For years I exclaimed that Twitter was my social media of choice when connecting with other educators and people in education. I get so excited when attending a conference or professional learning session and meet people I’ve followed online. We are instant friends, and it’s such a great feeling to belong because of the connections made on Twitter. Y’all – I thrive off of these kind of connections not to mention the personal PL I gain through the social media platform.
Well, if you haven’t heard, Twitter is going through some things. The fallout and uncertainty is the topic of many conversations with my PLN (Personal Learning Network). Out of the many concerns regarding Twitter, the possibility that it could simply cease to exist meant I needed to establish myself somewhere else and start building connections.
I already have a professional Insta which is great but doesn’t operate in exactly the same way. I definitely don’t use Snapchat or TikTok professionally. (Or at all really – not my cup of tea for connecting). So last week I researched…and searched…and exhausted every avenue possible looking for viable options.
Then I came across this post by Miguel Guhlin: Making the Move: Switch from Twitter to the Fediverse. Fediverse?! Oh goodness. Did I need “one more thing?” Then I remembered that I am a learner. No matter what. Always.
Then I stumbled upon a Tweet in my personal account about an app called Hive Social which was another app vying for Twitter’s position in the social media-sphere. What was it about? Oh goodness. Did I need “one more thing?” Then I remembered that I am a learner. No matter what. Always.
My little Enneagram One heart was paralyzed with what to do. Remember, if Twitter implodes I must have somewhere else to connect! I wanted to make the right decision. By right decision, I didn’t want to end up where other educators were not. After opening and shutting my laptop (then opening and closing the same tabs a few times), I finally decided to join Mastodon professionally (EduCroupe@mastodon.education) and Hive Social personally.
I spent Thanksgiving Break exploring both, and I would love to share what I’ve learned so far. The next few posts will dive a little deeper into my experience and hopefully provide some insight for anyone also considering a move to a new platform from Twitter.
Some articles I read during my research phase:
- Around the Corner (so many great posts about Navigating Mastodon)
- FediTips (also helped me understand the concept of the Fediverse better)
- A Brief Mastodon Guide for Social Media Worriers
- Common Sense Media Review of Hive Social
- Twitter Alternative Hive Social is Have a Viral Sign-Up Moment
Today’s Tea: Reindeer Fuel from Adagio Teas (one of my fave companies for tea)
An Educational Cup of Tea 
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