. He resisted Twitter until January 2012 and credits people he followed for paving the way. He also recommends Twitter chats, where you can connect with a bunch of people in an hour.

How do you keep up with Twitter without getting overwhelmed?
Cook tells beginners to spend about 10 minutes a day, three or four days a week. That is enough to read two or three blog posts and scan your Twitter feed. He also follows lists of like-minded people and sometimes only lurks and learns during chats.

How should you share ideas you learn online?
Cook says to do your best to say what you are thinking about and where you got it, while accepting that some ideas can't be traced to an original source. He also thanks people who mention his posts, a step he says many people skip.

About Dr. Spike Cook

Elementary principal in Millville, New Jersey, and author of Connected Leadership, published by Corwin in its Connected Educator series.

Links and resources

• Spike Cook show notes

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