If you would have asked me 6 weeks ago what my Twitter handle was I would have laughed and told you I don’t have one! For years, my husband has told me how it’s great because it’s people you can follow who post what you are interested in. Again, I was not budging. That all changed when I opened my Week 1 assignments in my Global Learning class!
As I said, I did not have a personal of professional Twitter before my Global Learning class. Imagine my surprise when creating a Twitter was in my first week of assignments. As someone who is in their 20’s(late) this really shouldn’t be hard for me, right? No! I always say I was born in the wrong decade! I had no clue about Twitter and I was confident it was not going to be a significant part of my learning process.
A Literal Conversation With Myself
I sat for about an hour trying to decide what my Twitter handle should be. I just wanted to use my name, but with a name like Ashley Nelson, you can bet it was taken. Okay, I figured out a handle that isn’t used with my name switched around. No big deal, next part. A picture of myself? I haven’t taken a “selfie” since my kids were born. Okay, I can crop around this picture it’s recent-ish. Post my first ever blog? What if no one likes it? What if no one understands what I am trying to say? Wait, a comment with someone agreeing with what I posted and even retweeting it! Okay, I got this!
Here is my take on Twitter after 6 weeks
Let’s start with the good about Twitter(this could get lengthy!). I have developed so many connections in the last 6 weeks that I would have never had in the traditional classroom setting. I talk to some classmates more frequently because I can see that we have similar ideas for our future classrooms or we like the same type of projects. I have connected with educators who have decades of experience and knowledge they are willing to share. I have researched hours of new technology that is being used in classrooms that has helped education grow leaps and bounds.
Twitter has been my go to spot to look for ideas about how I can connect with my students, how I can get my students to connect with the lesson, and how I can get my students to connect with each other. I can log onto Twitter and read my fellow classmates posts to understand where they are coming from and ideas they have based on a recent assignment we had.
One of the best assignments I have done so far was joining a Twitter Chat. It was one for new teachers and the responses were great. Some teachers were starting for the first year and others had 10+ years of experience and they were there simply to help. They didn’t have to do that, but in a field that will grow so much more with collaboration they were there.
The worst thing about Twitter so far is that it took me this long to join! There really is not much that I have found negative from a professional stand point.
I have learned so much since joining Twitter. Being able to interact with my classmates has been amazing. They are so open to communicating and giving ideas that I can’t imagine not being able to connect with them like we have. Seeing professionals who have spent many years in the profession share their dos and don’ts has opened my eyes to things I probably would have learned the hard way. I can honestly say Twitter will play a part in my career and I hope my classmates chose to keep it in theirs so we can collaborate long after our class!
Ashley-
I wanted to first point out that you are not alone I was also born in the wrong decade; my family and friends tell me that all the time. The section about how you had a personal, “literal,” conversation with yourself was relate-able. I am in my late twenties too. My friends have plenty of technology experience, except for me. I have never been the ‘tech-savvy’ individual and for years envied my girlfriends and others who may have had more knowledge with working on robotic devices. You are not alone and I too second-guessed myself when first hopping on board to the Twitter Train. After a few weeks of navigating and exploring Twitter’s features, I have found and felt many similar experiences you have. If there are any other tools used for your course, or other new experiences using technology platforms to help improve your studying for courses, your teaching skills, or your tech skills I would love to hear what may work for you.
Enjoy your day and continue writing because sharing experiences definitely helps me learn better, safer, and stronger. Talk soon, I will be looking forward to your future posts!
-Cori
I would definitely agree with your point that if someone even asked me a general question about twitter I would be lost. I never used twitter until we started our assignments for class. After a couple weeks I notice how much twitter can be useful in education and used for information in your field. It was great reading your experience with twitter and will definitely read your blog in the future.
Ashley-
I felt the same way. Before this class if you were to ask me if i had a Twitter my answer would be no and I never will. I use facebook and post pictures of my kids but I don’t like sharing my every thought. While using twitter i realized it is much more than just posting your thoughts. It’s about connecting with different people and sharing ideas. My plan is not to be a teacher but for all those who are going to be teacher this is a great tool for them to use. I would recommend anyone who is an education major to create a twitter!
-Taryn