Over the last few weeks I have gotten a glimpse into what it is like to use Twitter as an educational tool. So far, I have found many aspects of the tool that I really enjoy, and some that I could take, or leave.
An element of twitter that I really enjoy is how accessible it makes you to other people within your field. Being a global learner, and a global educator, requires being able to connect to other people around the world. Twitter allows for individuals to do this almost effortlessly. When you tweet, you add a relevant hashtag, such as #GEN2108, to your tweets and then anyone who accesses that hashtag is capable of locating your tweet. This is particularly beneficial for our class because we are able to filter down to only tweets from our classmates. However, this is also very beneficial when you want to connect with someone within a particular niche within your field.
Second, twitter allows for almost instant connection to others. While they might not answer right away, when you see a tweet that you like from another person on twitter, you have direct access to respond to their tweet or direct message them.
Personally, I experienced this with a professional I follow on twitter: Pam Hubler (@specialtechie). I wrote a previous blog on the appropriate way to incorporate social media, as a teacher, into the classroom. After I posted the blog, I was scrolling through my feed on my professional twitter, and I came across the best example of appropriate teacher social media behavior through Pam Hubler’s account. I reached out to thank her for her behavior, and the example she set, and within minutes I had a response from her. We were able to have a beneficial discourse because of the accessibility of Twitter. I have attached that conversation below!
I think that appropriate social media use, as a teacher, is one of the most significant things I have learned so far through the use of Twitter as an educational platform. I think this is such an important topic for us to address it is such a huge aspect of our culture. Even when something doesn’t seem like a bad thing to do on social media, it could still be considered inappropriate to someone, and that is why there is a need for a clear cut understanding of what is appropriate on social media.
Finally, one aspect that I think people need to be cognizant of, when posting on Twitter, is just how accessible they are to the rest of the world. While the entire point of social media platforms is to connect the world, users need to be aware that what their posting is viewable to everyone else. This means that your posts can be taken however the reader interprets them, regardless of if that is what you intended or not.
In order to avoid conflict, twitter users need to be respectful of everyone they interact with. Individuals also need to be aware of the differences that could exist between users. Twitter connects people from all over the world which means that there is a need to for cultural acceptance, and understanding, from all users.
Hi Amanda,
It’s great to read about the introduction of technology early in a child’s development. You will not find a stronger proponent than I. The use of technology does offer yet another way of learning other than just lecture. I am a very visual learner and soak up new information very well so long as there’s a visual aspect to it. I believe this is the same for many people. Ipads offer the benefit of learning technology that is relevant today and can be applied to mobile phones. Furthermore, it can also be used to prepare children on how to become proper global citizens. Thanks for the read!