Twitter is a free online microblogging tool that allows people to stay in constant contact with each other through short bursts of communication.

1. TEACH LIKE A TWITTERATI
TWITTER AS A STRONG TOOL TO IMPROVE WRITING AND READING
SKILLS
BY SUMAIRA ZAHEER

2. SHORTEST STORY EVER
• It was Sunday morning. I woke up feeling visibly unexcited and
grumpy. However, when I opened the fridge, I found ice cream.
(word count 22)
Task1
Write a story with a happy ending in 20-25 words

3. To explore and practice how to
enhance students reading and writing
skills with Twitter.
To get a hands on experience on
some fun Reading and Writing
activities.
To explore some useful tips for
Twitter beginners.

4. WHAT IS TWITTER?
Twitter is a free online microblogging tool that allows people to stay in
constant contact with each other through short bursts of communication.
According to Twitter (2010), “every day, millions of people use Twitter to
create, discover and share ideas with others.” One of the benefits of Twitter is
that the user has control over their personal networks and many
professionals are able to connect with a professional community of practice
(Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2009)
www.twitter.com

6. Twitter won't change your life, but it might make
your job more fun and a little easier.
Twitter hosts a number of great resources out there
to help teachers follow people who will be useful to
them based on location, subject, grade level, and
technology being used.This social media portal is widely used among the
academia all across the world. Students, journalists,
actors, politicians, important leaders, and sports
people… they all use Twitter."Twitter is a great way to keep your students thinking after
class. You can tweet a quick provocative question about a
social studies lesson, for example, that will keep their
brains active.” says Chris O’Neal, an instructional
technology coordinator in Charlottesville, VA.

8. HOW DOES IT WORK: TWITTER FEATURES

9. • On Twitter, a username, or handle, is ones identity.
e.g @username
• A username is how you're identified on Twitter, and is always preceded
immediately by the @ symbol. For instance, Katy Perry is @katyperry.
• Handles: Usernames which help you find or tag other users.
• Top 5 Most popular twitter handles:
1. @katyperry
2. @justinbieber
3. @taylorswift13
4. @barackobama
5. @youtube
Follow my twitter handle: @esszee9

10. • Using hashtags on Twitter
• A hashtag—written with a # symbol—is used to index keywords or topics
on Twitter. This function was created on Twitter, and allows people to
easily follow topics they are interested in.
• Using hashtags to categorize Tweets by keyword:
• Use the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase in their
Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in
Twitter search.
• Clicking or tapping on a “hashtagged” word in any message
shows you other Tweets that include that hashtag.
• Hashtags can be included anywhere in a Tweet.
• “Hashtagged” words that become very popular are often Trending
Topics.
#NationalCatDay
#saudiflag
• https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalCatDay?src=hash

11. Signing up is simple and free.
Enter you email and personal info
Create a unique handle (username)
Confirm account info
You’re good to go!

12. Follow the hashtag!
Collect as much information
in 5 minutes as possible.

13. TRENDING TOPICS
• Popular topics base on your region and your interests.
• Change location to see the trending topics in any country in the world.
• “Worldwide” setting will give you trending topics all over the world.
• Handle: @trendingtopics
• Tips:
• 1. Trend Prediction: Provide studenrs with a Trending hashtag and ask them
to predict what it is. After predictions students explore the hashtag to check
their guesses.
E.g: #DALS (trending on Saturday. October 29th 2016)
2. Have them translate non-English tweets into English.

14. Twittionary: Common Twitter key
Terms
With a 140-
character limit per
tweet, abbreviations
and acronyms
abound.
@: A symbol placed
before a user’s
name that directs a
tweet to that user’s
account
RT: Retweet—when
you share someone
else’s tweet with
your followers
MT: Modified tweet—a
retweet that you’ve
made some tweaks to,
such as adding your
own comment and/or
editing the original
tweet for space
ICYMI:
In case you missed
it—use this when
reposting your own
tweet
DM:
Direct message—a
private message
that can be sent
between users
#FF: Follow Friday
a hashtag used on
Fridays to
recommend other
users to those who
follow you
Ts:
Teachers
Ss:
Students
For more visit:
http://twittona
ry.com/

15. DAILY ASPIRATIONS
#CelebrateMonday
#WedWhatIf
#ThinkThroughThurs
#TBT (Throughback Thursday)
#FollowFriday
#SadSunday
#TGIF (Thank God it’s Friday)

16. Source: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/22-ways-to-
use-twitter-for-learning-based-on-blooms-taxonomy

17. HOW TWITTER MOTIVATES STUDENTS
• Knowing that their work is going to be published and viewed
globally, enhances their productivity and pushes their thinking.
• Capturing an idea within 140 characters is a skill in itself. This allows
for creative thinking and develops the skill of synthesizing the main
idea!
• The students have learned about other cultures and geographic
areas. Twitter gives students a global voice.
• For reviewing. Classroom is transparent to parents, teachers, peers,
coordinators.
• Great to promote discussion about current themes when students go
home!

18. Tweet like a
famous person
Step1 : You're a
given famous
personality
Step2:Tweet what
you think that
person would
have liked to
tweet.
Total Time: 10
minutes

19. Task4 : Reading and writing
Explain/Su
mmarize a
film plot
badly.
#ExplainAFil
mPlotBadlyEF
L
Skills:Sum
marizing

20. THE A-Z DICTIONARY OF EDUCATIONAL
TWITTER HASHTAGS: THE MOST POPULAR
HASHTAGS
• #edchat – Education, worldwide (lots of US teachers). A really useful hashtag if you are interested in tweeting with a
wide range of educators worldwide.
• #schools – Massively wide ranging but used far less than #edchat or #ukedchat
• #teaching – This hashtag seems to largely be used for jobseeking, FYI
• #lrnchat – Learning chat
• #TT – Teacher Tuesday where educators suggest others to follow
• #kinderchat – hashtag for discussing kindergarten aged children
• #EdChatIE – The educational hashtag for Ireland for all three levels
• #ukedchat – UK Education
• #ClavEd – The educational hashtag for French Speakers – Wednesdays at 12h(EST) 13h(ATL) 18h(Paris)
• #GlobalEd – Education with a global dimension

21. DRAWBACKS
• Twitter is like a giant pit with millions of tweets online per
second. The excessive amount of content makes it impossible
for the teacher to monitor the material her students are
exposed to.
• Twitter cannot be used with young learners. The minimum age
to use Twitter is 13.
• Scams and misleading news and unauthentic information.
• Culturally inappropriate material
• Hard to monitor.

22. FURTHER RREADING
• Twitter-Tastic Teacher’s Guide!
• https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/download-the-new-twitter-tastic-teachers-
guide-3
• Twitter Packs:
http://twitterpacks.pbworks.com/w/page/22555521/FrontPage
• Edemic’s Twitterb Guide to Teachers:
http://www.edudemic.com/guides/guide-to-twitter/
• Teaching with Twitter: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-
network/blog/2012/jun/11/teaching-with-twitter
• 50 Ways to Use Twitter in Classroom: http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-
use-twitter-classroom

23. Thanks
For questions, please contact me on simizaheer@gmail.com