Twitter
is a strange creature: vilified by some, lauded by others. My journey in
Twitter began with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. I was required to join
as part of my master’s program, but my account sat dormant for many months. Thinking
I had nothing to share, I chose to simply follow others from whom I felt I
could learn.
Fifteen
months later, I still hadn’t tweeted, and I felt it was time for me to either close
my account or bring it to life. That was January 2012, and my New Year’s
resolution was to start a blog and to use Twitter to share my posts in hopes of
connecting with others. Not knowing what to post on my blog, I took inspiration
from a technology blog I regularly read, Daring Fireball. This site uses
short commentaries along with links to news articles and websites that discuss
Apple products. The posts are short and simple, while still adding a bit of
personality and reflection. I started up a website, found a news article I
thought was interesting, and posted a commentary along with a quote and a link
to the original article. With that completed, out went my first tweet.
Not
surprisingly, I didn’t even get a single reply, but it managed to give me
confidence to tweet more. The proverbial ice was broken, and I felt free to
share more openly. Slowly, I made more connections as I learned how to use
hashtags, followed people who were tweeting on subjects I cared about, and
participated in Twitter chats. My blogging began to evolve as I started
creating my own content instead of just commenting on what others had written.
Over time, I met some of my fellow tweeters at conferences and workshops, creating
instant friendships with many of them. Eventually, tweeting became more natural
and less contrived. Most of all, I grew as a teaching professional. The act of
reflection forced me to consider, and often reconsider, what I knew or believed
to be true about language teaching, and by sharing that with others, the act became
reciprocal.
For
those of you who are where I was back in January 2012, deciding whether to join
Twitter or not, allow me to share some of my ideas about how you can use
Twitter to grow your personal learning network (PLN).
- Be yourself: One of the
things I learned from others is to allow people to see the real you. Dean
Shareski, an educator and trainer from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada created a
video “warning” others that he would be tweeting about life, work, and
everything in between. Just as in an office, school, or any other workplace, we
don’t just talk shop; we share about what is happening in our lives. Education
does not define me, even if it is something I deeply care about.
You
might not be comfortable sharing personal information online, which is
understandable, but you don’t need to share too much. Be willing to open little
windows into other areas of your life so people can connect with you on a
personal level. We all hate the major disconnect we feel when we communicate
with a large business. It might be their automated phone system, or form emails
we receive in reply. We feel connected through personal means of communication.
That’s how I feel about Twitter. The joy is in the connections, not just the
content.
- Don’t be afraid to
copy:
I’m not advocating plagiarism here, I’m simply suggesting that if you don’t
know how to tweet or blog, find someone who does and then emulate their
techniques or style until you create your own. That is what I did with my
blogging, eventually creating my own writing style. It is also what I did with
my tweets. I found people who were more experienced on Twitter and I watched
how they interacted with others and worked within the confines of this medium.
- Join in: For me, the most
rewarding aspect of Twitter is making connections with people from around the
world. I experience this the most during conference live-tweets and twitter
chats. When I first started live-tweeting at conferences, I was amazed at how
well this tool allows people from around the world to join in with those who are
physically attending the conference. It enhances my own experience at the
conference by forcing me to condense what I am learning into manageable,
bite-sized pieces. On top of that, it gives me the opportunity to take part in
other sessions I am unable to attend.
I
also love participating in Twitter chats. These are scheduled times when people
tweet using a single hashtag, such as #LINCchat. People share ideas, links,
problems, and questions on a single topic. These live, online discussions are
also a time to find like-minded people to follow. You can go back over the
tweets by searching the hashtag, even if you were unable to attend during the
live chat.
Twitter
is not magic, nor will it make you into a better teacher. What it will do is
give you a voice and connections to those whom you would normally never have
the opportunity to meet. It is a venue in which the conversation can happen.
What you do in that space is entirely up to you.
Nathan Hall is an instructional resource
coordinator for LISTN, an instructor for Douglas College, and a community
coordinator for Tutela. He is an active member of the BC TEAL board, and he was
selected to present a “Best of Affiliates” session at the TESOL 2015
International Convention. You can follow Nathan on twitter @nathanghall.
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