Hadley Ferguson, Initials. (2010). Join the flock.Learning & Leading With Technology, 1(June/July), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx
Join The Flock, By Hadley Ferguson, is an article promoting the development and growth of one's Personal Learning Network (PLN). The Author promotes collaboration among professionals around the globe through the use of technology, specifically Twitter and Blogging. The article is basically Twitter 101. The author gives a great glossary of twitter terminology,giving definitions to such terms as "Hashtags" and "retweet". Ferguson also gives some tips on Twitter etiquette. For example, one should thank those who comment on your tweets. If your uncomfortable commenting at first, it's perfectly acceptable to observe and not comment on posts.
Question 1: Will I use Twitter as a part of my Personal Learning Network?
Most definitely! In fact, I already have. I have created a Twitter account and added many sources to my twitter community. I have even started following a few of the suggestions from the article. Such as Shelley Terrell. One of the greatest tools mentioned in the article are the bookmarking tools like Hootsuite. This tool I find has already helped me organize and categorize great sources that I will share and go back to for material often.
Question 2: What are the things that will hold me back from fully utilizing Twitter to increase my PLN? I really don't feel comfortable commenting on other's Tweets. I'm sure that will come with experience and more time spent with Twitter. The time it will take to commit to Twitter is also something I will have to make room for. Once I have my sites bookmarked and have found valuable professionals to follow, it may ease my mind about spending time on such activities. Good article, simply written, point taken, time to begin collaborating through technology.
Thanks for reading the article so thoughtfully! Let me know if I can help in any way! Just send a tweet @hadleyjf. It is scary at first, but you will make friends and learn so much. I heard someone talk about us all becoming curators of all of the information that is all around us. By commenting on a tweet, "Worth a read," you help us all learn what to look at. Your insight helps us all.
ReplyDeleteHappy Summer! Hadley