This document provides guidance for teachers on using Twitter professionally. It explains how to set up an account, maintain 120 characters for retweets, include links, photos and hashtags. It emphasizes using Twitter to communicate with parents, build community, and establish an identity while maintaining privacy and appropriate content. Twitter can be used to find and share resources, engage in discussions, and stay informed on issues in early childhood education.

1. *
Dr. Trisha Craig tcraig@wheelock.edu @WheelockSpore
Executive Director, Wheelock College Singapore

2. * What is a Tweet?
* 140 characters but
stick to 120 to allow
‘re-tweeting’
* May include links to
articles, photos or
videos OR just a
sentence.
* Links will use up some
of your character
allotment
*
© Trisha Craig 2013
* Communicate with the
parents of your
students with more
frequency
* Create and maintain a
community of teachers
* Establish your own
professional identity or
brand

3. * Set up an account at https://twitter.com/
* Pick a name that is professional and
descriptive: MissJoansK1 or TeacherDinahsClass
* Keep your professional and personal twitter
accounts separate
* Find sites to follow: @WheelockSpore and
@LastBackpack When you follow people, you
will get their tweets. When people follow you,
they will get your tweets.
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

4. * To send a tweet, begin by clicking the compose
icon:
* You could say, for example: At #ECDA Early
Childhood Conference 2013. Inspired by so many
fellow teachers!
* You would have 62 characters left.
* Using a hashtag (#) is a way of tagging your post so
that other people can find it by searching on that
term. Really popular terms ‘trend’.
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

5. * Perhaps you want to add a photo to your
tweet. Use the camera icon to upload a
picture.
This will reduce your remaining
characters.
* Maybe there is an article that you like and
want to tweet the link:
http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/em
brace-right-tech-early-years But that is too
long!
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

6. * There are websites that will shorten the link for you
and you simply copy the new link.
* www.Bitly.com or www.Tinyurl.com
* Now you can tweet it: http://bit.ly/15yQCaO or
http://tinyurl.com/l2atxbr It goes from 68
characters to around 25.
* A good tweet would let your followers know what it
is and that you think this is worth reading:
* Here's an article on technology in the ECE classroom:
http://tinyurl.com/l2atxbr by @WheelockSpore and @l
astbackpack And you still have 27 characters left!
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

7. * You’ve seen a tweet you think others would
appreciate and you want to send it. It’s the same
concept as forwarding an email.
* You can use the Retweet button to send it to your
followers:
* Or if you want to add a comment, copy the tweet
and add RT and the original username so people
know it’s not your content:
* Love these books! RT @PublicLibrarySG
Children’s Books by Famous “Adult” Lit
Authors http://bit.ly/oXD8MY
*
© Trisha Craig 2013
7 Obscure

8. * Tweet pictures of your classroom to parents before
the school year starts so they can show it to
children and help them feel familiar: Looking
forward to meeting my new N1 students on Monday!
* Describe a new module you’re planning and ask for
parents’ help: We’re running a restaurant this
week! Pls send in photo of your family's favourite
dish so we can add it to the menu.
* Celebrate an achievement: So proud that everyone
is learning to share. #developmentalmilestone
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

9. *Remember, Twitter is a public platform.
Exercise common sense:
* Take photos in such a way that don’t show
children’s faces.
Show their work
or
compose the shot to obscure faces
* If you are taking the children on a field trip,
don’t tweet the location prior to the trip, talk
about it afterwards.
* Establish Centre practices and community norms.
* Don’t criticize children, colleagues or workplace
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

10. * In the broader scheme of Singapore, preschool
teachers must help raise the profession’s image –
Become informed! Comment and tweet about the
news and opinion. Look at the Straits Times or Today
Online. Stories online have a tweet icon
Use
this to send a story out to your network
* Set up a Google Alert:
http://www.google.com.sg/alerts You will get an
email and link to stories that contain the alert such as
Singapore preschool. Then you can tweet any stories
that you think are of interest.
* Use Twitter to find information to help your practice:
for example, see what happens when you search
twitter for best preschool apps.
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

11. * If there is an area you are especially
interested in, you can establish yourself and
your own brand with that in mind.
* https://twitter.com/Teach_Preschool
* @LisaGuernsey
* You establish your credibility and authority by
providing an interesting voice and pointing
people to worthwhile sites. In essence, you
become a curator of information.
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

12. * PublicLibrarySG @PublicLibrarySG
* MOE Singapore @MOEsg
* MSF @MSFSingapore
* Lee Hsien Loong @leehsienloong
* Education.com @preschoolers (US site but lots
of interesting links to downloadables)
*
© Trisha Craig 2013

13. *
* Is there twitter content you
would like?
* What would be most useful:
* Ideas from peers about
things they’ve tried
* Place you could ask
questions
* Links to cutting edge
research on Early Childhood
* Links to classroom resources
to download
* Tweet us your suggestions
using @WheelockSpore in
your tweet
© Trisha Craig 2013