January 18

I just watched the “Intro to Twitter” session for #etmooc.  I’m already using Twitter and I have a whopping 40-some followers.  And if I’m being honest, I’m ok with that, for now.  

I am definitely in the “lurker stage” of connectedness.  I mostly enjoy reading interesting things others are posting and I’ll sometimes retweet if their ideas resonate with me, but none of my followers or retweets are related to education.  I haven’t connected my “real world” with my “professional world”.  Watching the blackboard session has inspired me to jump into the deep end and join the education world on Twitter. (“Worlds are colliding Jerry!” -George Costanza)

It’s a scary thing to put your ideas out there, I can admit it; I’m intimidated.  I’m cyber-shy!  I am timid about sharing my ideas because I don’t feel confident that my ideas are worthwhile, and I’m not sure I can contribute to the conversation.  So I’m not sure I’m ready to have more followers yet, I’m just going to lurk in the shallow end of the Twitter pool a little longer.

The other thing that has made me hesitant to have my “professional world” live on Twitter is the idea that students, parents and colleagues can see what I’m posting.  And while I love the idea of posting a great idea or to celebrate something a colleague is doing, I’m unsure about that existing in the same place as my tweets to my teenage nephew teasing him about his new haircut. That’s something I’ll have to reconcile as I go along I think…