Journal 2 Nets (1,2,6)

Article One:

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

Summary:  In Ferguson’s article, “Join the Flock”; she explains how to build a professional learning network using a “virtual meeting place called Twitter”. Using Twitter a person can become educated, notified and receive help from other educators or people in the professional learning network world. After making an account a person can “lurk” by viewing other tweets without tweeting anything, or they can stream, they can retweet as well as pass along knowledge.

Q1: How can I introduce this to my students, or use it in a classroom?

A1: Although, this article is a description of how to make a professional learning network, the information can be applied elsewhere. In a classroom setting I could teach students how to use Twitter for educational purposes. I could teach them on how to use Twitter and help them set up an account. With an account students could find homework assignment from peers, ask for help on coursework, and even get advice.

Article Two:

McClintock Miller, S. (2010). Enhance your Twitter experience. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx

Summary: In this article, McClintock details a Twitter experience and defines much common used Twitter vocabulary. She also explains how to organize a Twitter stream by using the applications Tweetdeck and Hootsuite. Furthermore, in Twitter new words are jumbled together to create a different meaning. For example, the words, “Twittersphere or Twitticisms mean the entire community of all Twitter users and witty tweets”. Lastly, McClintock illustrates a Twitter “Engagement Formula: 70% of Twitter time should be spend sharing other voices, opinions, and tools, 20% of tweets, could be directly responding, connecting, collaborating, and 10% is Chit-chatting trivial details about your life as a human being.”

Q1:  How can these tools be useful for a teacher?

A1: A teacher can easily organize and manage tweet by using a Bookmarklet. If student have Twitters the teacher could sort students, other teachers, and friends. Finally, hashtags (#) can be used in front of a topic to create discussions, in which others can view when searching.