Twittified

After reading Will Richardson’s post “On Twitter and Balance,” I had to sit back and reflect for a second. I have been twittering for a relatively short period of time, and yet I am completely hooked. I sign it at school. I sign in at home. And my big question was why?

Gary Stager said in his preso yesterday how nothing substantial is ever gained in Twitter. Is this true?

Helen Keller’s famous quote personifies my need for Twitter at this point, “Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see the shadow.” Twitter has become the community of teachers that most don’t find in a school. A community of positive communication, true empathy at times, and a constant sounding board. And what makes it great is the idea of giving. In order for this educational community to exist there must be a certain amount of deprivatization of the classroom and personal practices. However, the current reality of the local HS situation leaves much to be desired. I wait for the day when my colleagues at the HS will be okay with exploring each others’ practices and presentations. Where dialogue is open and ideas are shared. Until then I have my twitterverse. Twitter provides an environment for system change that one cannot find in a local school on most days. It provides the climate of open-curriculum and community through which constructive dialogue, criticism and applause can be gleaned. At this point in our educational system, while trying to catch up with years of innovation, is there a thing as too much twittering – when the potential of a seamlessly small webapp could bring inherent change to a static antiquated system? I think not.

I tweet therefore I am the change I hope to bring to the system.

2 thoughts on “Twittified

  1. Susan Roustan

    Are you sure you aren’t twitterpated? 😉

    Seriously though, I think you bring up a good point. I love the quote at the end – I may borrow that (and attribute it to you, of course).

    That being said, I have seen the too-much-of-a-good-thing with Twitter. There is an art to balance, both in Twitter as well as in life in general. I have found that I have to step back at times in order to be a good wife/mom but also in order to have something valid to say. I did get to the point as a blogger/twit where my points were not concise, nor were they very valid.

    Do I think that Twitter can be a major part of one’s PLN? Absolutely. But all things in moderation.

    Nice to have you in the edublogosphere. 🙂

  2. Gary Stager

    it is fantastic to have friends to chat with. I love using Twitter to gossip about the political debates or Oscars. It has been really useful for getting short answers to quick technical questions. Twitter is also handy for driving eyeballs to things I write.

    Does this mean it will transform education? I fear not.

    Is it a good idea to tie our identity to a software tool? Do you cease to exist when Twitter burns through its funding?

    Thanks for coming to my session!

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