Sunday, July 12, 2015

A #Hashtag Changed Me

I have for several years actively engaged in the #sachat hashtag, a discussion centered on working in student affairs. Tuning in each week for the lunchtime chat covering the topic most requested by the community. In the beginning, I was a lurker. Just figuring out the process of having a conversation on Twitter was a bit of a challenge. Eventually, I mastered how the endless feed of responses and reactions. Having the "aha" about how it all worked gave me the confidence to join the discussions. At times, the information offered is fresh and new, and at times it seems less valuable to me at this point in my career.  Additionally, I will use the hashtag to share an article or news item that seems relevant to what we do as student affairs practitioners. 

The most prominent change for me after engaging in the hashtag is the number of professional peers I connect with via social media. A hashtag can make the world very small and link people who might not otherwise ever connect. Participating in the #sachat has changed how I define professional development. My professional peers have diversified and my network of information sources has broadened. I am a different educator, communicator, and professional because of a hashtag. 


Are you having the same experience as we dig into the multiple platforms and modes of social media?

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