This week, I participated in a Twitter Chat. Prior to my Master’s in Educational Technology, I had used Twitter before to tweet what was on my mind, or tweet about a TV show I really liked. Then, a few weeks ago, I heard about the term, Twitter chat. What’s that you may ask? A Twitter chat is a way to connect with others in a real time conversation using a hashtag.

I participated in a Twitter chat centered around design thinking or the #DTk12chat. This chat was moderated by Laura Spencer, Ed.D, who focuses on transformative learning. She posed six questions about empathy and compassion throughout the hour. This chat felt weird as it was difficult to respond to others and answer every question as the chat was fast. I was intrigued by this chat as students are in need of several methods of compassion as they face several obstacles in their lifetime.

One of the questions posed was about toxic positivity. Before this chat, I never heard the term and learned quickly about it. I learned that not every day is going to be a good day. However, it seems that educators have to put their emotions aside. As educators, we come into the classroom with a positive mindset everyday for students to learn. Although as educators, we are empathetic towards all situations despite our emotions.

All in all, my goal is to participate in a Twitter chat once a month. I had a positive experience as I connected with other educators to add to my Professional Learning Network and learned about a new term: Toxic Positivity. The #DTk12chat enlightened me to keep talking to other educators in real time by trying new Twitter chats.