Twitter

//Image used under a Creative Commons License.// //Created by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano: Langwitches [|www.langwitches.org/blog]// //Globally Connected Learning [|www.globallyconnectedlearning.com]// //[|Langwitches-21st century learning and teaching]// //[]//

Why Create a PLN?
From A 21st Century Professional Development Proposal:
 * **Teachers become more aware** - of new research, new strategies, new educators, and new ideas that can enhance and impact their teaching and learning
 * **Teachers become connected-** they develop learning networks as they meet teachers with similar interests and issues
 * **T****eachers become empowered -** as they take control and responsibility of their own professional growth.
 * **Teachers become a model** - With first hand experience on how to operate in a 21st century learning environment, teachers become equipped to demonstrate and model learning behaviors and strategies for their students
 * **Teachers become confident**-Teachers feel appreciated and respected for their contributions and knowledge and become confident and more competent in their own teaching practice
 * **Teachers become** **a connected community****-** teachers who share, learn, and connect become leaders inside and outside of their classrooms
 * **Teachers become Learners** - the most important requirement to being a 21st Century educator - don't you think?

Why Connect with Twitter?

 * Bite-sized professional development
 * Connect beyond boundaries of time and geography
 * Share ideas and resources with others
 * Receive just-in-time support
 * Create new learning opportunities for students by connecting with your network

Tips for Getting Started Building a PLN
1. Use the same username/ID across your online presences if possible. And choose a username that is short (10 characters or less if possible - after all, you only have 140 characters, and if someone wants to "retweet" or share what you posted, you don't want your username taking up all the space). 2. It truly is a conversation - give and take, interact and share! 3. Start slowly and build your network! 4. Think about if you want to separate your professional and personal communities and identities.



Think of it as bite-sized professional development. And, you can't read it all, so don't try!
Let's look at the environment through my Twitter account.


 * Twitter lingo:**
 * RT:** ReTweet - republishing someone's original "Tweet" or update - keeping the original publisher's ID is the polite thing to do
 * @:** A tweet that refers to another Twitter user - useful for "retweeting" and for replying (publicly) to another's tweet
 * Hashtag - this is a way to have a common tag (keyword) around an event, topic, or person. For example #ascd or #edchat when added to a post it makes it easy to search using that tag and find all related tweets. Watch for hashtags for events, such as #sotu (State of the Union)
 * D:** Direct Message - a private message that only you and the recipient can see

And - website URLs are often shortened within twitter to save characters!

Twitter Basics from twitter may be helpful as you get started with the twitter environment. Prefer a handout? Try this 2 page Introduction to Twitter( PDF)

Get started at twitter!
1. Sign up at Twitter for an account. 2. Complete your bio so others know who you are and what interests you. And, an image is helpful too! 3. Follow me - Visit [|@ckendall]and click on the follow button. I will then introduce you to the Twitter world and encourage others to follow you. 4. Post a "tweet" and introduce yourself. 5. Explore Twitter4Teachersand a broader set of twitter users at We Follow to find others to follow - be sure to look at others' lists - use experienced twitter-ers

**Management tips!**

 * 1. Use Twitter's Lists to group those you follow.** By grouping "like" people, you can easily view content that is somewhat related. IFor example, I have groups for Ed Tech, World Languages, Family and Friends, Frequent Posters.


 * 2. Have multiple networks to manage? Want a more manageable view of your lists and twitter content? Use a utility.** Managing Twitter through Tweetdeck allows you to view columns associated with your lists as well as create new groups/lists. This effectively sorts your incoming information for you and makes it easy to reply, retweet, and direct message. Are you on facebook? Buzz? Linked In? Four Square? Then a management utility will save you time as Tweetdeck can manage all these environments and more. I can simulaneously view my entire network and cross post to multiple environments at once right from Tweetdeck. I can also create columns for hashtag terms.

Alternative web-based manager: Hootsuite. And of course, there are many apps for your smart phone.

Twitter and the classroom
I've bookmarked several examples of Twitter in the classroom, workplace, blog posts, uses, impressions, etc. And here is an exampleof someone asking via Twitter why and how Wordlecan be used in education. Ready for more? Check out the Ultimate Twitter Guidebook for Teachers

Edmodo is a microblogging environment specifically designed for the K-12 classroom. You can set up a protected environment for students to use microblogging, and updates can be sent as text messages, etc. Here are my bookmarks about Edmodo in the classroom. Edmodo goes beyond microblogging in that files, assignments and more can be shared.