A few weeks ago I crashed ISTE 2012 and got to meet many great people. I do not know if they are great teachers. I’m pretty sure they are, but how do I know?
And I really do not care if they are great teachers because they are great humans! Their humanity influences my humanity, which influences my teaching. I am not influenced by their blog post on “Ten Ways a Sprinkler iPhone App Can Equip a Student for Better Inquiry”.
But seriously, if we are as passionate about teaching as we say we are in blog posts, tweets, and pictures, doesn’t that reveal much about us?
Is not our online presencce intenstly personal at some level?
Photo: Stephen Davis
A large part of my identity is wrapped up in being a teacher, but there is so much more to me. As such, when I share blog posts, resources, and pictures I feel I am sharing significant parts of who I am. My twitter feed is mine, not my professional or personal feed. Rather, it is all things Stephen Davis. The same is true with my Instagram feed.
I really do not buy the notion of having “Professional” and “Personal” Twitter feeds. My life is not a series of boxes on the shelf. I do not pull down the teacher box on Monday morning at 7 AM and put it back up on the shelf at 4 PM. Life is not that easy!
Are my tweeps fellow teachers, acquaintances, or friends?
Photo: Stephen Davis
I got to hang out with John Spencer while in San Diego for ISTE 2012. What I thought was going to be a two hour coffee chat (at most) became an almost all day intellectual, gastronomical, comical, and conversational event. What sticks out in my mind (besides John’s arms, their guns!) is that we immediately feel into a comfortable place, as if we had known each other for three years.
We have know each other for three years…just never had met face to face until San Diego.
We often share more specifics about our lives on Twitter and Instagram than we think. The details of our lives shared on social media reveal our humanity. I firmly believe that not only do things we post online reveal who we are, but also those things we retweet, like, and comment on reveal who we are as humans, not just teachers.
I have often wondered if my tweeps on Twitter and Instagram are my friends. I definetely consider Roberto Greco, and John Spencer friends.
However, what about the others that I frequently engage with in social media?
Are my tweeps fellow teachers, acquaintances, or friends?
I am going to go with friends…