Last year I saw a list that bugged me. A lot. SOME OF CANADA’S TOP EDUTWEETERS 2.0 Only 15 are women? Huh? If you take a look at the percent of women in education (66% in 2005 ) this number does not jive. This disconnect stuck with me and made me a little more mindful of who I was following and the gender of the voices that were resonating with me the most, not in a critical way, but in an observant way. It also pushed me to find female voices on Twitter or to notice if in fact, there were female voices out there that did resonate with me. I also read this article On Twitter, Men Are Retweeted Far More Than Women (And You’re Probably Sexist, Too) in the summer which got me thinking some more. It takes you to TWEE-Q (“Twitter Equality Quotient”) which asks:
“Gender equality is always a hot conversation topic on Twitter. We were curious about how equal the conversation ON Twitter really is and created this little experiment in order to find out the truth. The idea is as simple as elegant: insert the twitterhandle you want analyzed and we’ll check the balance between the sexes behind your retweets. A 10 is the perfect Twee-Q. Do you dare to start with yourself?”
My TWEE-Q is not very high!!
My TWEE-Q is 3.2!
So below are just some of the Canuck Chicks who I have followed over the last couple of months (and who are not already on the LIST above). This “list” is not annotated or numbered intentionally! It represents some Canadian (sorry my Yankee lovelies) women in education who I have noticed out here, either on Twitter, blogging or both. Maybe who have women who you follow to add? Maybe you have ideas on why there seems to be less female presence in the Twitter-sphere, especially in Canada? Maybe you have not noticed this but will have a look at who you RT? Or maybe you think gender just does not matter?
Cheers my fellow Canadian lovelies, here is to Tweeting up a storm! P.S. If you are a Canuck chick who tweets and you are not on the above this list send me your name and I’ll add it on, it is not meant to be exclusive in any way 
Tagged: Canada, CEA, gender equity, retweet, TWEE-Q, Twitter, women
Carolyn,
I have thought about this same issue for years. I just got a twee-q of 7 and I think that gender issues do matter. We need diverse voices on Twitter instead of just hearing from a single group of educators. I love that you have brought this issue to the light and that you are celebrating Canuck chicks that tweet. Twitter is such a supportive rich learning environment and I want everyone to be involved and to have their voice heard.
Thanks for this great post!
lisa domeier de suarez
@librarymall
Hi Lisa, thanks for the comment. It seems my Twee-Q is low when I compare with other women
I find this to be such an interesting topic for many reasons and agree that our strength and collective intelligence comes from embracing diversity. I added you to the non-list list!
Thinking about the math here – if there are more tweets made by men in the first place, which I don’t know if that’s true btw, then it would be reasonable to expect that out of any one person’s retweets, there would be proportionately more that originally came from males than females. Anyway, as usual Carolyn, you’re a great thought-provoquatrice. Cut it out, I just got up – stayed up late talking to North American chicks!
Ha!! That’s the price you pay for being a Collaborator Chick
but more inspired!!
I do think there are more male Tweets, yeah that’s going to be my excuse for my sad Twee-Q, that and that secondary science and math there are more males?
As always you make me laugh with your humour and hope you are not too tired
My Twee-Q is not so hot either: 4.6. What I find interesting though is that I began tweeting due to urging from two women. I also found that in both blogging and tweeting that I (perhaps subconsciously) sought out women mentors and I am more likely to mentor other women. So perhaps just looking at retweets alone doesn’t tell the whole story?
Here are a few other female Canadian tweeters not on your list or the CEA top 50 list:
apihtawikosisan
Starleigh Grass
Jodie Reeder
Pamela Richardson
Jenny Cho
Margoflower
Thanks for making me think about this, now I’m off to retweet some Canuck Chicks!
Well we are in the below 5 group together, I have good company. After I read the CEA list last Spring I had a closer look at who I was RTing the most and did see a larger proportion of men, which is not a disaster. But since then I have become aware to look for female voices to follow and learn with/from. I just thought it would be a more balanced view of the world
I will add the above to the growing non -list.
Thanks for sharing,
c
I only think I made the list because of the maple leaf onmy cheek in my twitter picture – right? Thank you for writing this post and bringing my attention to some amazing Canuck chicks – of course I have to follow everyone now…
I would add Bonnie Stewart and Laurel Beaton off the top of my head – and will get back to you. In fact, we should make a Canuck chick list in twitter to make my life easier – and to ensure that I emphasize these amazing educators.
I am in my Ken Robinson ” Element” online and I am delighted to have you in my PLN!
Signed up for #etMooc yet?
Verena
It was no doubt the Maple Leaf
Not your exuberance and effervescence!
I am on adding your above suggestions, and yes I should turn this into a Google Doc one day soon.
I too am full of delight and look forward to a TweetUp at EduCon, can’t wait!
Signed, sealed and in to #etMooc-dom,
c
Thanks for the post and the mention. Kind of amazing that aren’t more of us. Oh well guess we are trailblazers. I look forward to meeting you in person at Educon.
I found your post very interesting and something I have been wondering about. My Twee-Q was 7.6 so I have a ways to go. Some of the women you listed are women I follow but I will add the others in. I am a school trustee in Victoria, A BCTF union activist and a middle school teacher in Sooke so definitely interested in education issues – more on the political side and I love to tweet because no one tells me I am too political! Most of my professional growth happens with my colleagues because I find collaboration is vital to me as I am very much a social learner. I have learned so much from articles/blogs I have accessed through twitter but I still prefer to learn in an environment where I can see eyes twinkle, hear ideas build and shape, and feel the energy flow. Warm laughter, passionate discussions, excitement, frustration, surprise – it all plays over human faces in such a marvelous way and I miss that online.
Thanks so much for you post – it was intriguing!
Hi Catherine, you should be proud of your TWEE-Q that is a solid score. I wonder if certain topics draw more male attention and others are more female followed, must be? I also wonder if gender bias in topics is situational (ie who you work with and interact with on regular basis).
Although I agree and love learning out here, there is something fundamentally magic in the human connect. It seems that both enrich and can feed the other.
Thanks for sharing,
c
I think some topics are more female followed and I do think it is partly situational. Some of the people I follow in education/politics are people I know in the physical world: teachers, board members, union, social justice and environmental activists and there does tend to be a majority of women. Our SD Board only has 2 male trustees and teaching is 70% women so it is more in the political/SJ/environmental arena where the gender ratio is sloped towards male.
I agree with what you way about the human connect enriching and feeding each other. So much to learn and think about in both spheres!