A fascinating vision for teaching a Chinese history class. An engaging video, reminiscent of "Did You Know," that explores the future of the Internet. An article I might have missed about the learning curve for search engines.
You say, "Great resources, Brock! You're probably the best friend I've ever had and you make excellent bean dip."
I say, "I am indebted to cburell, web20classroom, and tomwhitby for those resources. However, I do have a killer repertoire of bean dips."
I'm struggling to think of a gripping way to introduce the fact that I just listed people I am following on Twitter and that they are responsible for introducing me to those resources.
Actually, that statement establishes my point well enough. Now let me explain what my recent experiences with Twitter have led me to conclude: anyone with a connection to the Internet and the drive to become a truly great eduator needs to be on Twitter.
Actually, that statement establishes my point well enough. Now let me explain what my recent experiences with Twitter have led me to conclude: anyone with a connection to the Internet and the drive to become a truly great eduator needs to be on Twitter.
Last summer, I was consumed with the idea of how I could use social networking in my classroom. I decided to experiment with Twitter and see what utility it might have for my future students. It was a grand experiment. And it lasted about two days.
I did not touch that Twitter account until November when I attended the Michigan State University College of Education Technology Conference which is focused on K-12 technology in the classroom and in online environments. I was introduced to the idea of using Twitter at conferences and the experiment began again. Once more, it lasted about two days.
In recent weeks, I have recognized that if I want to establish myself as a professional then I need/want to establish a blog. Thus the experiment you see unfolding before you. I came to this conclusion after discovering many excellent blogs at the MSU tech conference and on my own time. I wanted to join this community of educator learners. And as I lurked on these blogs I quickly noticed that they each had some kind of connection to Twitter.
I won't describe every painstaking detail of my learning curve once I decided to jump into the waters in which the fail whale swims but I will reiterate my point (after wasting so much of your time getting to this point): anyone with a connection to the Internet and the drive to be a truly great educator needs to be on Twitter.
The resources I have discovered so far are overwhelming. The network I am beginning to establish can only benefit my own education and that of my students in turn. The potential for meaningful discourse that is, unfortunately, not always present in a school or district is phenomenal.
Check me out. This seems like the simplest but most effective way to get you on Twitter and started on your own path of discovery. I'm still establishing myself so it would be prudent for you to explore my "Following" page as that is where the real fun begins.
Want to learn how to use Twitter? I'm certainly not an expert yet so I recommend that you start with Common Craft for the basics. I started by watching that video last summer and with some experimentation on my roommate's own aborted attempt at Twitter. TEDChris: the untweetable also has a great post on how to better your experience.
If you're looking to expand your network and develop a professional web presence then I would check out the list of resources posted at the Free Technology for Teachers blog. I started with some of the wikis, lists, and documents he cited and then started adding to my "Following" list based on streams that I thought resonated with my goals.
Worth noting that each of the resources I listed above have Twitter accounts as well.
I'll admit that this is intimidating. I still catch myself questioning why any of the minds I'm following are adding me to their own lists. The high volume of resources and ideas being exchanged makes me wonder if I can contribute anything meaningful or new. But I still need to get involved in this social media even if I'm not going to become a member of the Twitterati or match the contributions of who I'm following.
Perhaps I should condense one of my bean dip recipes into 140 characters or less.
Great post (and not because it mentions a certain geek in Singapore), seriously.
ReplyDeleteSeems a lot of people -- me included -- have your experience of Twitter: start an account, go "wtf?", the "meh," then drop it, then rediscover it months later and change "meh" to "om-freakin-'g." (Purists note, I'm at home in Standard Academic Discourse, Shakespeare, and can compose in iambic pentameter, but love to play with language too.)
Twitter can be that amazing and revolutionary.
Seems like you've been deep as that whale for a relatively short time. I predict sometimes you'll not only want to surface, but to beach and dry out for weeks at a time or more. I know I go through those cycles, and don't think it's bad, since it's similar to a research-reflect cycle.
Anyway, I'm going to link to this for a Twitter curmudgeon in a comment thread on my own blog who doesn't seem to have discovered what you have about the unfortunately named Twitter.
(And notice I'm not tweeting in response to this post. Twitter has its dark side too, and reducing us to verbal midgets too lazy for paragraphs is one.)
P.S. Not to be rude, but if there are other options for commenters besides the "Comment as:" method, I'd consider changing. I'm fighting simply to submit this comment.
--Clay Burell
i can totally relate.
ReplyDeletenow after maybe 6 months... i truly believe that the connections i've made on twitter... the reads they have given me daily... is more "education" than i think any degree could muster.
why? i think because i'm following people that have the same passion as me. like you said - a lot of these conversations just don't happen in my school or even in my district.
i want the same for my kids. it's an incredibly emancipating feeling. breaking out of the small pond. going after dreams...
looking back - i think i listened, lurked even, a ton at first. i'm slow... it took me quite a while to figure out what was going on and where i fit in.
now - i have my twitter mosaic on my blog site. everytime i post i get a surge of energy because i'm reminded of all the important things these great people have taught me.
Jeremy - I started my Twitter acount in January 2009, but really did not see the benefits until May or June as I started to strategically follow other educators and build my PLN.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that collaborating with my PLN, following some of their blogs through Google Reader, and connecting with many of them through e-mail or by phone are helping with my own professional growth and impacting what is happening in my school.
I hope that you are able to immerse yourself and see the benefits. Best of luck!
Jeremy, I, too, started using Twitter this summer as part of my own Professional Development plan. I have been trying to convince our Curriculum Director of its benefits-- unsuccessfully, I might add. I am a 20+ year veteran Library Media Specialist and I was feeling left behind until I started using Twitter and reading blogs. Your story is more common than you realize. I look forward to your posts!
ReplyDeleteJeremy, ditto to your thoughts. I agree wholeheartedly. I also read cburell's Twitter posts, which is how I came across you. I was introduced to online professional development through a network over 10 years ago, and I have a strong desire to grow my network via Twitter, but I, like you, have picked Twitter up and put it down when I felt overwhelmed. I'm willing to jump on the bandwagon with you and discover new ideas.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I'm also wondering how Google's new Wave will affect online learning and professional development. If you're interested in that, I will send you an invitation. I need to add some friends to my Wave to be able to use it!
I have posted a new blog entry as a response to your comments. I tried just commenting but it wouldn't work. After some further experimentation, I've realized that my problems seem to stem from my use of Mozilla Firefox on my Mac. Commenting works just fine when I use Safari.
ReplyDelete