I am usually the first one on the block to embrace a new technology. I jump into the deep end without thinking twice. But alas, I have been slow to embrace Twitter. To be honest, for a long time, I perceived Twitter as mostly a forum for celebrities to post their every move to thousands of attentive followers who had nothing better to do with their time than read tweets by celebrities.
I finally decided to get off the shore and wade into the Twitter waters. There was no running into the deep waters. I went in with hesitation and floaties. I wanted to make sure it held value for me professionally. I gradually built up the list of those who I wanted to "follow", and began to see the knowledge in their "tweets." I began to send out an occasional tweet myself, but still felt that what I had to say was not as significant as what I was reading from others. I started gaining more confidence moving around the TwitterSphere. I found myself returning to Twitter several times a day to see what my "Leaders" (they must be leaders...because I am their follower) had to say. I excitedly clicked on their links, bookmarked what they shared, and yes, even re-tweeted !!! I think I have the hang of this thing called Twitter, and I like it. It is going to be a powerful professional development tool for me as an educator.
And, then, last month, I learned how Twitter can impact my classroom practice. I watched an online presentation by Steve Dembo (@teach42) and got some great inspiration. (Of course, one always gets great inspiration when listening to Steve Dembo.) I have now set up another Twitter account specifically for the parents of my students. Each day in the coming school year, a student will send out a tweet with a message and photo highlighting the day's learning.
I finally decided to get off the shore and wade into the Twitter waters. There was no running into the deep waters. I went in with hesitation and floaties. I wanted to make sure it held value for me professionally. I gradually built up the list of those who I wanted to "follow", and began to see the knowledge in their "tweets." I began to send out an occasional tweet myself, but still felt that what I had to say was not as significant as what I was reading from others. I started gaining more confidence moving around the TwitterSphere. I found myself returning to Twitter several times a day to see what my "Leaders" (they must be leaders...because I am their follower) had to say. I excitedly clicked on their links, bookmarked what they shared, and yes, even re-tweeted !!! I think I have the hang of this thing called Twitter, and I like it. It is going to be a powerful professional development tool for me as an educator.
And, then, last month, I learned how Twitter can impact my classroom practice. I watched an online presentation by Steve Dembo (@teach42) and got some great inspiration. (Of course, one always gets great inspiration when listening to Steve Dembo.) I have now set up another Twitter account specifically for the parents of my students. Each day in the coming school year, a student will send out a tweet with a message and photo highlighting the day's learning.