Are you on Twitter? (@paulinehedog)
If you are reading this blog post, you are likely to be on Twitter, as the link is being sent out via Twitter and also emailed to other educators who follow this blog. The extract from the CENZ16 Starter Kete below explains "what is Twitter"
"Just as many educators have readers and subscribers for their blog (as you may have), you have “followers” on Twitter. Your followers see your messages (called tweets or updates) as you tweet them, along with the chronological tweets from all those they follow.
You can also connect and communicate with your followers and those you follow via “@reply” tweets, so it is far more than just sending messages out. Many educators are now discussing concepts and ideas and their practice through Twitter.
Tip: ‘@’ is the symbol that goes in front of people’s Twitter names e.g. @ConnectEduNZ"
"Why would I join Twitter?" is a question I get asked many times and it is often difficult to explain the "why". Because the why or the purpose may be different for different people - but for me the
answer is connecting with others, sharing and gathering ideas, creating a PLN (personal learning network). I heard Kevin Honeycutt, (@kevinhoneycutt) a well-know American educator talk about the "11,000 educators" he had access to in his back pocket and that was my "aha" moment. Since then I have built up my list of people I follow, who have knowledge and ideas to share.
I have many Education "heroes", people whose books I read, who have spoken at conferences or workshops I have attended and have been privileged to meet some of them. And there are many, many innovative teachers I know who I follow on Twitter or I join in regular Twitter chats. Why wouldn't I follow them on Twitter to be connected, inspired and share great ideas?
A word of warning: "choosing your Twitter handle can be as tricky as naming your new dog, so a good idea is to keep it short and simple. If you can use your own name or part of it even better.
Take a leap of faith and try it - And in the theme of "Kiwiana" here at uLearn - "it's got to be good for you"
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