thoughts on twitter.

I am new to Twitter.  In fact, the only reason I signed up for an account is because of the requirement for the graduate class I am taking on technology.  Up until recently I did not see the point, as I do not have a smart phone and can't post witty, strange, interesting, spontaneous thoughts as they pop into my head.  Also, I felt as if I waste enough time reading through status updates on Facebook.  After reading the TeachPaperless post, Twimpact: Twitter's impact on my week, I must admit the introduction which states, "They say it’s just a way for people attracted to the Me Generation ethos to transmit their self-centered Facebook musings to a wider audience" could not have more accurately summed up my sentiments toward Twitter.

Since I have joined the Twitter community and read-up on the topic, I am becoming more open to the possibilities and opportunities that micro-blogging can present.  On a more global scale, the article How Twitter will revolutionise academic research and teaching says, "For higher education, social media is part of a process of democratisation. Its effective use can lead to an ethical shift towards active efforts for engaging new audiences and widening participation beyond the Ivory Tower's walls".  These implications are HUGE.  The democratization of information production, distribution, access, publication, ownership, etc. challenges the perception of knowledge.  I could not help but relate this quote to the theory of Connectivism, which I mentioned in a previous post.  We are all engaging in this construction, re-construction, and deconstruction of knowledge by commenting, posting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc.

If you continue reading Twimpact: Twitter's impact on my week, you find that benefits of using Twitter from a teacher's perspective are really incredible.  With tight resources and funds, this teacher has found a way to pursue professional development, uncover authentic classroom resources, and bring speakers to her classroom -- all for free and from her Twitter account!  Field trips are becoming obsolete as the funds are not available.  This teacher's solution, if you can't take the students to Peru, why not bring Peru to your classroom?  I had never thought this would be possible.  Not only can Twitter significantly reduce cost, it also reduces time.  By dedicating only a few minutes to Twitter a day you can browse hundreds of Tweets to find ones that will meet your needs/interests as en educator.  Twitter is like one communal education bulletin board, everyone has access to post and read.  So would you use your school's bulletin board with posters for events that have probably already occurred or are sold-out or sign-in to Twitter?

As overwhelming as hopping on my Twitter page can be, with millions of Tweets staring back at me, I would say it's worth it.  With how fast information is released, it only makes sense to join.  After investigating the benefits of Twitter, I am excited to be a member of the community.

Image from: http://eastcountymagazine.org/sites/default/files/education%20funding_5.JPG