Slide 1:Twitter Twitter Tweet Tweet IA


Slide 2:By the end of this e-torial, you will be able to: Communicate using a micro-blogging system Create a learning network Learn on the fly! This e-torial makes use of the following programmes or tools: Browsers: Internet Explorer/Firefox Twitter (an online tool) Outcomes Tools


Slide 3:What is micro-blogging Some motivation to twitter (or not) What do your tweets say about you? Get twittering! Sign up Update your settings Create your first tweet Some guidelines Reading and replying to tweets Re-tweeting Create your twitter learning network Directories, lists and networks Followers More things you can do with twitter: Twitter straight from your cell phone Direct messages Change your profile picture Finding stuff: Using Hashtags # More resources and reading Discussion


Slide 4:What are you doing right now? Tell me all about it in 140 or less words!!! Some reading…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-blogging Nine reasons why you should use twitter in schools # Interesting Ways to use Twitter in the Classroom (a collaborative effort) Why would I like to know about what you are doing all the time? Video: Click here to Play


Slide 5:Cosand became a Twitterer about a year ago, and he now considers Twitter one of his best sources of real-time professional development. "I'm able to get information and find opportunities I wouldn't have been able to gather on my own," he says. Teachers who are fans say they appreciate the easy-to-use tool as a quick way to network with colleagues. They like being able to ask and answer questions, learn from experts, share resources, and react to events on the fly. Critics argue that it's nothing but a high tech distraction. Meanwhile, new ideas for using Twitter in education continue to emerge and evolve. The best way to weigh the pros and cons of this free tool is to try it for yourself What articles are you looking at? Live reporting from an event Check out this cool new resource Source : http://www.edutopia.org/twitter-professional-development-technology-microblogging


Slide 6:Are the tweets helpful? Would you like to have him/her in your network? What does this person do for a living? What is s(h)e tweeting about?


Slide 7:What does this person do for a living? What is s(h)e tweeting about? Are the tweets helpful? Would you like to have him/her in your network?


Slide 8:What does this person do for a living? What is s(h)e tweeting about? Are the tweets helpful? Would you like to have him/her in your network?


Slide 9:What does this person do for a living? What is s(h)e tweeting about? Are the tweets helpful? Would you like to have him/her in your network?


Slide 10:Use Twitter to tell “the world” about the challenges you face as a subject advisor/teacher Go to www.twitter.com (or type it into the address bar) Click on “Get started-Join” I ACTIVITY Start all your tweets with @subjectadvisors (or mention #subjectadvisors somewhere in your tweet)


Slide 11:Type in your: Full names(Twitter is about real people!) Username (Make it relevant) Password (choose something that you will remember) E-mail address Type the code accurately Click onI accept Create my account Peter Pumpkin Peterp ************* PeterP@gmail.com Newins spondent You will be given some peeps to follow. Pick a few who look interesting


Slide 12:Click on Settings Fill in your real name otherwise we will not be able to find you! Your username and e-mail should be filled in already Change your time zone to(GMT+2) Pretoria Fill in your web/blog address or (www.thutong.org.za) One line Bio: A little about who you are Location: District + Town Click on Save Peter Pumpkin http://www.thutong.org.za Mathematics subject advisor Pretoria South Africa


Slide 13:Go ahead, tell us about the problems and challenges you face as a teacher/subject advisor. Remember you only have 140 characters! Update your status! If you cannot say it in 140 characters, feel free to do a few tweets…….tweet ……tweet…….. You cannot POSSIBLY have THAT many problems now can you???


Slide 14:DO: Use good language Share good learning resources Ask questions and give answers/opinions Think before you tweet Add value to your network……… DON’T: Use ALL CAPS (it is screaming) Tweet in an “altered state” Forget to credit those tweets that you are passing on (re-tweeting- RT) ……… Remember that your tweets are very public


Slide 15:Tweets are in reverse chronological order, according to time, with the newest at the top. If you click on Home, you will see all the tweets of the people you are following If you want to reply to a tweet hit the reply arrow or include @theotherpersonsusername in your tweet To read anybody’s tweets, click on their twitter name eg www.twitter.com/heyjudeonline If you want to find a specific tweet again you can mark it as a favourite, using the star next to the tweet.


