How to...Twitter!
Why would I possibly want to be on Twitter??? You ask a good question. I was surprised when it was first suggested to me at a Tech. Coach meeting. I had heard about Twitter, but couldn't imagine why I would want to use it. Okay, so I get that you might not want to follow the Kardashian's latest happenings or hear about Ashton Kutcher eating a sandwich, however I've come to realize that Twitter is actually a little more. Here is some key information that you might want to think about.
1. You don't need to use it for your "private" life, it can be simply a professional tool. Some teacher's are using Twitter as a means to communicate with parents (like a digital message board). Others are using Twitter to share resources and ask questions from other colleagues. See my examples below.
Check out: A Parents' Guide to Twitter and Education.
2. You can "follow" whoever shares similar interests. For example, I tend to follow teachers who are involved in technology, special education & library.
3. Many media outlets have Twitter feed. For example, I follow the Guelph Mercury, CBC News, The K-W Record, 570News and of course, the source of all things truly Canadian, Rick Mercer from the Mercer Report.
4. Watching the "Trending" or most talked about topics in Canada (or around the world) is actually a great way to be in the loop. For example, some of the top news stories trend so fast on Twitter that the news is broken faster then by using traditional radio, television or even websites. Clearly, this is why the CBC and CNN, as well as other major news stations use Twitter to spread their latest news stories fast.
5. Using "hashtags" is a great way to search for topics you are interested in or connect to people with similar interests or discussion topics. For example, I often look for the hashtags #edtech (education technology) #uglib (Upper Grand Librarians) #UGDSB (people tweeting from or about our school board) or #edchat (education discussions). You can add hashtags to your individual tweets or to your personal description to allow people to connect with you. Check out the blog post entitled "Twitter Hashtags for Educators" to see examples of hashtags that you could use professionally. Also, be sure to check out another great blog post entitled "Hashtags for Writing Teachers". Check out this "Education Chats" calendar, which identifies Twitter Chats you can participate in.
6. When you are mentioning someone on Twitter you use their Twitter name. For example, if you were sending a message, and you wanted me to see it, you might say "@Melissa_Roth this is a stellar website." To which I might say, "Thanks for the kind words @TEPSteacher".
It is relatively easy to get started. Go to the link: www.twitter.com and login as a new user. Remember to choose your @name wisely. Those who choose to interact & follow you on Twitter will take a lot from your @name and your personal description. Let me know if you need help!
1. You don't need to use it for your "private" life, it can be simply a professional tool. Some teacher's are using Twitter as a means to communicate with parents (like a digital message board). Others are using Twitter to share resources and ask questions from other colleagues. See my examples below.
Check out: A Parents' Guide to Twitter and Education.
2. You can "follow" whoever shares similar interests. For example, I tend to follow teachers who are involved in technology, special education & library.
3. Many media outlets have Twitter feed. For example, I follow the Guelph Mercury, CBC News, The K-W Record, 570News and of course, the source of all things truly Canadian, Rick Mercer from the Mercer Report.
4. Watching the "Trending" or most talked about topics in Canada (or around the world) is actually a great way to be in the loop. For example, some of the top news stories trend so fast on Twitter that the news is broken faster then by using traditional radio, television or even websites. Clearly, this is why the CBC and CNN, as well as other major news stations use Twitter to spread their latest news stories fast.
5. Using "hashtags" is a great way to search for topics you are interested in or connect to people with similar interests or discussion topics. For example, I often look for the hashtags #edtech (education technology) #uglib (Upper Grand Librarians) #UGDSB (people tweeting from or about our school board) or #edchat (education discussions). You can add hashtags to your individual tweets or to your personal description to allow people to connect with you. Check out the blog post entitled "Twitter Hashtags for Educators" to see examples of hashtags that you could use professionally. Also, be sure to check out another great blog post entitled "Hashtags for Writing Teachers". Check out this "Education Chats" calendar, which identifies Twitter Chats you can participate in.
6. When you are mentioning someone on Twitter you use their Twitter name. For example, if you were sending a message, and you wanted me to see it, you might say "@Melissa_Roth this is a stellar website." To which I might say, "Thanks for the kind words @TEPSteacher".
It is relatively easy to get started. Go to the link: www.twitter.com and login as a new user. Remember to choose your @name wisely. Those who choose to interact & follow you on Twitter will take a lot from your @name and your personal description. Let me know if you need help!
