Evolution of a Twitter User

This week, a number of our staff members have joined our SKSS PLN on Twitter.  I am pretty excited about that.  I am excited that our teachers will have access to such a wide array of experts and resources online.  I have found that it is the best professional development that I have ever had, or to coin Jeff Delp (@azjd) it is perennial profesional ProD. I can't say enough good things about it, to the point that I am being ridiculed behind my back and to my front about it.  I blissfully don't care because I have never felt more energized about my job and about learning.  However, I need to digress...I also remember the way I felt the first few weeks on Twitter.  Perhaps you remember too...Put these into thought bubbles above my head, and maybe above yours too.

- What am I doing here?
- Who am I supposed to follow?  And for that matter, how the heck do I follow them?
- I have zero followers, so if I tweet something out there, am I just tweeting to myself?
- Hey, I have a follower, I better put something smart out there.  Oops, damn.  Spelling mistake.
- How do I attach a link?  Cripes, the link is huge and doesn't fit in 140 characters.  Forget it.
- Tweetdeck?  What the heck is that?  OK, try that one.  Sounds like everyone is doing it.
- OK, still don't know what I am doing here, and I don't know how to follow people.  I'll just search their name...nope.  Hmmm, don't really know what their Twitter name is.
- Right, now I can follow some people, but when I see their tweets, I see this stupid pound (#) sign and chat.  Sounds like a bunch of people are having a good conversation.  Where do I find this stuff?
- Unconferencing?  What the heck is that?  It sounds expensive.  Let's not worry about that.
- Hashtag?  That sounds illegal, didn't we suspend someone for that last year?
- Jeez, it's 9AM PST on Tuesday, why the heck is there about 50 tweets per minute with this #edchat?
- Wait, I tweeted, and someone RTd it.  Is that good?
- Whoa, I am CHATTING now.  cpchat. edchat. scichat. opensource. formativeassessment.  I am in on every conversation.  Tough to keep up with all of these great ideas.
- Ooops.  Look at all these links.  Ooooh, another good one.  Another!  I can't keep up.  What the heck is this Diigo thing?
- This person says they need help from their PLN.  Is that an airline?  Here's a link to a google document.  Hey, cool.  Whoa.  That's creepy, other people are working on this too!
- Wow, why are these people following me?  Kinda neat that they actually are reading my blog.  Not totally sure why.
- Hey, there's Chris, and Chris,and Remi, and Bryan, and Todd, and Aaron, and Gino, and Terry online tonight.  Cool stuff they are doing.  Kind of looks like what we are doing.  Let's share ours.
- I vowed this would not be social, but I have to tweet about the Grammys.  And why did I just take a picture of my feet on the couch with Pebble Beach golf in the background and send it to Dean Shareski?  Never met him before, but it was a good laugh.
- I have a Google Doc, and I need some help.  Thanks Lyn, thanks Blake, thanks David for adding to it, it's way better now.
- Let's get the staff going on this, they need to develop a PLN.
- Sure, would love to share our blog on an Elluminate chat, sounds great!  Never used it before, but we'll figure it out.
- It's actually pretty easy, just get a Twitter account, download Tweetdeck and link it up!  Linux?  No prob, use Yoono.
- Be glad to demonstrate Twitter.  And how to create a blog. And add a Dipity timeline. And add gadgets. And import your online bookmarks from Delicious to Diigo. And show you screenr so you can show others how to do it.  And use word clouds. And to get your whole staff using a collaborative Google Doc.  And...and...
- Tech policy committee for the district?  Sure, would love to be a part of it.  Let's make policies based on courtesy rather than prohibition so that kids can learn with technology and social media, not just use social media.
- New program? Never heard of Animoto, let's try it and see if it works for us. If it doesn't, I will just put a Tweet out to my PLN, and they will come through for us.  They always do.

And it goes on.  Prior to October, and prior to Twitter I knew none of this stuff, and wasn't really sure that I wanted to get involved with it.  Just a few months later, I am very comfortable trying and learning and then demonstrating and teaching new technologies because my PLN has given me the courage and the knowledge to do so.  I really feel like I have changed as an administrator, and I love it.

I know that my staff will be going through some of the same things that I was as they begin their journey in developing their own Personal Learning Network.  I just hope they have the same experience I did and continue to have.  It has made me excited to be a lifelong learner.

It really has been an evolution!

The Biggest Watercooler on Earth

"Did you know you can boost your brain's problem-solving skills by simply chatting with a co-worker around the office water cooler?" - Terry Small (@terrysmall)

I saw this tweet from Terry Small this morning, and it made me think that each of us has the opportunity to have the Biggest Watercooler on Earth, our Personal Learning Network.

I know that I would not be alone in saying that my Personal Learning Network is awesome.  Each day, I still find it amazing to see the blur of information that comes across my screen when I am on Tweetdeck.  I usually have multiple threads open on my laptop, ranging from #cpchat and #edchat to more subject specific threads such as #engchat, #mathchat, #scichat, and #sped chat.  And every 20-30 seconds, another one of our colleagues standing around our giant watercooler tweets an idea or link that they feel might contribute to the greater good in education.

I find it even more amazing that any of us can put an idea out there and get almost instant feedback.  Whether it is Google Doc with a form that we need edited, a video that we have produced, a search for tried and tested resources, a good friend looking for some thoughts on a job interview, or just a question that we might have that on which we might want some different perspectives, it seems that it is only 140 characters and a few scant minutes before we have some sort of response.  Brilliant.

Stephen Covey described a concept that I believe is very important to our watercooler, the mentality of Abundance:

"Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else. 

The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. The also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people. 

The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flow out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity."

Terry Small also added to my thoughts on the watercooler with another tweet this morning:

"Everybody has a skill of some kind. When you share it you not only have the power to help others,but you enhance your own skill by owning it."

It is from this perspective that I am finding myself becoming a PLN evangelist.  The people that are a part of each of our PLNs are people with incredible and varied talents.  They are genuine in their beliefs, and have the courage and the mentality of abundance which drives them to share their ideas with each of us. 

I am sure that my colleagues and staff roll their eyes when I pass on links to them, show interesting tools at staff meetings, and generally talk about the litany of resources available from all around the world.  I walked into a social setting prior to a meeting last week in Vancouver, and the first thing one of my colleagues said to me was a sardonic "So, how's Twitter lately?" followed by a couple of snickers from around the table.  All I can do is smile and continue to tell the stories of all of the things that are available to them just a few short mouseclicks away. 

I just want them to come and stand by the watercooler. 

It's a pretty great place.