Slide 16:Re-tweeting is a way to pass on valuable links and resources from your network to your followers Copy and paste the original tweet into the Update window Add RT for “retweet” (it is short!) in front of the @persons’s name Re-tweeting people’s tweets also make them aware that you value their contribution and they will probably follow you, building a stronger network kjarrettRT @shareski RE: PLCs. "If everything is mandated and structured. It fails. Same with classrooms." RT


Slide 17:Important to read the person’s Bio or blog and look at their tweets before you decide to follow him or her……. A colleague, teacher…. Someone I can learn with/from… Someone who will share… An expert in the field Someone……? Click on Find People Type name in search window Click search Look if it is the person that you want to follow Click follow!!!!!! Wesley Fryer Who should I follow? How?


Slide 18:Another effective way to find twitter learning partners: Find someone who share the same interests / subject area as you. Click on their picture and choose Follow Click on THEIR network and explore/follow some of their contacts Some of my learning Gurus!!! Some teachers!!! Conferences Some friends!! If someone does not “live up to your expectations”, remove them from your network


Slide 19:More ways to find twitter learning and teaching partners: Consult educator directories, social networks and lists: Twitter4teachers (A global wiki to add to) Educators on twitter (add yourself to the directory here) South African educators or join sateachers twibe Twitterpacks Top 100 edu-tweeps (twitterers/tweople) ;-) Tweet4education (A social network of twittering teachers writing a book to help teachers to twitter!) Twitter for professional development Good idea: Go through at least 2 pages of a person’s tweets before deciding if the person will be of value on your learning pathway!


Slide 20:If a person has an undesirable profile you can block them from following you! But remember, your tweets might just educate them! That is a good thing. It means that you are adding value to the twitter-sphere and growing your learning network! You will get an e-mail telling you that someone is following you Go to their profile page, read their tweets, Bio/blog and decide if you want to follow them back or not At the top of their page, click on Follow You will be able to send them a direct private message once they are following you Help, I am being followed!!!!!


Slide 21:Twitter straight from your cell phone Just send and SMS to 447624801423(The cell phone that you send from must be the one registered with Twitter! See Devices under settings) Send meeting notifications Twitter a meeting from your phone Your twitter can become a notice board for your teachers…..? To receive @replies and DM’s on your cell phone register with www.twe2.com Send a direct message (DM) to someone


Slide 22:Click on Direct messages Click on the dropdown and select the person Type your message Send Will this message be private or will it show up in my timeline? Your intended person will receive the twitter in his/her e-mail inbox as well! Video: Click to play You can only send DM’s to someone who is following you.


Slide 23:Decide how much of yourself you would like to show in your Bio. Stick to your interests/ occupation rather than give out too much personal information! Link your Bio to your blog or school/organisational website. To change your Bio or website address, go to Settings (See slide 12) We always need to be aware of how much information we divulge, whether it is in our Bio or in our tweets! If you feel strongly about your privacy, you can protect your twitter account, which means that people have to ask to follow you What about privacy?


Slide 24:Do I need to have a profile picture? A profile picture gives people a visual sense of who you are / would like to be / see yourself…… What do these pictures tell you about the person? Who is the….Librarian, Maths teacher, Academic, Learning activist, Gardener, Primary school teacher, Lifelong learner, Technology director, Biology teacher, English teacher ???? Who are these people???? Your picture becomes a connection point! So please change this boring brown one for one that makes sense…..


Slide 25:Click on Settings ? Picture Browse to a suitable picture of yourself on your PC A real picture of yourself is encouraged! If you are shy, upload an Avatar (a picture representing you) You can also change the background of your main twitter page (Settings? Design? Upload a picture


Slide 26:How can I find specific tags and tweets about topics? Click on Home Type in your search term in the search window on the right eg mathematics or subjectadvisors It is important to “tag” your tweet by inserting a “marker” (a searchable) word into it using hashtags #. Create a tag that will be unique to your topic or group When you twitter about twitter and how it can be used for teaching and learning, please use the hashtag #twitter4ed Maths


Slide 27:Twitter handbook for teachersA basic down to earth guide Twitter for education tagged resources On Delicious On DiigoA search across the tags education and twitter using these book-marking systems Twitter search for the hash-tags #twitter and #education or #twitter4ed I better join the twitter revolution!!!! There are also lots of applications (software) that have been created to accommodate the use of twitter for all kinds of purposes


Slide 28:How can a micro-blogging tool accommodate communication and learning? What drawbacks can there be in using a tool like this one? What skills will you need to use tools like these? If the tool must fit the purpose, how, when and where will you use this tool as a SA/teacher?


Slide 29:This e-torial was developed by maggiev for the Department of Education for use by subject advisors and teachers in South Africa All e-turials can be found on the Thutong portal: www.thutong.org.za Follow some tweets: www.twitter.com/maggiev www.twitter.com/thutong