This document summarizes a presentation about using Twitter in education. It provides an overview of what Twitter is, how to create an account and use basic features like tweets, followers, hashtags and retweets. It then discusses how Twitter can be used in the classroom to engage students and supplement learning, as well as for educator professional development by following conferences and organizations. Finally, it lists some tips for using Twitter in education and recent news articles about Twitter.

1. Tweeting and Turning: The Use of Twitter in EducationLisa ValladCOLTT 2011 Conference

2. Lisa ValladFinance Training Specialist and CPE Program Manager at the University of Colorado, Office of University ControllerPursuing Master’s of Education with a focus on Training and Development at North Carolina State UniversityTwitter: @valladls

3. AgendaWhat is Twitter?The StatsCreating an AccountUsing TwitterResearchHow is Twitter used in education?In the News………

4. What is Twitter?“Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting”.Used by businesses, organizations, and individuals.http://twitter.com.

5. The Stats460K New Accounts Daily155M Tweets/Day200M Registered UsersThat would make Twitter the 5th largest country in the world, behind China, India, USA, and Indonesia.

6. Creating an Account

7. Creating an Account

8. Creating an Account Confirm Your AccountSign-Up for Mobile NotificationsDownload App to your SmartphoneUpdate your ProfilePhotoBio (160 Characters)

9. Tweets“Small bursts of information”Limited to 140 charactersPUBLIC and available to anyone interested in them

10. How do you Tweet?http://Twitter.comOn the Home Page, in “What’s Happening”MobileText Tweet to “404-04” (after you have established your mobile device on http://Twitter.com)Smartphone AppTimeline PageClick “Write”

11. FollowingFollowing someone on Twitter means:You are subscribing to their Tweets.Their updates will appear in your timeline.That person has permission to send you private Tweets (direct messages).

12. FollowersFollowers are people who receive your Tweets. If someone follows you, they:Become your follower and will display in the “newest follower” section.Receive your Tweets on their home page, phone, or any application that they use.

13. The JargonMentionYou and others can “mention” an account in your Tweets by preceding it with the @ symbol, i.e. “Thanks for the birthday wishes @valladls”.RetweetWhen you see a Tweet by another user that you want to share, click Retweet below it to forward to your followers instantly.

14. The JargonMessageIf you want to privately Tweet to a particular user who’s already following you, start your Tweet with DM or D to direct-message them, eg: “DM@CU_CPE_4CPAs when is your next course offering?”HashtagPeople use the hashtag symbol # before relevant keywords in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets to make it searchable. Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all other Tweets in that category.

15. Twitter in EducationIn the ClassroomLive Twitter Feed (Using Hotseat, TweetDeck, etc.) during class to field students’ questionsExtra credit opportunitiesReminder of deadlinesSupplement to Learning Management Systems (LMS)Engagement in distance education

16. Twitter in Education Educator Professional DevelopmentFollow conferences you are unable to attendNetworkingFollow Professional Organizations

17. 10 Twips (Twitter Tips) for Education Have personality and build community.Don’t use Twitter for RSS or “News” unless you call your profile “News”.Have multiple Twitter accounts, representing different segments of your organization.Be nice, thankful, reply and retweet.Follow everyone who follows you.

18. 10 Twips for EducationUse “favorites” to organize the chaos and feature your most important tweets.Don’t tweet about your coffee, the weather, or how tired you are.Don’t only tweet your own content.Send messages, but not via auto-responders.Limit your tweets to five per day.

19. In the News………New York Times“Investment Values Twitter at $8 Billion” – 7/7/11“Obama to Host Twitter Town Hall” – 6/30/11For Rep. Anthony Weiner, Twitter Has Double Edge” – 5/31/11

20. In the News……..Fox News“Republican Presidential Field Participates in First-Ever Twitter Debate” – 7/20/11

21. In the News………BBC“Surrey Police Hail Car Crime Twitter Campaign a Success” – 7/19/11

22. ReferencesBradley, P. (2009). Whither twitter?. Community College Week, 21(19), 6-8.Mansfield, H. (2009). 10 Twitter tips for higher education. University Business, 12(5), 27-28.M., E. E. (2009). Higher ed: A-Twitter or not?. University Business, 12(9), 14.Thames, G. (2009). Twitter as an educational tool. Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 22(4), 235.Young, J. R. (2009). Teaching with twitter: Not for the faint of heart. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(14), A1-A11.

23. Welcome to TwitterTwitter: valladlsLisa.vallad@cu.edu