Skip to main content

Using Twitter for Professional Development


Twitter is a tool that I've never really been interested in nor knew how to use properly. I created an account years ago when it became popular but I saw it as just posting statuses that I could do on Facebook so I didn't really get the point. I tried following hashtags and accounts I thought I'd be interested in, but I became too overwhelmed with my crowded feed. 

Learning that we'd be using Twitter for this class seemed like it would be frustrating for me but I decided to give it a go. I created a new Twitter account and did some research about how to use Twitter for professional development. When it comes to creating new professional opportunities, making connections is one of the most important steps to take. Social media is an excellent way to do this and I now understand how Twitter can play a role in professional development. Twitter allows you to connect with like-minded fellow professionals in your field and find solutions to problems. Often times, online contacts can become friends who can share relevant information as well. If you follow relevant Twitter handles, you can keep up with the online professional development opportunities that they organize such as webinars or conferences. Twitter seems to have a lot to offer in terms of professional development and I'm excited to give it a try again.

Comments

  1. JFoxxMay 13, 2020 at 10:32 AM

    Twitter is great for professional development and networking with other professionals in your field! I struggle with wanting to follow too much on Twitter and I find that I need to keep separate profiles. One for "fun"- I can follow politics, sports, hobbies and one for "work" I follow several education websites and school districts, other AP Psychology teachers, etc. My biggest complaint is having to keep two separate profiles is annoying but I cannot find a better way to make sure I have the updates I want on my feed, and make sure I am not tweeting anything political to other teachers or students lol!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LeahMay 13, 2020 at 1:44 PM

      I have a couple different profiles for some other social media platforms and find it difficult to keep them straight as well. Luckily for me, I don't currently use Twitter personally so I'll be able to explore it solely from an educational standpoint to see its full potential.

      Delete
  2. CourtneyMay 14, 2020 at 1:23 PM

    Leah, you have provided a very insightful outlook on using Twitter as professional development. I agree that social media is a great way to create networks, as well as understand what is occurring within different industries. It has the ability to keep you in the "know". This can certainly help. I am excited to use this platform for this class in a professional manner, rather than using it for personal. I think it has it's value for professional development. Excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LeahMay 18, 2020 at 7:40 AM

      Thank you! It will certainly be interesting to look at Twitter from a professional standpoint rather than tweeting out political posts and tweeting at celebrities.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Role of Social Media During a Pandemic

In the face of COVID-19, social media has been a great way for people and communities to stay connected even while physically separated. Just imagine if this pandemic happened 15 years ago. Where would we have been with remote working and schooling from home?  Social media plays a big role in keeping people updated on current events about the pandemic. We have realtime information right at our fingertips in the face of a worldwide event. This information can help keep us safe and provide us with a better understanding of what is happening and how it may impact us. Of course, we have to be careful of spreading false information or getting information from places other than trusted sources. Until a month ago, most of us haven't heard of the term "social distancing" but now it is becoming the main term used in posts across multiple social media platforms. It has influenced the way we respond to others and how we have prepared for the pandemic. Another term I have heard is ...
8 comments
Read more

Edmodo

I've heard of Edmodo before and knew it was like an education-focused social media platform, but I've never put it to use. I decided to do some more research on the tool to determine how it could be used in the classroom. Here is what I found. Teachers Edmodo users can manage their classes and consolidate all their activities in one place. Teachers also have unlimited options in terms of sharing digital content. They can embed videos, create learning groups, and manage calendar events. Edmodo also offers numerous organizational features for teachers and they can even print out rosters for substitutes. Some other ways Edmodo can be used in the classroom are: 1. Assessments Utilize the Edmodo quiz builder or poll feature to assess students learning. 2. Peer Reviews and Critiques Place students in small groups and have them post their work to their group for peer review and feedback. 4. Writing Projects Students can share their writing projects with each other in Edmodo. 5. Langua...
1 comment
Read more

Teens and Informal Learning through Social Media

I just finished reading the article Teens and Social Media: A Case Study of High School Students’ Informal Learning Practices and Trajectories by Bagdy, L.M., Dennen, V. P., Rutledge, S. A., Rowlett, J. T., Burnick, S., & Joyce, S. and learned that high school students can participate in informal learning practices through social media. Many parents or adults in general look at teens using their phones and think they're just socializing with their friends or participating in something negative. However, this article informs us that teens can be using social media for career/future planning, entrepreneurship, and hobbies.  The paper focuses on five high school students who use social media for things such as learning about future universities they may attend, sports they've invested their time in, career paths they're interested in, and hobbies they enjoy. Two students even used social media in an entrepreneurial manner by reselling items or selling items they've cr...
2 comments
Read more