To Tweet or Not to Tweet – That is the Question

I’ve pulled back from social networking and hardly ever go on FaceBook any more. However, this Web 2.0 class has given new meaning to the concept of social networking: it’s not just about keeping up with your friends and family – it’s about developing professional connections, keeping up with professional trends, and having a group of colleagues to use as resources. So I was encouraged to set up a Twitter account.

According to the Social Learning Centre [you have to become a member to access this link], “One of the key reasons for joining Twitter is to become part of a community. A “community” can take several forms. It might be: your Personal or Professional Learning Network (PLN); a Community of Practice (CoP) – a collection of like-minded people who join together to improve their practice; a Learning Community – a body students/learners and others who learn together.” The trick is finding the people and groups to build your community and then learning how to use that community! That meant I had to learn about hashtags (#), lists, shortened URLs, etc.

I agree with Noel, there are numerous cons to Twitter: “There isn’t a clear concise message with twitter. All twitter posts are erratic at best and don’t have a common style.” “…Twitter posts are only 140 characters and can’t really tell the story of what’s going on. Which means that it is more or less used as a starting point for driving people to another source in which you can read more about it.” I disagree with his statement that “the major usefulness for Twitter is primarily for business marketing and brand awareness and for news reporting.” Surely educators and trainers believe that it should be a part of our PLN and/or our PKN. 

While I do TXT my friends and family routinely, I honestly don’t know that I’m still comfortable in the Twitter world. While I grew up with the sound-bites of Sesame Street, I prefer my learning to be by the plateful. To follow the analogy further, I can see myself using Twitter when I need a snack, but not when I want to eat a meal.

Works Cited:

"How to use Twitter for Social Learning." Social Learning Centre. Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. <http://sociallearningcentre.co.uk/activities/how-to-use-twitter-for-social-learning/>. [You must register as a user to access this resource.]

Noel, Jason. "Do you think that Twitter will last?." Pros And Cons Of Twitter. N.p., 16 July 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mavenwebsites.com/pros-and-cons-of-twitter/>.