Social media is the social interaction amongst people in which they
create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities
and networks. For professionals, or even parents, entering into the
world of Assistive Technology, I can wholeheartedly share that social
media is your greatest ally. I want to share some of my personal
experiences in regard to social media.
AT is broad in
what it can offer and in an ever evolving field, there are endless new
resources available, making it seem impossible to always have your
finger on the pulse. I have always been an active participant on social
media, but only for personal interactions. When I decided to grow my
PLN and join the Twitter-sphere, I made a conscious decision to create a
separate Twitter handle only used for professional purposes. In the
short time I have been a part of Twitter, I have gained professional
relationships that have helped me to build my knowledge regarding the
latest in assistive technology resources available to support my
students and information that I share with my colleagues and the
families I work with.
I would consider the weekly
"chats" on Twitter to have lent itself as one of the greatest areas of
support in my professional growth in the AT field. Every Wednesday at
8pm I participate, whether through just following or being an active
contributor, on #atchat lead by Karen Janowski and Mike Marotta. It
serves as a platform for professionals in the AT field to share their
experiences and resources based upon several questions posed by the
aforementioned moderators. Twitter "chats" are everywhere, particularly
in the education field. In addition to the #atchat, there's #satchat,
#edchat, #spedchat.....and the list goes on and on!
Additionally, Facebook groups, such as
Assistive Technology, or the
QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology) listserv
again are platforms to promote an open environment amongst
professionals within the same field to ask for insight or feedback and
share knowledge and experience.
This article,
Use Social Media to Keep Up with Assistive Technology written
by Jamie Martin, originally posted on Noodle's website, reiterates much
of my own sentiments regarding social media and offers links to other
valuable resources within the AT and SPED community.
