Journal #2 (NETS-T 5)

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2010.aspx

Miller, S.M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2010.aspx

Summary:
The first article Join the Flock gives a brief overview of Twitter and PLN’s (professional learning networks.) It discusses the basics of using hash-tags to mark a certain subject or group, and how to ease your way into the conversations that happen online. The author talks about how you won’t be getting the most out of the PLN’s until you become a contributor to them as well, not just someone who sits back and observes only.
The second article Enhance Your Twitter Experience gives some tools that can be helpful to get the most out of Twitter. TweetDeck is named specifically as a desktop tool that helps you organize your Twitter stream, beyond the single column used in Twitter itself. The article also mentioned HootSuite, which is a tool that allows you to easily share a website you find on the internet via Twitter. The tool will give the URL and compose the Tweet itself with a single click, allowing you to add text or hashtags before you tweet.

Question 1:
How specifically might you use a PLN to add to your teaching of your students?

I would like to teach high school science, and with this subject comes a lot of projects that the students work on. I would like to move beyond the standard projects that we have all done and don’t retain much from, and try new things. I would join a PLN that focuses on science in the classroom and ask for suggestions that other instructors have done and had success with in the class. I would seek ideas that the teacher saw the students both enjoyed, and retained the knowledge they were learning.

Question 2:
How is a PLN through Twitter different than meeting with peers in your community?

By joining a PLN through Twitter, you have access to information, tools, and teaching styles from not only your specific subject matter and age level, but also from differing cultures and communities around the world. With this type of exchange you can not only get the tools you need to grow as a teacher, but also gain insight into other cultures that can help you grow as a person. This is not to say that you shouldn’t meet with actual colleagues within your community, but you could invite those colleagues online to share their ideas and thoughts as well.