Could Twitter be the ultimate PLN?


First, let me start this post with a moment of honesty. 

 I did not want to start a Twitter account. 

 In fact, I've felt a sense of pride for avoiding one all these years. I have my Facebook and Instagram, but I've always considered Twitter to be the preferred social media platform of celebrities and teenagers.  But, hold your breath for this announcement….

 I was wrong. 

 In fact, I was dead wrong. I've only been on Twitter for a short time, but I can already see that I vastly underestimated it's value. In fact, I believe Twitter may be the ultimate PLN, and here's why:

 It's more than just Twitter.
Twitter does limit posts to 140 characters, which can be a challenge. But, of course, you can link to websites, blogs, or other media, which essentially makes your posting ability limitless. Within Twitter, you can actually easily search for and access several different aspects of your PLN. 

 Hashtags- the ultimate searching and categorizing tool. 
Speaking of searching, #hashtags make it so easy. Remember when we used to call them pound signs? Those days may be gone, but instead the hashtag is a way to really focus your Twitter search, or if you're tweeting, to easily designate the content of your tweet. There are tons of hashtags for eduction, HRD, and professional development. Here are some of my faves:
#edtech #edchat #HRD #leaders #education #elearning #adultlearning #emotionalintelligence

You can access like-mind people across the country…and the world.
In some of our professions, mine included, there are only a limited number of like-minded, similar-industry professionals in our local area. Not mention, these professionals may likely be our competitors, so sharing information may not be an option. But with Twitter, we can connect and share information with like-mind professionals in any area of the country, and in many cases, all over the world. By connecting with professionals in other areas of the country, we may be able to uncover professional strategies, tools, and ideas that haven't made it to our local area yet. In this way, we can actually be on the cutting edge of developments in HRD, training, and tech. 

 For more tech, training, and HRD, follow me on Twitter @KaylaS8675309 -- see you there!




Comments

  1. Elizabeth TolerFebruary 16, 2017 at 2:11 PM

    Kayla, I have been very surprised by twitter as well! The original post is hard with the limit of 140 characters, but your right that you can attach your longer message if needed. I have been amazed by all of the useful information I have found without spending a lot of time. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kaitlin LewisFebruary 18, 2017 at 1:10 PM

    Kayla,
    I have been in the same boat as you. I have never wanted a twitter account. I have avoided it at all costs. When I discovered that I had to join twitter for my Instructional Tech class, I might have shed a tear. I am happy to say that I was also wrong, and I have enjoyed twitter so far. There is so much information available on twitter and it is a great way to network if you utilize it correctly; so I guess what I am trying to say is, I have officially joined the twitter band wagon.
    Thanks for your post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KaylaFebruary 19, 2017 at 7:11 PM

    Hey, guys. I was thinking more about this the last couple of days, and I think the real test will be if we keep using our Twitter accounts after the class ends. From what Dr. Robin has shared, I think we'd probably be doing ourselves a disservice if we don't keep them open (and actually use them).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Renea KelleyFebruary 24, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    Kayla, First off, thank you for the earworm! I now have 8675309 singing in my head while I type! I may end up sticking a couple random numbers in my response!

    I think I still need to up the ante on my Twitter account. I am not finding it as useful as it could be yet. I will be looking at the hashtags you mentioned to find some new stuff to add to my feed. Thank you for posting them. I do agree that Twitter is faster to use when I am scrolling through to check the newest tweets. It seems as though it takes only a few minutes whereas Facebook can drain an hour out of my day without trying!

    ReplyDelete

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