Presentation for University of Lethbridge pre-service teachers, exploring the professional benefits of Twitter and he basics related to its use.

1. Twitter for Educators:
Why Start Now?
Education Undergraduate Society
Kurtis Hewson
University of Lethbridge
@hewsonk27
Join the conversation
at #edteach

2. Additional Resources
• http://kurtishewson.wordpress.com
– Related additional resources and further
information
• Twitter for Pre-Service Teachers
– Scoop.It page with resources, videos and other
things related to Twitter
• http://edteachchat.wordpress.com
– Bi-weekly Twitter chat for pre-service teachers –
follow the website or get involved

3. Tweeters in the Room

4. Essential Questions
• Why start now?
• How do I start an account?
• What are some basic terms/features to know
• What are some ways I can get started
Tweeting?
• What are hashtags?
• What are chats?
• What are Twitter Clients?

5. Why Start Now
• Establish a network (PLN) of other
educators and supports prior to entering
your first classroom
• Find information fast and keep current of
trends and resources
• Develop and strengthen technology skills
• Network – open doors to connections and
possible contacts

6. Why Twitter?
Sharing from Tweeters in the room…

7. Starting an Account
• Go to http://twitter.com
• Consider:
• Choose your name wisely – consider your “brand”
for a uniform on-line presence
• Complete your profile, including a blog address
• Include profile details that will be informative to
other professionals and capture you as a
professional
• Begin tweeting and following others

8. Some basics
RT – Retweet (passing along
someone else’s tweet) – shares with
an increasing circle of followers
@ – Reply (references the initial author
or directly sends the tweet to another
user (but seen by all followers)
Shortened URL – used to shorten long
url’s (Twitter Clients do this automatically,
or go to https://bitly.com)
# – Hashtag (posts the
tweet on a list that many
more people may follow) –
distributes the tweet to a
larger, often particular
audience
Direct Message – same as an email
to a Twitter follower – only seen by
the message recipient

9. What Should I Tweet?
• Retweet others (great way to start)
• Links/resources that you find valuable
• Blog posts you’ve created
• Comments on other posts/resources
• Interesting quotes
• During presentations
• Questions you have
• Insights you have
• Thanks to those that follow

10. Hashtags
• Great way to follow a topic or get a
tweet out to a wider audience
• Will begin to observe frequently
used or useful hashtags
– #edteach, #abed, #edchat, #ntchat
• Great for creating a
conversation/backchannel
• Used for chats

11. Chats
• Utilize hashtags
• Formal chats scheduled on pre-determined topics (list on
the blog)
• Can view past chats online
• Can “participate” or just observe
• #edteach – every other Tuesday, 6 pm MST
• #ntchat – Wednesday, 6 pm MST
• Establish your own chats

12. Twitter Clients
• Make it
easy to
utilize
Twitter on
your
desktop
or mobile
device
• View
multiple
social
media
platforms

13. Next Steps
• Moderate a Twitter chat - #edteach
• Utilize Twitter with your hand-held device
• Use a Twitter client to follow hashtags
• Pictures/exemplars
• Begin building lists
• Suggest who to follow - #ff
• Connect your online presence

14. Questions and Further Support
• Questions??
• http://kurtishewson.wordpress.com
• Follow me @hewsonk27
• List of U of L Education students
– @hewsonk27/u-of-l-education-students