Tweeting to connect
Introducing Module 3 (Weeks 7-8)
Module 3 focuses on Twitter as a central part of your PLN. Twitter is not the only social media platform that teachers use to develop their PLN, but it is a very popular one.
Although Twitter has a bad reputation in the media as a place where mindless gossip, mudslinging and downright nasty and bullying behaviour occurs, it is possible to use Twitter positively to create a professional learning space which is challenging, supportive and highly aligned with your professional interests. The secret to drawing maximum value from your Twitter account is through careful curation of who you choose to follow. Only the tweets and retweets of these individuals will be displayed in your Twitter feed, and so by selecting those who are connecting through Twitter for professional purposes, almost all of the negative experiences possible can be avoided. Of course, Twitter is a public space, and you cannot control who will ‘like’ or respond to your Tweets. However as with all social digital technologies, modelling positive actions and respectful engagements will reduce the likelihood of interactions with those who are using the tool for less positive reactions.
Through Twitter, the capacity to connect with almost anyone, anywhere can lead to amazing and exciting learning experiences and opportunities never previously possible. This module will support new users and encourage those with previous experience to engage in creative and innovative learning opportunities through the connections created.
Plan for Module Three
Week seven
What is a Twitter Chat? (PDF Download)
Participate in Week Seven Tutorial on Collaborate Ultra
Assignment 2: Continue interacting with your PLN. Make sure you are noting down your reflections, experiences, feelings and any critical incidents you have encountered. Look back to the PLN map you created at the beginning of the semester. Has your PLN grown or changed? Is this what you expected? Have there been developments in your PLN that have surprised you? Excited you? Disappointed you or stressed you out?
Engage with Creative Make #4 and share to the Padlet and maybe beyond!
Week eight
How do you connect? Parts One and Two.
There is no tutorial this week! Between 7.30-8.30pm this Monday, I will be hosting a Tweetchat (sometimes called a Twitter chat)! If this is the first Tweetchat you have participated in, make sure you have read and viewed the resources mentioned last week (linked above, and also on the Padlet below). As with all of our tutorials, participation is not mandatory of course; however, I do encourage you, if you can, to join in! This will be a very supportive space for you to step into a new experience. It will also help you to potentially gain more Twitter followers and may be a catalyst for experiences and critical incidents which you can include in your critical reflection for Assignment 2.
I will be curating the tweets using a tool called Wakelet so if you can’t be a part of the chat, you can catch up through this collection; but it won’t be as good as being there!! :). Once the Tweetchat has occured, I will post the link to the Wakelet here, so that you can easily access it for future reference and reflection.
Assignment 2: Continue interacting and developing your PLN; one of the best ways may be through the Tweetchat on Monday evening!
Engage with Creative Make #5 and share to the Padlet and maybe beyond!