At
first I didn't get it. Now I'm hooked. I’ve been using Twitter for almost a
year. I’ve learned so much, and I have so much more to learn. I'd like to share
how and why I use Twitter by describing my experiences, examples, and opinions.
At the end of this posting, you will find links to articles and blog postings
by education professionals about Twitter.
I use
Twitter to enhance what I do as an educator by:
• Learning about educational technology
and professional development opportunities.
• Building a PLN.
• Reading news tailored to my interests.
• Using hashtags for education and
inspiration.
• Keeping up with tech trends, research,
and resources.
• Reading about other professionals’ experiences.
I've been using Twitter for almost a
year. I began using it to bookmark resources; links, articles, or tools I could
use in the classroom. My very first tweet was How Twitter is Changing
Professional Development for Educators which opened up my eyes to a whole new world.
Since my first tweet, there have been many posts about how educators are using
Twitter.
Professional Development
When I
hear "professional development," the first thoughts that come to mind
are: 1-6 hours in a room, hoping the presenter is good, hoping the content is
useful, and hoping the PD session is worth my time. Twitter puts an end to
those concerns. I choose how much time I spend. I choose the people, content,
and resources to follow. Since I choose the links/articles to read, I know the information
is worth my time; if it's not I move on to other information.
When I
attend a PD conference, I can pick and choose sessions that will help me improve
instruction and learning in the classroom. Some sessions are winners; some are
losers. The conference website posts
links to most presentations and presenter’s links. Twitter allows me to share
this information with my followers. I tweet links I can refer back to. I follow
presenters; the presenters Tweet their presentations, new information, other
useful links. Through Twitter, I find other conferences throughout the nation
and the world. Even though I may not be able to physically attend, I can find
links to useful resources and presentations from those conferences.
Twitter
often provides quick blips of information. l prefer lists (top 5, top 10, 25
ways, 100 links....etc). I like bullets so I can quickly find relevant
information. When I find information to be useful to my situation I will dive
deeper and spend more time studying. I try to make efficient use of my time by
finding and applying information as necessary.
Building my PLN
I
didn't know what a PLN was until I joined Twitter. Now I understand networking
for professional purposes, I view it as an integral part of my profession.
Yes,
Twitter does seem a lot like it’s about “I.” I choose who to follow; mostly
ed-tech professionals and other educators with similar interests and
objectives. I choose the resources I get to view. In return, others follow me
if they’re interested in what I have to say. Through this process, I have a lot
of information at my fingertips. I choose how long I study the information.
With this in mind, all educators can learn a lot from each other from sharing
info and resources.
One of
my favorite blog/tweets of all time is by Jason Markey @jmarkeyap The Principal Dropout: Why I
stopped pursuing my PhD in Favor of my PLN. I get it. I totally agree. I can
honestly say this blog and post changed my view regarding learning and applying
new information; this helped me confirm my thoughts about using your strengths
and resources to apply relevant information in your life.
One thing
that bothers me about research, which I learned from writing my Master's
thesis, is that it is such a long process to research and write one scholarly
paper. By the time the committee approves this process (years later) the
research is old. Should the committee and other experts deem it worthwhile, it
may get published. When it gets published, people can find it either through
their academic library membership, or by paying. This process takes years. To
me this doesn’t make sense. Compare this to reading a recent blog post
from an expert in the field, willing to share it knowing that somebody may find
it useful in significantly less time. Twitter allows sharing of crowd-sourced blogs
and resources in real-time. Technology trends move at such a rapid rate, it
would be ridiculous to wait even 1 year to research, write, and publish a
technology article that would be outdated by the time that process was complete.
I'm
very pleased with my PLN. It allows me to have useful resources at my
fingertips. My PLN keeps me informed. I don't see it as an obligation. I view it
as a relaxing activity in an online environment to learn and study relevant information.
News of Interest
I stopped watching the news a few years back. Waking up listening
about murder, hearing expert opinions on hypothetical scenarios, political
debates, government corruption…etc, is not a very motivating way to start your
day. Over the years, I’ve also come to realize that the only news you see on TV
is the news that the media wants you to see. On Twitter, I tailor the news to
the type of news I want to hear about. If there is a news story important
enough to know, either the people I follow will Tweet about it or people I work
with in the physical world will tell me about it. If I want to know more about
this, I will type in a hashtag, and receive real-time updates, photos, and
opinions from people experiencing the event.
