It does frustrate me when I see headlines such as this in the Daily Telegraph http://bit.ly/1lDI7B and then I go on to read how much tools like Twitter or Facebook cost in terms of wasted time.
I use Twitter a lot, and Facebook less so. I mainly use it in conjunction with my work in ICT and education (though I have also been known to tweet about my eclectic musical tastes and my love of Liverpool FC, when they win). A great deal of my use is to enable me to keep a contact with others working in the same or allied fields. In this way, Twitter helps me keep up with some of the latest developments, events and news within my chosen field of work. Sometimes, Twitter keeps me informed before more traditional sources such as TV, newspapers or email. If I have a problem or a question, I can tweet it on Twitter and often get a response from my network of contacts. Similarly, if one of the people I follow tweets a question, I can respond quickly and simply.
So you can see how I tend to use Twitter almost as a training tool as part of my ongoing personal CPD. As such, I would estimate that it is certainly a lot quicker and a lot less expensive than attending an In-Service training course. Yet articles such as we seen in the newspapers do not give any mention of how much these tools save in formal training costs.
Now I’m not saying that Twitter should or could replace formal or professional training but for giving a ‘heads up’ and for keeping me abreast of many latest developments, it appears invaluable. I am sure that many of us use Twitter and other tools in ways that support our work and yet never get a mention.
Possibly Related Posts:
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- Do Learners want Teachers?
- Do we Still Need to Explain Why Teachers Should use Educational Technology?
- Reflective Practice and Teacher Development
- Twitter, Training, Teachmeets and Teachers
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Tags: Twitter
Well said, Doug. I would add to that the benefit of being
part of a global conversation, therefore broadening
perspectives.
Absolutely Doug. The benefits of the global pooling of ideas between teachers outweighs the “costs”. I’d argue that its the best free CPD that you can get – therefore actually saving money in the long run!