Tweeting a Twit

It happened about six months ago. I joined Twitter. It was not done by choice. In fact, I joined twitter based on a class requirement. My professor talked about the ways in which twitter could be helpful in the classroom. I shook my head in an incognito way as I thought, "Yes, this is exactly what I want my students to be doing in class." Throughout the term, this professor had us communicate with fellow classmates regarding assignments and the status of our larger projects. For me, it was a nuisance to remember. I had to compose a tweet, (or was it a twit?) figure out someone's "handle" to t@g them in the twit, and then pay attention in case they replied to my tweet.

Don't get me wrong, I am fluent in many pieces of technology. I can jump around social media without a single problem. For some reason, Twitter stumped me. But, when that class ended, I figured I wouldn't need it anymore. It turns out that I have yet another professor who insists we tap into the unimaginable power of twitter. Oh great. So I broke out the app again and started at it. I felt foolish as I scrolled through the endless tweets and got a feeling that I was only allowed to see pieces of a larger story. I constantly felt like I was missing something. More importantly, I kept asking myself "What is the point of this?"

With a desire to maintain my 4.0, I pressed on in the land of the tweets. I began following other educators who I hoped were not twits and I also began genuinely reading a minimal amount of their posts. With time, I finally was able to see the beauty behind this strange piece of social media. It was like a light just clicked and I could finally view Twitter as a tool. Now this was not just an ordinary tool, but a plethora of educators in all walks of life who are passionate about sharing ideas. Good ideas, bad ideas, teaching ideas, technology ideas, and any other idea you can imagine. (And this is just in the 83 people I am following!)

I am sure that my understanding of twitter is still minimal in comparison to the many people who have gone and continue to go before me. The important thing is that I am truly giving this everything that I have and I can now see the value that it has in the education world. I feel as if I am no longer a "twit" when it comes to Twitter. I guarantee that I am not an expert, but then again, admitting my lack of expertise is my first step in learning.

Follow me if you'd like! @linzbaker