Sharing is Caring on Twitter

31 May Sharing is Caring on Twitter

Back in September, I wrote the first installment of the series Using Twitter to Teach – My Twitter Evolution, where I discussed how my use of Twitter evolved over time from a purely social use to a professional development tool. What I did not realize at the time was that my use of Twitter was still evolving. The most recent steps in my evolution have been the most difficult because they have required a great deal more effort and have pulled me out of my comfort zone.

First off, I’m sharing more resources through Twitter now than I did in the past. Social media is supposed to be a tool for the exchange of information, but I was taking a lot more than I was giving. I relied exclusively on those I followed for sharing articles and resources. If you looked at a Wordle of my first three year’s tweets, “RT” would by-far be the largest phrase. I make it a habit now to share articles and resources I find on my own and that are interesting and relevant to my work and hobbies. I continue to retweet great articles from Twitter friends (Tweeps), but I also want to do my part in finding new resources and articles.

The biggest step I’ve taken is I am now sharing my thoughts and opinions via Twitter. This has been the most difficult step. I love to share resources, but I still feel reluctant to state my own thoughts about an article or story. Part of my fear is of appearing foolish in a public forum. I only have 140 characters to work with and I do not always feel I can convey my thoughts in a concise manner. A quick Google search and anyone can see all my tweets, so I don’t want to be misinterpreted.

Part of my reluctance to voice my own thoughts is my personality. I’ve never been an overly opinionated person. My philosophy in grade school was “you never learn anything by talking, you learn from others.” Of course, I’ve since realized the importance of communication and collaboration in the learning process. Contributing to the CETL blog has helped, but sharing my thoughts via Twitter pulls me out of my comfort zone and is a battle I continue to fight.

Where do I go from here? I think my next step will be organizing (or participating) in a periodic Twitter synchronous discussion. I’ve followed many in the past (e.g. #lrnchat , #edtech, etc.) but have never had the opportunity (or courage) to join in.

What are your thoughts or approaches to sharing on Twitter? Are you reluctant to post your thoughts and opinions? If so, why? I welcome your thoughts.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons user C!… . Shared under the permissions of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.