Tweeter Twitter Tweeterific

Part of my mission when I jumped into this blogging world was to become active in the online community of educators that have so much to offer and share.  On the Stenhouse blog, I listened to a podcast that described a Personal Learning Network (PLN) as your own personal teacher's lounge with great educators and colleagues that you have hand selected: to be inspired, to be challenged, to learn from each other, to grow together, and that have experience, enthusiasm, and great ideas to share!


That is one reason why I started writing my own blog.  My initial goal for the blog was to share powerful lessons and creative learning opportunities with students.  I'm doing a little of that, but I've really taken ideas shared by others and created my own writing journal to practice my writer's craft so that I can better teach my students.  All thanks to the Two Writing Teachers and their supportive community of writers!  In just a few short months after I started blogging, I learned a lot about myself.  First and foremost, I AM a writer.  This powerful knowledge will only help me teach my students that they are writers too.


The blog is up and running.  I'm writing. I'm reading. I'm sharing and learning with so many great online colleagues!  Then it happened.  Two messages in the same day.  I had to do it.  My PLN just expanded . . . exponentially. 


My friend/colleague Chris (@ReadSoMuch) was already on Twitter and browsing many educator blogs.  She joined me in the blogging world a few months ago.   Then we had a deal:  Chris was going to help me get set up on Twitter this summer.  Our summer just started this week and a couple days ago she emailed me:  "We HAVE to get you set up on Twitter this summer. There are some great elementary people I recently follow.  I'm also following some book promoters, and I today I won a Jon Szieska book!!! Wooohooo!"


With that kind of excitement pouring through the email, I almost googled Twitter right then and there.  Eh, maybe later.  Plus she always wins things.  I don't.   (True fact!)  So what's the rush? 


Then I read a post from Cathy (@CathyMere) on her blog, Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community.  She was providing PD in her district with another colleague about developing a PLN, including utilizing Twitter.  Cathy provided more than enough resources to get me started, including some great educators to follow.   


In addition, that podcast that I mentioned earlier.  Yeah, it was about Twitter for teachers.  Katie Keier (@bluskyz) author of the book and blog Catching Readers Before They Fall and Kassia Omohundro Wedekind (@kassiaowedekind) talk about how Twitter can provide awesome learning opportunities.  Easy explanation for using Twitter according to Katie: "Educators on Twitter share articles, blog links, research and engage in ongoing conversations that help us learn, grow and be better teachers."


Just another spark to light my Twitter fire!  So, I did it. I am now a "tweeter" on Twitter.  Well, not exactly.  I am currently reading tweets.  Still have not composed my own tweet.  Maybe one day.  


One 'click' at a time!

Thanks to Chris, Cathy, Katie, and Kassia for the extra nudges that I needed to try it out!  Now I just have to figure out this new language:  @this and @that and #this and #that.

Follow me following others on Twitter - @litlearningzone

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UPDATE!  6/20/11  Tweeted for the very first time to personally thank those mentioned above -- I'm officially a tweeter!


Another great Twitter resource that I found on Twitter today!
A RT (retweet) from @web20classroom:  Edublogs Teacher Challenge: Using Twitter

Will YOU be joining me in the world of Twitter???