Journal 4

Ferguson, H. (2010, June/July). Join the flock. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), 12-16. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/DigitalEdition/digital-edition-june-july-2012.aspx

Summary: Learning and Leading with Technology creates awareness about the benefits of using Twitter in the educational sector. The article mainly talks about developing a Professional Learning Network (PLN), and the reasons that using a PLN can make you a more efficient educator because you can rely on others for resources and do not have to do all the research on your own. The article talks about using Twitter to find people to follow, and then creating a presence in your PLN. You can remain invisible for as long as you like, but creating your PLN takes time and effort that will be worth it in the long run.

Q1: How would one begin their journey in creating a PLN?

A1: The article lists a few contacts in the Twitterverse that have thousands of followers that use authentic and increasingly important research in the educational sector. After you create your twitter, start following these people and searing hashtags that you find interesting. You can simply read these peoples posts for as long as you want, but you must begin retweeting and commenting in order to make yourself known in your PLN. By doing this, you will get follows back, and can build from there.

McClintock, S. (2010, June/July). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), 15-16. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/DigitalEdition/digital-edition-june-july-2012.aspx

Summary: Learning and Leading with Technology's June/July 2010 Issue addresses how to enhance your twitter experience by using even more free tools on the web. Shannon McClintock suggests that you also subscribe to a website such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck. These tools can help you organize your followers and people in your PLN into lists that will help you channel the abundance of information that is constantly uploading onto your feed. 

Q1: What types of columns or lists would I want to create that would help me to stay organized on Twitter?

A1: It would obviously depend on the people you follow, but assuming that you are using Twitter for mostly educational purposes, but also personal interest or hobbies. I would start by creating a list for just your hobbies and personal interest. That way you know you are probably not getting any educational information from these Twitter friends. I would also create one for Education Technology, one for New Teachers, and maybe one for policies, and laws, and news in the educational sector. Such as new budget cuts, or additions to NETS-T.