This document summarizes a workshop on using Twitter at conferences and as a personal learning network. The agenda includes introductions, an overview of Twitter features like retweets and hashtags, tools for Twitter like TweetChat and TwitPic, how to find people to follow and get followers, and next steps for using Twitter. The workshop provides advice on using hashtags to make tweets searchable, shortening URLs, finding and engaging with others on Twitter around topics like #AdultEd and #VAILL, and spending time on Twitter each day.

1. Nell Eckersley
USING TWITTER
AT CONFERENCES
& AS A PLN
VAILL | Workshop Block 5 | Thursday, July 11 | 1:30-3:00 PM

2. http://wiffiti.locamoda.com/
2#VAILL

3. Agenda
• Introductions
• What is Twitter?
• Retweets
• The Power of the Hashtag
• Interactions and Mentions
• Shortening Links for Tweets (and other purposes)
• Twitter at Conferences: How to find people to follow & how to get
people to follow you
• Helpful tools
• TweetChat
• Paper.Li
• TwtPoll
• TwitPic
3#VAILL

4. LINCS Community
4
https://community.lincs.ed.gov/group/technology-and-learning

5. 5
https://twitter.com/
#VAILL

6. What Can You Say in 140 Characters?
6#VAILL

7. Retweets
•RT @Username
7#VAILL

8. The Power of the Hashtag
• #EdTech
• #AdultEd
• #VAILL
8#VAILL

9. 9
Hashtags
• Make the content of your
Tweet easier to find for
other people interested in
the same topic
#VAILL

10. 10
Hashtags
• Used as a rhetorical device
#VAILL

11. 11
Hashtags
• Are not case
sensitive, but using
uppercase and lowercase
letters can make them
easier to read
#VAILL

12. 12
Hashtags
• Anyone can make up a
hashtag, but for it to
be useful as a search
term, others have to
use it for the same
consistent purpose
#VAILL

13. 13
Interactions and Mentions
#VAILL

14. Anatomy of a Good Tweet
14#VAILL

15. Shortened URLS
• http://ipadeducators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/preparing-your-
school-for-an (73 characters)
• http://bit.ly/YZ8Jlk (20 characters)
15#VAILL

16. Shortening Links for your Tweets
16
You can use BitLy to shorten URL’s without creating an account
#VAILL

17. Customizing Your Shortened URL
But if you create an account on BitLy.com, you can customize your
shortened URLS
Go from http://bit.ly/YZ8Jlk to http://bit.ly/iPadinEd
17#VAILL

18. Analytics
With an account
you can also
track how
many times the
URL you
created has
been clicked.
18#VAILL

19. QR Code
And with or without an
account, you can make any of
the shortened URLS into a QR
Code by adding .qr at the end
19#VAILL

20. Finding People to Follow
• Most websites have a Twitter follow button
• Search hashtags and words #AdultEd #VAILL
• When you find one person to follow, see who they follow
20#VAILL

21. Search Twitter
• Search on http://Twitter.com for people, keywords or hashtags
• Search on http://Search.Twitter.com for keywords or hashtags
even if you don’t have a Twitter account
• Track hashtags and tweet from http://tweetchat.com/
21#VAILL

22. #VAILL 22
Helping People to Find and Follow You
• Use recognized hashtags (like the conference hashtag)
• Tweet useful content (links are good)
• Follow people (some follow back)
• Retweet people (they might follow you)
• Include your Twitter handle on your business card and your email
signature

23. http://tweetchat.com/
23#VAILL

24. http://paper.li/
24http://paper.li/LACNYCnell/1320940472#VAILL

25. http://twtpoll.com
25#VAILL

26. http://twitpic.com
26#VAILL

27. 27https://support.twitter.com/articles/64986-how-to-report-spam-on-twitter##VAILL

28. What to Do Right Now?
• Find five people to follow:
@LACNYCnell, @NCLAdvocacy, @LINCS_ED for example
• Search for people using #AdultEd and #VAILL
• Search for your favorite hobby, writer, singer, actor
• Think of a Twitter name and some alternatives (short is better)
• Create a Twitter account on Twitter.com
• Retweet one tweet and create one of your own tweets
Remember to use hashtags
28#VAILL

29. What to Do in the Next Few Weeks
• Spend 15 minutes on Twitter every (morning)
• reading
• retweeting
• following new people
• Try HootSuite or receiving tweets as sms text messages
29#VAILL

30. 30
Nell Eckersley
•Twitter: @LACNYCNell
•Email: NellE@LACNYC.org
•http://www.scoop.it/t/twitter-in-adult-education
#VAILL