One example of this is Hurricane Sandy on the east coast. I was on
Twitter, and people involved in the storm on the east coast were taking
pictures and posting them on Twitter. These photos would get retweeted. I was
watching actual photos of the storm as it was happening. To be clear, it’s not
my intent to glamourize a catastrophic event; the goal here is to compare
Twitter to mainstream media news. As I was on Twitter, I thought maybe I should
watch the news. I turned on the news, and they were covering the hurricane too;
only it was quite different. It was a reporter standing in the rain, far from
the actual disaster, answering questions and giving opinions of hypothetical
scenarios of the damage the storm may cause, for example the type of damage
salt water may do to the NY subway. My point is, I learned more about the
effects of the storm from tweeted camera images and Youtube videos a lot sooner
than I did from watching the mainstream news channel.
Educational Hashtags
It took me a while to undestand what a hashtag is and how to use it. I
think the hashtag is one of the best inventions ever. I search the hashtags
#inspiration #motivation and #leadership to find inspirational quotes, stories
and resources. Experts in this field post inspirational quotes or have links to
list on how to self-motivate or improve leadership skills.
One of my favorite motivational quotes posted via @lifehackorg is
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” Powerful quotes like this first
thing in the morning or just before I go to bed can make a huge difference in
the way I feel about myself. I re-tweet the same advice to my followers in
hopes this brightens up their day too. Many times I share it with my students
as necessary and it seems to make a huge positive difference.
Lately,
I’ve been participating in education chats through hashtags with other
educators and professionals. These moderated chats generally take place once a
week for about an hour, then are archived. #globalchat on Saturday morning is
interesting as it allows one to see expert viewpoints on global education. I
enjoy #1stchat to hear about 1st grade parents and teachers points
of view so I can have a better perspective of my daughter’s education. Recently
I participated in my first full #1to1echat moderated by @leydenasci discussing
1:1 topics. It was an excellent discussion that offered many insights indo
curriculum and instruction by many experts. Often times, well-known online
educational technology experts will make guest appearances in these chats to
offer their advice or resources.
Tech Trends and Research
Twitter helps me quickly learn the new technology trends about
technology, education, and social media. This information is crowd-sourced from
technology companies, research experts, and professionals in the fields.
What do I do with this information?
I look at the tech trends, and I see if I’m familiar with the trend. If I’m
not, I research further and see if I should get involved in the trend: I see if
it will enhance anything I do, see if it will assist in increasing efficiency
of reaching my goals, or just to see if I’m already a part of the trend.
It’s always good to be familiar with
the latest research. The sooner I find out the research the better, so I can
share it with others that would be interested or begin applying it myself in
the classroom and to improve my quality of life.
In addition to trends and research,
many other teachers with a passion for technology know and share excellent
resources, links with endless materials, lessons, ideas, interactive websites,
educational apps and so much more. I try to organize these resources in an easy
to find manner. This way, when my colleagues or I need ideas or resources to
enhance a particular lesson, I can find them easily, share, and assist them in
enhancing their lessons. One of my favorite examples of an online resources http://cybraryman.com/0_teachers1.htm
created by Jerry Blumengarten @cybraryman1 categorizes many resources by
teacher tool, class and grade, or subject/content area. Another one of my
favorites is http://www.schrockguide.net
by Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock lists educational resources by category. Not
only do these ed-tech experts provide you with resources; if you ask them a
question, they’re pretty good about getting back to you right away with a great
response or resource. This makes Twitter even more awesome!
Learn and Share Experiences
Some teachers are better writers than others. The really good writers
(combined with being good teachers) enjoy writing and blogging about their
experiences. It’s good to read about their experiences, successes and
challenges in the classroom, because I can relate to this experience;
especially if its either math, special ed, or ed-tech related. One of my
favorite education bloggers is @pernilleripp because I can relate to her views
and postings, and in my opinion she models appropriate digital citizenship behavior by blogging and
responding to comments. Recently, she posted an interesting
blog about un-following Twitter followers.
