My first reaction from the outside of the Twitter world was
that it was like many other social media sites, but I was wrong after reading
more about it. I think the usernames, followers, mentions, Twitter clients, and
hashtags make the system far more complicated than I first assumed. I find it
somewhat strange that Twitter promotes quick concise information, but there are
extra steps people must take to shorten URLs to make sure they have enough room
to write about the URL they are sharing (Solomon & Schrum, 2010, p. 34).
Twitter clients seem like content aggregators to me, so I was curious of the
reason why people using Twitter do not like to use the actual Twitter site on
their computer. I had two worries when beginning the Twitter journey: 1.) Who
to follow and 2.) What to “Tweet” about. First, the Twitter4Teachers wiki was
very helpful to help find other educators interested in similar technologies (I
was incredible impressed when I found out this wiki was created by Gina
Hartman!). Also, I found this directory for educators on Twitter. Secondly, I am still having trouble thinking
of something relevant and interesting to tweet on Twitter. I thought the best
way to know what to tweet was to think about which groups you would like to be
a part of or follow. I found a website that lists popular educational Twittergroups to help me decide what to tweet and when.
I hope to use Twitter to reflect what is happening in our classroom in the
future. Students could even be in charge of Tweeting each week instead of the teacher. There are many possibilities for Twitter in an elementary school classroom!
Kristen,
ReplyDeleteI posted an interview with the CEO of Twitter on my blog. He commented that 40% of Twitter users just follow people and never post anything themselves. I kinda fall under that category. My coordinator, who I follow, is always tweeting educational resources. I find it a great way to stay current. I also use Twitter to keep track of new book releases from publishers.
I agree it does get a little complicated. I thought the Tweetdeck feature was a great way to keep everything in order. I have found once you start following major resources you can easily start finding new connections.
I am sincerely glad for the Twitter Clients after learning more about the chats that take place!
DeleteSo much of all these new tools is simply getting used to them. Once you decide how you want to use Twitter, whether it be to follow, retweet, or create original tweets you will begin to find it a big part of your digital life. It is like getting used to your DVR, as opposed to simply viewing regular television. At first you think you don't really need to do all those fancy things, then after a while you can't see not using those "fancy things"
ReplyDeleteThe more I learn about these :fancy things", the more I like the idea and use of them!
DeleteThank you for the resources you have provided. I have always felt confident when it came to technology however; Twitter is a new avenue for me. So, needless to say I’m a little hesitant to Twitter and TwitterDeck. The information you provided was extremely helpful for a newbie. I had the same thought about what I’m I going to Tweet. The article that you posted gave me a place to start. I’m glad that I have other peers that are new to Twitter. I felt that I was in a very small minority of “non-Tweeters”. I’ve discovered this great site for Twitter newbies. Cybrary Man’s Educational Web Sites is a one stop informational overload for Twitter educators. I went to the column labeled “New to Twitter-Sites to Help You”. This site was very beneficial and the videos were helpful. So, dive in and happy Tweeting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the site as I will be referring to these often in the next few weeks!
DeleteThe Twitter client you are using should shorten the URL automatically for you. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the Twitter4Teachers wiki was helpful. I've been on Twitter for many years and I struggled with finding other educators on Twitter when I first joined, so I decided to create the wiki to help others.
Do you get any email newsletters? When I find interesting articles in my email newsletters then I tweet that info. You can also tweet about good blog posts that you read from your Feedly account.
Tweeting information I read in a newsletter already coming my way makes complete since - share the wealth of knowledge! I am in the stage where I feel like I have nothing valuable to offer, but if I am passing along others' brilliant thoughts at first, then I have somewhere to start!
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