Is Twitter losing its 'pizzazz?'

So, recently I've seen quite a few blog posts about the negativity occurring in the Twitterverse.

The educator on educator crime has seemed to increase and professional and collaborative discourse seems to be fading.

I'm also reading how several folks whom I greatly respect as educators are disengaging from Twitter and stepping back for a while.

Lastly, I'm hearing that the Twitterverse is becoming polluted with self promoters and folks who aren't really interested in learning from others, rather instead solely interested in self-promotion.

Having said all that, I'm not completely oblivious to these thoughts and beliefs. In fact, I've noticed some of these trends and have noticed a shift in how folks are using Twitter.

Now, I honestly don't believe anyone is in a position to tell another person how they should or shouldn't use Twitter, but the change is real and the effects are being noticed.

But... doesn't this shift (whether good or bad) represent what makes this tool so great?

Didn't Twitter become what it is because it provided a fluid and flexible medium that could adapt and change as the market so desired?

I guess what I'm saying is, do others feel that Twitter has become 'expendable' and is losing its pizzazz as one of (if not the) best tools for connection and collaboration?

Has Twitter become the latest victim of the social media craze that propels you to the top overnight and back down just as quickly...?

For the record, I still haven't given up on you Twitterverse...

I'm sorry if my tweet offended you...

140 characters...

Any hashtag you could ever imagine...

The entire world is your audience... a billion registered users and growing...

Twitter is the perfect medium to get your message out and get your viewpoint in front of the masses.

With this awesome power and responsibility come great downside and great potential for misinterpretation and miscommunication.

The truth is though, not all tweets are seen. In fact, most tweets are never seen and are simply lost in the 'twitterverse' due to the overwhelming number of tweets that are flying around.

For a tweet to be seen there must be something about the tweet that catches the eyes of other tweeps.

There must be something about the tweet that stands out and rises above the saturated mist of other tweets.

Sometimes the tweet is in response to something that just happened... sometimes the tweet is to evoke emotion and stir up passion.

When either of these occurrences happen, the entire message doesn't come across in a single tweet. Even in a group of tweets. The background information is missing and the level of prior knowledge is non-existent.

This is when the misinterpretation and miscommunication happen...

Not on purpose and not with malicious intent or desire to offend. It is unfortunately just a byproduct of this powerful and far-reaching tool.

For what it's worth, I'm sorry if my tweet offended you.

10 ways Twitter makes me a better educator

1). Twitter is the most powerful tool in helping me to take control and responsibility of my own learning. Twitter provides me what I want when I need it, which results in me not needing formalized PD to grow and develop. I am no longer dependent upon others for my learning and my growth, which is quite empowering.

2). I want to be able to share resources, links, images, videos, and information with my colleagues quickly and easily. Twitter enables me to share and allows me to be precise with my sharing to those who need information that is relevant to them. I've had colleagues ask me numerous times about how I'm able to find all these resources and then share them with them so often. I tell them that I don't find these resources... they find me.

3). Twitter allows me to share my ideas and share my thoughts on education with the masses. This results in me getting feedback and input from others, which then allows me to learn collaboratively from others with different viewpoints and different perspectives. My ideas now become the accumulated and adapted ideas of many with lots and lots of levels of revision/feedback.

4). Being actively involved in Twitter and other social media spaces gives me credibility when working with others on being 'connected.' Too often we have people who say we need to do something and we need to start doing something but yet they aren't doing what they are telling others to do. By being on Twitter, I can give first-hand experience and have the credibility to back up what I'm advocating.

5). Twitter allows me to develop and enhance my own personal digital footprint/brand. I've been contacted to speak and work with school districts as a result of my Twitter presence, and this in turn has helped me establish new contacts and new networks that have provided me opportunities that I otherwise would never have had.

6). In my district we are looking to continue conversations and move forward with a redesign of our assessment and grading practices. Twitter allows me to reach out to educators from across the globe to find others who have already been through this process to help us along our journey.

7). Twitter provides me timely, relevant, and up-to-date information about the hottest and most current trends in education. If you are like me, you don't have a ton of free time, but by spending 10-15 minutes a day I can get a quick snapshot of the most discussed topics and issues going on in education.

8). I'm able to connect with and learn from the most well-known and most current education experts. These folks used to be considered 'unreachable' unless your school/district was interested in ponying up a ton of money to have them come out and speak. Now you have virtually unlimited access to these experts who are more than willing to share their thoughts and ideas.

9). Twitter also helps me understand who I am as an educator. By tweeting out my thought and ideas, I have to really think about what I'm tweeting, which means I have to really know what I believe and what I stand for. Twitter pushes me to be more self-reflective and more aware of my beliefs toward education.

10). Lastly, Twitter gives me a boost of energy and inspiration and frankly reaffirms the work that educators all over the world are doing. For the most part, Twitter is a positive environment, and it's because of the good-spirited nature of educators, the Twitterverse is a hotbed for optimism, positivity, and the sharing of new and exciting ideas/approaches.

I'm not saying that you have to be on Twitter to be a great educator, but I can say without hesitation that if you are on Twitter, I can guarantee you will be better than you were pre-Twitter. Go ahead, give Twitter a chance... I think you may just like what you find.

Check out this '10 steps for educators new to Twitter' post for more information on how to get started using Twitter.

Happy Tweeting!