Whether you're a social media novice or not, hashtags may seem confusing
and inessential. These short links (hashtags) preceded by the pound sign (#) are integral to the way we communicate
online and it's important to know how to use them.
Can hashtags be fun? Absolutely!
On
Twitter, the
pound sign (or hash) turns any word or group of words into a searchable link. This allows you to organize content
and track discussion topics based on those keywords. So, if you want
to post about the
NFL Super Bowl, you would include #SuperBowl in your tweet to join the conversation (or simply search for the hashtag to follow the discussion). Clicking on a hashtag will allow you to see all the posts that mention the subject in real time.
I also recommend using a social media management platform, such as HooteSuite, TweetDeck, etc., where you can create columns with hashtag topics. I like the ability to monitor several discussions, i.e. #edchat, #lrnchat, #careerteched, at once and all on the same screen.
I've created a list of popular educational hashtags and tried to categorize them for you (see below). It definitely isn't all inclusive, but it's a good starting point and I hope you will share any new educational hashtags you find interesting and helpful! (Also, hashtags are now a staple to social media and their use has been extended to other social media platforms.)
Popular Educational Hashtags |
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Hashtag |
Category |
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Career and Technology Education |
#careerteched |
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#CTE |
|
#vision15 |
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College |
#highered |
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Curriculum |
#cchat |
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Distance Education |
#disted |
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#elearning |
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#k12online |
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#mlearning |
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#onlinelearning |
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Groups and Chats |
#edchat |
Educational Technology |
#educhat |
Education Chat |
#lrnchat |
Social Media and Education |
#oklaed |
Oklahoma Education Chat |
|
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|
Instruction/Learning |
#blendchat |
Blended Learning |
#blendedlearning |
Blended Learning |
#education |
|
#elearning |
Electronic Learning |
#flipclass |
Blended Learning |
#GBL |
Game-Based Learning |
#ntchat |
New Teachers |
#onlinelearning |
Blended Learning |
#pbl/#pblchat |
Project-Based Learning |
#studentcentered |
Blended Learning |
#teachered |
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#teachers |
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Language |
#bilingual |
|
#efl |
English as a Foreign Language |
#ell |
English Language Learning |
#esl |
English as a Second Languae |
#tesol |
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages |
|
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Leadership |
#edleadership |
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#eduleaders |
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Resources |
#education |
|
#educational videos |
|
#educationresources |
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#learning |
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#lessonplans |
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#library |
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#research |
|
#teachers |
|
#TLChat |
Twitter Librarians |
#TT |
Teacher Tuesday where educators suggest others to follow |
|
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|
Special Needs |
#gifted |
Gifted Education |
#GTChat |
Gifted Education |
#spedchat |
Special Education |
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Science |
#STEM |
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Technology |
#1:1 |
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#apps |
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#blendchat |
Blended Learning |
#BYOD |
Bring Your Own Device |
#EdApps |
Educational Apps |
#edtech |
Educational Technology |
#edtechchat |
Educational Technology |
#elearning |
Electronic Learning |
#ipadchat |
iPad |
#iNACOL |
International Association of Online Learning |
#iste |
International Society for Technology in Education |
#mlearning |
Mobile Learning |
#mobile |
Mobile Learning |
#slide2learn |
iDevices and Learning |
#vitalcpd |
Effective Use of Technology in the Classroom |
#web20 |
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