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The Good and the Bad - Mrs. Z's Twitter Review (Tech Task #8)

Photo by Nathan Dumlao
on Unsplash
I will admit that I was a "lurker" on Twitter for the last 8 weeks. I created my Twitter account only for the purpose of the requirements of my course, Internet for Educators, but after using it for those 8 weeks, I am going to continue to use it. This blog post will take you through my Twitter experience and how I intend to use it as an educator.

What is Twitter? Definition sourced from Twitter's help center

"Twitter is a service for friends, family and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People post Tweets, which may contain photos, videos, links and text. These messages are posted to your profile, sent to your followers, and are searchable on Twitter search."


My initial thoughts on Twitter

My current Twitter profile isn't my first, but it certainly is the first time I have used Twitter as part of my Personal Learning Network (PLN). Check out this blog post of mine for more info on PLNs.  I remember when Twitter was popular among my peers in middle-school and into highschool. In my earlier experience, I viewed Twitter as in a negative capacity as only drama-filled, so I deleted my account. Now that I have more knowledge about social media platforms and how to use social media effectively, I realized it wasn't the tool (Twitter) that was the problem but rather that I and my peers weren't taught how to use the tools effectively. 

In my present experience with Twitter, I view my experience with the social media tool as positive. I have learned so much about global events, acquired teaching resources and learned about new advancements in topics that interest me. That is not to say that there isn't negative content on Twitter, but rather I now know how to be conscious of what I am consuming (in a digital capacity) and who I am interacting with online. Initially, I only followed my classmates from my Internet for Educators course but as I explored twitter more, I realized there were so many accounts that could contribute to my PD. I started to follow practicing educators and company accounts that post tips on how to use their software/tools. After 8 weeks of use, I now have a virtual binder full of ideas that are continually growing. 


How to use Twitter in Education?

Photo source from Kathy Schrock

I plan on continuing to use Twitter for my own professional development as a teacher but as well as finding ways to include Twitter use in my classroom. Some ways I want to use Twitter include: 

                  • Connecting with parents
                  • Classroom transparency
                  • Student use
                  • Networking
                  • Collaborating

There are so many ways that Twitter can be used in the classroom. Check out the images to the left and below for more ideas. There are also so many ideas that pop up with a quick google search. 

Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything has a really nice collection of resources related to Twitter. Click here to check it out. 

Photo credit to @DavidSornberger


Other resources for setting up and using Twitter as a Teacher: 

Blogs: 


Videos: 





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