Journal 4: "Join the Flock" and "Enhance your Twitter Experience"

NETS-T: 2,4, 5

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the Flock!. Learning and leading with Technology , 37(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx

Summary: In the article, “Join the Flock,” author Hadley Ferguson discusses how to build your PLN through the social media website Twitter. Twitter really has brought together her PLN.  Twitter can help make strangers become a community, “PLN is a community of individuals around the world who are learning together.” According to Ferguson, building a PLN community does take some time. She explains that with twitter you necessarily don’t have to make yourself visible. You can follow people and not say a word. When you are ready to make yourself visible you can simply start retweeting some of the people you are following tweets. This will help develop your PLN community and people will start following you.

Q1: Can I see myself developing a PLN using Twitter?
Answer: I have been a little resistant using twitter. I have had one for a couple of years now, but have never really been able to get into it. After reading this article, I have learned a lot how to slowly develop my PLN.  I believe for my future profession this is a great tool that I need to learn to use.  


McClintock, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology , 37(8), 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx.

Summary: In the article, “Enhance your Twitter Experience,” author Shannon McClintock talks about tools and tips that once can use to enhance their twitter experiences. There are many different twitter organizers that can be used to organize your tweetstream. The tweet organizers such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite, organize your tweets into separate columns. You can organize your tweets into columns like: all friends, direct messages, mentions, or any special list or searches that you’re following. This article also demonstrates the importance of using hash tags on twitter. It is a great way to share and connect and follow people who have the same interests as you. After reading this article, Twitter seems like a great tool to build your PLN and make relationships with others all over the world.

Q2: Will these tools really help enhance my twitter experience?
Answer: I think the reason why I haven't really been involved in the whole Twitter fad is because I really haven't been able to understand it. It has seemed a bit unorganized to me and chaotic. I think with these tools it will make it easier to use.