Twitter as a Professional Learning Network

What is Twitter and How Does It Work?

Twitter is a social media outlet founded in 2006 that has since then spiraled into the household name equivalent of a movie star; everybody knows about Twitter. Twitter is an online platform, where any person can stand on their soap box and say what they want to say. Twitter allows ideas, people, and companies to connect through common interests, allowing the growth of a Professional Network.Although Twitter is user-friendly, it takes time to really understand all of its capabilities. A Twitter handle can reference one's profession or any interests that they may have. For Professional Learning Network purposes, it is important to keep it uncomplicated and memorable.

There are three main components of using twitter:

Tweeting

• Tweets can only consist of 140 characters, but this isn't as limiting as it seems. Tweets can also contain links to longer articles or news stories, as well as photos or videos. Each tweet can contain tags of other users' handles using the "@" sign to tag them. The tweets can also contain hashtags, using the "#" hash sign. Each tweet can be "favorited", which implies that the user likes the tweet or that they agree with it. Favoriting tweets is a good way to keep track of tweets or articles that need to be referenced in the future. There is a "Favorited" section on each profile, so that the user (and their followers) can view all of them in one place for easy access and organization. To go ever further, the user can "Retweet" a tweet, which is to put it on one's own profile while giving credit to the original source. Also, if there is something to be said in response to the tweet, there is a "comment" option. 

Following

• To "follow" someone means to follow their tweets. This way, they end up on the home feed. Following is very important in building a Professional Learning Network, because once the user follows a few prominent accounts, one will find more accounts through the retweets of other users. Also, the user can go into the "following" section of other users to find potential accounts that may be beneficial to follow. 

Hashtags

• Hashtags are, in my opinion, the most useful component of Twitter. These tags are topics or buzzwords that can be added or highlighted in a tweet. Hashtags are hyperlinked so that when they're clicked on, the site is directed to all of the tweets that contain the same hashtag. These tags fuel political uprisings, follow pop culture stories, and help people connect through common interests. The third option is the most used and most beneficial to creating a Professional Learning Network, allowing users in the educational sector to connect on things like #STEM or #elemedchat.

My Experience

The first time I got a Twitter account was at the beginning of the semester, when I saw that Twitter was on the syllabus for the Technology for Teachers course. My original handle (another term for username, apparently) was "elizabethdbee". My name is Elizabeth Daly Burns, and this was the closest I could come in relevance. I knew that I would eventually think of something more clever, so I left it. My Cover Photo and Profile Picture for my account are both very appropriate, which I knew was important.  Sarah Caron, EducationWorld Associate Editor, mentions the significance of this in her article "Using Twitter for Professional Development".  The section is labeled,Tweet like your mama and principal are watching.  This is true of  everything on the account.  My personal profile is in Spanish, mostly because this helps me with practice and immersion.

I began by following news sources, close friends, and a few accounts that coincide with my social beliefs. After these, I began my search for eduction and Spanish-based accounts. 

I am studying for my K-12 Licensure in Spanish Education, so many of the elementary and STEM tweets and accounts aren't as relevant to my Professional Learning Community. It is a slow process trying to build my PLN through who I follow, and is definitely ongoing. I am constantly searching the internet for suggestions on who to follow for content based in education, but more specifically in Spanish Education or in education when dealing with behavioral issues or exceptionalities.

My Twitter profile can be found here, please feel free to follow me and take a look!

How Do the Pros Use It? 

Kathleen Morris sums up her use of Twitter in saying, "I find Twitter to be like a virtual staffroom where I can catch up with my PLN. It is a place where I can find advice, give advice, find great links, share my work and engage in general musings about education." She, and other prevalent educator-tweeters use the social media platform to collaborate and learn from one another. 

I recently changed my Twitter handle to "ElizabethEnVivo" because I felt it was more relevant to the kinds of followers I'm trying to attract, and is more appropriate/mature if students ever want to see my account. @RealDealSpanish is an account linked to a website that offers Spanish lessons and offers insight into hispanic culture that recently started following me. Kathleen Morris is a veteran teacher and a famous tweeter in the Education sector. She says it best when it comes to what we have to offer one another as teachers:

"Effective teaching and learning doesn’t occur in a vacuum. To be the best teacher you can be, you need a diverse and innovative network. Traditionally, the staff at your school was your only network of teachers to collaborate with. This network may not be diverse or innovative. With Twitter, the barriers of distance and access are broken down and the world is at your fingertips!"

Alec Couros talks about idea collision and a new found definition of knowledge thanks to Twitter. "The more parts that you put out on the table, that you make available to other people, you see these new innovations. These things that were partial hunches, are all of a sudden much bigger that we could've ever dreamed of".

References:

Caron, S. (2013). Using Twitter for professional development.  Retrieved 
from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/using-twitter-for-professional-
development.shtml 

Morris, K. (2014). Step 2: Using Twitter to build your PLN. Retrieved 
from http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org 

[Teaching and Learning in South Australia].  (September 10, 2013). Using Twitter 
effectively in education - with Alec Couros [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqSCR3HU4eg#action=share

[Twitter Bird Graphic].  Retrieved December 10, 2014, from www.about.twitter.com