22
Melissa Cooper
Twitter: @LOL1librarian
Osaka International School
Abstract
Twitter is a powerful social media tool for educators. As more educators contribute, the stronger this community becomes since the users will build a nest of a thriving community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991 as cited by Xing & Gao, 2018). As connectivists (Siemens, 2004), educators can find ways to support knowledge construction (Steward, 2015) and create a social culture of collaboration (Xing & Gao, 2018) that will support their development of a stronger curriculum to establish a students acquisition of 21st-century skills. A willingness to find the time and acknowledge the validity of the resources and information available is critical to using Twitter successfully. Reputable tweeters have given sound advice in order to curate resources. Although further study needs to be completed, there is evidence that the resources teachers find on Twitter can support professional and curriculum development.
Keywords: professional development, professional learning, Twitter, social media, community of practice, 21st-century learning, connectivism
Introduction
Social media is becoming more pervasive in our society and it has the potential to play a positive role in educators professional and curriculum development. Through Twitters’ connections, an educator can construct knowledge and be engaged in a culture of collaboration in order to build a community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991 as cited by Xing & Gao, 2018). This community requires an active presence to be beneficial and educators need to learn how to avoid some pitfall. Educators need to be flexible and try to find time in their schedule in order to engage meaningfully since Twitter requires careful curation and participation. There’s a range of resources available, including ‘just in time’ resources (Greenhalgh & Koehler, 2017) that can support educators during a time of tragedy. Twitter can offer not only resources but provide educators a platform to share their epistemology. As a result of this supportive community of practice, educators can further develop their curriculum. Curriculum enhancement through a combination of an educator’s media savvy, critical thinking skills and technology tools is needed to support 21st-century learning. However, using social media to improve a user’s professional learning and development comes with some words of caution; due to the volume and the lack of neutrality in the information provided. By striking a solid balance, the power of tweeting will be revealed.
Moving along the avenue of ‘knowledge construction’ (Stewart, 2015), Twitter provides educators a couple of different paths to follow. Establishing your tribe on Twitter will allow a user to develop a ‘culture of collaboration’. Social media is here to stay so why not make those connections or connectivism (Siemens, 2004) work for you?
Connectivism
At the heart of the realm of Twitter is a sense of connection, and Siemens