Part II: #Walkmyworld project

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How have I grown as a teacher because of #walkmyworld?

A small group of pre-service teachers participated and finished an iteration of #Walkmyworld that was not running at the time the main project took place early in 2015. Thus, the students interacted with me and among them. This was certainly a limitation in the outcomes. Yet, it offered them a glimpse of what they could do via Twitter.

Working with Twitter was simple and this was one of the main attractions in spite of the resistance that a few pre-service teachers experienced to open Twitter accounts. When I inquired why they resisted Twitter so much it appeared that they viewed it as a gossip social media tool, that is to say, what famous people use to share what they are doing and where they are. They could not see the potential beyond that, let alone the implications that it could have in relation to the construction of digital identity and/or their PLN (Personal Learning Network).

I learned that it is essential to follow the pace of the group so that they can be ready to understand what they were doing. I did give them the option of not posting in Twitter and sending a word doc but they decided to accept the challenge. I also realized that short learning events and a powerful tool such as Twitter can help to promote the integration of technology into a class without a lot of effort but with the need of adequate support.

How have my tech skills grown?
The project pushes me to learn new tools/apps so it is motivating.  I only know how much I need to learn (and want to)! I appreciate the collaborative aspect of the project because the mentors had posted tutorials and showed what they did. That was very exciting!

Should the project use an open or private streaming?

I am very new to the project so my experience here is very limited. I can see the benefits of using Twitter that is open and allows for social interaction and exchange of ideas. It is true that it may prove complicated to express safely what one wants to say but this is also the reality of the world we live in. We cannot build crystal walls to protect our adult students from what they or others say but we can teach them how to behave and express their ideas online. In the case of kids, I think this is different because there is a lot more at risk. I like the way Kate is working with her grade in Australia. 

I also agree with what others have expressed that the beauty of this project is in keeping it simple.