At first I thought blogging was weird…why would I want to hear about
some else’s experience. Then I realized if I find bloggers I can relate to, I
follow them and learn a lot! It’s like hearing about your colleagues experience
in their classrooms, except this is a similar classroom in another part of the
world. These teachers have the same objectives and goals and mind as I do:
providing the best possible experience for the students to enhance the overall
teaching/learning/exploring experience. So when I read about other’s
experiences, I get an understanding of things I’m already doing well, other
things I could be doing to improve my lesson, knowing that others face similar
struggles as I do, or even anticipate struggles they’re already experienced in
their classrooms.
The experience through Twitter has led me to a greater appreciation for other’s blogs, as well as starting my own. I knowingly admit my blogs are nowhere near as good as people who do write for a living or have been blogging for a long time; but I do feel I have some really good ideas. I have found that writing about my ideas and thoughts helps me think about my experiences and helps me gain understanding of said topics. It’s a bit therapeutic. Also, other people may benefit from reading my thoughts. The way I see it, if my blog or thoughts change one person’s life, I’ve made a positive difference.
Final Thoughts
There are
other ways to use Twitter as well as including in the classroom and for
entertainment purposes. Everybody uses Twitter differently, and for different
reasons. Upon seeing Twitter for the first time, regardless of the context or
purpose, it seems as people just put their thoughts and opinions out there for
whatever situation. Should one look a little closer, and surround themselves
with professionals, there is a world of creating and sharing the best
crowd-sourced education resources.
Thank
you for reading. Comments are welcome. Below is a list of Twitter articles,
links, and blogs I’ve gathered relating to Twitter.
Links & Resources
Twitter for Educators (Professional
Development)
How
Twitter is Reinventing Collaboration Among Educators
How
Twitter is Changing Professional Development for Educators
Teachers
Use Twitter As Their Preferred CPD Tool by MentorMob
Blog
post: Using Twitter as a Professional Development Tool
25
Ways to Use Twitter to Improve your Professional Development
25
Twitter Tips for your Professional Development
Can
Twitter Replace Professional Development
Using
Twitter as a Professional Development Tool
http://learningcircuits.blogspot.com/2012/03/using-twitter-as-professional.html#.UF588DB5MRI.twitter
Twitter for PLNs
PLN
Challenge: Using Twitter To Build Your PLN
Building
and Maintaining an Online PLC
Why
and How You Should Create a Personal Learning Network
Rebuilding
a PLN "Twitter is What Twitter Does"
1133
Educational Leaders to Kickstart Your Twitter Feed
Twitter, Social Media Guidelines and
Suggestions
30
Twitter Community Management Tips
12
Most Must Have Habitudes for Social Media Success
Teacher's
Smart Guide to Social Media
Social
Media Lessons for High School Students (video)
On
Social Media and the Power of Real World Serendipity
Social
Media: Guidelines for Administrators
Will
it Take Another Suicide Before Parents Start Talking To Their Teens About
Twitter
Educational Chats & Hashtags
Cybraryman's
Educational Hashtags Website
The
2012 A-Z List of Educational Twitter Hashtags
Sneak
Preview: The Must Have Guide to Educational Hashtags
50
Great Twitter Chats in Academia
Twitter in Education and the Classroom
Educators
Finding Time NOT to Tweet
Tweeting
for Schools
How
Twitter Can Be Used as a Powerful Educational Tool
100
Ways To Use Twitter in Education by Degree of Difficulty
50
Things for Teachers to do on Twitter
It's
Official: Twitter Makes Students More Engaged
“Using Twitter Makes Students More Engaged” (study)
50
Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
An
Educator's Guide to Twitter
Is
This a Problem? Twitter in the Classroom.
Everything else Twitter
26
Twitter Tips for Enhancing your Tweets
Why is
Twitter so Powerful?
How
Twitter Changed Everything
The 6
Type of Twitter Trolls
Buy
and Sell Tweets
We
Need Legally Protected Tweets
Twagiarism:
Does a Copyright Protect a Tweet?
45
Simple Twitter Tips Everyone Should Know About
How Do
You Cite a Tweet In an Academic Paper
Fake
Outrage on Twitter: Being Tricked into Retweeting People Manipulating You
