Twitter is a microblogging service that allows users to post short text updates of up to 140 characters called tweets. The document discusses why Twitter is important for educators, including sharing resources, participating in professional development, and communicating with parents. It provides guidance on setting up an account, posting tweets, and using hashtags, mentions, and retweets. The document also offers tips for attracting followers and making connections with other educators on Twitter.

1. What’s A’Twitter?
Twitter and micro-blogging
for educators

2. What is Twitter?
Defining the phenomenon
Twitter is an online social networking and
micro-blogging service that enables its
users to send and read text-based posts of
up to 140 characters, informally known as
“tweets”.

3. Why is it Important?
Understanding the Impact
• Allows for quick transfer of information
• Easy to track information on specific
topics and interest groups
• Easy to communicate with large groups of
people or target specific groups or
individuals
• Easy to keep track of general social trends
and popular topics

4. Why Use it?
Should educators take on twitter?
• Share resources with other educators
• Participate in real-time professional
development.
• Communicate with parents
• Get updates from other educational
organizations
• Enhance learning in the classroom.

5. Twitter Vocabulary
Understanding the Lingo
• Follow To follow someone on Twitter
means to subscribe to their Tweets or
updates on the site. Find out more about
following, or learn how to follow others.
• Following Your following number reflects
the quantity of other Twitter users you
have chosen to follow on the site. Find
out more about following.

6. Twitter Vocabulary
Understanding the Lingo
• # Hashtag The # symbol, called a
hashtag, is used to mark keywords or
topics in a Tweet. It was created
organically by Twitter users as a way to
categorize messages.
• Retweet (RT) The act of forwarding
another user's Tweet to all of your
followers. Find out more about retweets.

7. Twitter Vocabulary
Understanding the Lingo
• @ Sign The @ sign is used to call out, or
“Mention”, usernames in Tweets. When a
username is preceded by the @ sign, it
becomes a link to a Twitter profile. It also
allows the tweet to show up in the
Mentions tab on the user’s Twitter page.

8. Twitter Vocabulary
Understanding the Lingo
• Timeline A real-time list of Tweets on
Twitter. See also Home Timeline.
• Trending Topics A subject algorithmically
determined to be one of the most
popular on Twitter at the moment .

9. How to Twitter
Creating an Account

10. How to Twitter
Creating an Account

11. How to Twitter
Posting a tweet

12. How to Twitter
Security and Privacy Settings
• Use a strong and unique
password
• Use common sense
when posting, don’t post
if you have a doubt.
• Use “Protect my Tweets”
options if you do not
want your tweets to be
publicly accessible.

13. Twitter Applications
Cross-platform access
• Twitter has produced official apps for
most major platforms.
(iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, etc.)
• These apps make searching, sorting and
following easier to manage.
• It is through these apps that we may have
the most success in using Twitter with
students.

14. Twitter Applications
TweetDeck (Windows, Mac)
• Allows aggregating hash tags
• Integrate with Facebook
• Automatic link shortening
• Schedule Tweets
• Manage multiple accounts

15. Attracting Followers
Find and keep your tweeps
• Upload a Profile Picture.
• Fill out a Bio.

16. Attracting Followers
Find and keep your tweeps
• Be Interesting - Don’t just Tweet about
what you had for lunch.
• Be Informative - Share links and other
resources.
• Be Interactive - Spend some time on the
site. Don’t just tweet and run.

17. Attracting Followers
Find and keep your tweeps
• Be Promotional - Don’t be afraid to share
the good work you’ve done.
• Be Personal - Respond to others and
answer questions.
• Be Considerate - There is such thing as
tweeting too much. Don’t type in ALL CAPS!

18. Making Connections
Connecting with the Experts
• http://wefollow.com/twitter/education
• This site will list some of the most
influential ‘Tweeps’ in education.
• There are many other lists and methods
of searching for people to follow.

19. Best Practices
Avoiding conflict and confusion
• Do not mix personal and school profiles.
• Any tweet cane easily be taken out of
context or misunderstood.
• Think Twice before posting.
• Remember that anyone can access the
Internet and view what you tweeted.
• Be Fair and Accurate.

20. Students and Twitter
Using twitter in the classroom
• Ensure students have the option to create
school-focused accounts that may be
separate from personal accounts.
• Create a hashtag for your class.
• Let’s try #TwitProfDev.

21. Students and Twitter
Backchannel Learning
• Using your newly-minted hashtag, have
students post to the tag as learning is taking
place.
• This is called a backchannel, and allows for
posting as questions and new ideas develop.
• Monitoring is essential.

22. Students and Twitter
The Twitter Experiment

23. Making It Relevant
Enhancing Learning with Twitter
• Have students use Twitter on their time.
• Have them tweet observations of the
world using your hashtag.
• Bring it back into the classroom for
discussion.
• Asynchronous learning.

24. One Among Many
Social Media is Everywhere
• Twitter is only one of many social
networks, online tools and sources of
connected media.
• Use what is best for you, and try not to
become too locked into a single
system, change is the only constant in the
21st Century.