The world of social media is rapidly expanding to include valuable resources for educators. Here are a few tips for beginners on some of the web's most influential sites.
LinkedIn is a site for professional connections - no stories of that great dinner or your cute puppy belong here. The power of this site for professional growth is in the Groups. There you can post a comment or question, or respond to someone else's post. Some lively discussion/debate often ensues, especially in groups that span a wide range of people, like the first one on my list. You will often get an international perspective as well, since this is truly a global network. (I have a favorite connection in Northern Ireland and a new connection - a preservice teacher from Nigeria!)
To help you get started, here's a sample list of groups:
Next up: Twitter!