Mar 02 2009
Use Twitter to enhance your Personal Learning Network (PLN)
My first experience with Twitter was 2 years ago when I was working on a film crew with an amateur production of a movie called Elindil’s secret. We used Twitter to contact each other during pre-production and production phases. It soon became a social interaction. In the past 6 months I have realised the potential of Twitter for developing networks in my professional field (elearning). By ‘following’ people from Janes list… see list here, I very quickly made friends and contacts who have been awesome networks for many reasons.
You will read in my last post, when Twitter almost made me a child predator, what some would consider a negative aspect of networking online, but I consider it to be something to learn from rather than something to stop me using Twitter. After all, I don’t stop driving a car because it might have a flat tyre!
Here are some of the things I use it for, apart from the social aspect and for keeping in contact with people:
- Sharing ideas or asking for help
- Notifying others of events and hearing about them
- Notifying others and receiving notification of new tools
- Sharing my blog post when it has been published or reading others
Just for fun, I have included the ‘Twitter love song’ for you:
More ideas for using Twitter in your Personal learning network can be seen on this slide show (thanks to Slideshare and Mike Romard):
Any other ideas you would like to share for Twitter? Go ahead… add your comments!
More resources:
Great article about Twitter: Twitter is messy
Join Twitter: http://twitter.com/home
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jenny_Wood
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
Thank you for selecting my Twitter presentation. Glad you found some use in it. I really like your site – very polished.
Our school currently has four visiting authors and I am planning on sharing some tech tips with them – something like “Author 2.0 – tech tools for publishing writers”
I’d be interested in doing a joint venture if you are up to it. At this point, it’s all very much in draft form. But often writers are so global they need folks like us to show them some guidance; in return for the great inspiration they are in our lives.
Kind regards. Mike Romard
P.S. You can reach me on Twitter (mikeromard) – I just started following you.
[Reply]
@Mike Romard, So here is a good example of how Twitter builds networks! I will send you a Tweet in reply.
Thanks for commenting on my blog.
Jenny
[Reply]
Twitter is a really important part of my personal learning network too. I remember when I first started using it for professional reasons, it was one of the major ways that I worked through my moodle issues.
It’s always great asking for help there- because so many people are willing and able! @moodleman is one of my favourite people on twitter because he is always great at giving advice and helping out!
What other tools do you use for your personal learning network? I like to use Nings, amongst others!
[Reply]
@Talia, Thanks for your comments.
It is definitely a quick way to get help, once you have established your networks. Occasionally I am a help to others which makes me feel good too!
Jenny
[Reply]
[...] link for further reading). It is by far the most powerful way to learn. If it wasn’t for my Twitter networks, my learning would have almost stagnated. Find some blogs to follow with helpful advice [...]