Twitter Tech Tips

Twitter is a continuously growing social networking and micro-blogging tool. If you find yourself still contemplating joining the Twitter nation, here’s Common Craft’s introductory video on Twitter in Plain English.

Twitter Search in Plain English illustrates how…
•To discover emerging information
•To find trending topics
•To receive real-time news
•To use hashtags and connect information

This week I found a link via my Twitter PLN listing 6 Things You May Not Know About Twitter.
1. Jump through your Twitter profiles.
2. Hide Retweets from specific users.
3. View the timelines from Twitter profiles.
4. Keyboard shortcuts.
5. Update your Twitter username anytime.
6. Check who’s following you.

Tweets Worth Mentioning

As always, Twitter provides me with an endless supply of rich professional resources, websites, tools and networking opportunities. The past two weeks have been no exception. Here are a couple highlights from my Twitter PLN that I thought were worth passing along.

How to Solve Tough EdTech Problems: 5 Articles to Start Your Week

Google Docs Updates; Now Supports Drag and Drop File Uploading

The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You

8 Ways Technology is Improving Education

Powerful Ingredients for Blended Learning Wiki

28 Education and Technology Keywords or Hashtags to Follow on Twitter

How do we ensure specific tech tools match student learning goals? #edchat

Edchat continues to be an exciting collaborative conversation forum for educators via Twitter. Edchat discussions happen Tuesday’s on Twitter and I would invite you to participate using two simple steps:
• Login into the TweetGrid
• Follow the hashtag #edchat

Last night’s #edchat discussion revolved around the question “How do we ensure specific tech tools match student learning goals?” The discussion was very fast paced, but worthy of following because of all of the resourceful and insightful comments from Twitter’s technology PLN. Highlights from the discussion include a snapshot of the following comments:
• Committed teams of educators is the key
• It’s not about the tech tool, but the way students use the tool
• New tech tools have taken over, we cannot ignore the power of their learning potential
• New tech tools bring new energy to the learning environment
• DETA Digital Education Teacher Academy
• Tech is a means, not an end
• Do not separate tech from curriculum, integrate/infuse
• New tech tools support ‘relevant’ learning
• Don’t focus on the tech, focus on learning goals at hand
• Many web tools are blocked by districts
• Tech tools needs to be taught & modeled with best teaching practices
• Focus should be on developing sound pedagogy
• How do we evaluate the value of a tech tool?
• Application of knowledge are signs of learning and understanding
• Educators should be using tech tools everyday
• Is education overwhelmed by technology?

Finally, a Wordle from last night’s edchat created by web20classroom lists a culmination of key words from this week’s topic.

My Personal Learning Network

Building my own personal learning network (PLN) has been professionally rewarding. Next to my graduate studies, my dedication to developing my PLN has been an invaluable investment. Connecting with technology professionals, educational experts and creative individuals through such networks as:
Twitter
EdTech Talk
Classroom 2.0
The Future of Education
Canadian 21st Century Teacher-Librarians

The opportunities to connect locally, provincially, nationally and globally 24/7 have open up dialogue for critical thinking conversations on a variety of educational topics to support my professional learning, which in turns allows new knowledge to be woven into my instructional practices. My PLN provides daily support, gives answers, asks questions, and shares resources.

Look beyond your classroom, your school, your district…there is a global PLN out there ready to
Connect, Communicate, Converse

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."
~Winnie the Pooh

Twitter #edchat

Edchat has become an exciting collaborative conversation forum for educators via Twitter. Edchat discussions happen Tuesday’s on Twitter in two different time zones – 12pm and 7pm (ET).
• Follow the hashtag #edchat
• Each week hosts a new educational topic

There are great bloggers who have explained, in detail, Twitter and edchats. Here are just a few samples:
Teacher Reboot Camp
The Cool Cat Teacher
Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom

I participated in my first edchat discussion on August 18th and was pleasantly surprised at the thought-provoking discussions with last Tuesday’s topic “What Objectives are Necessary for Effective Tech Integration?”
• Technology should become increasingly transparent
• Innovative educators needed
• Do innovative educators always equal good educators?
• Encourage and engage colleagues
• Teachers engaged in teaching; students engaged in learning
• Explore new resources and tools
• Focus on content, not the technology
• Tell admin, show admin, involve admin
• Tech needs to be adopted, not adapted!

I found myself continually refreshing my Twitter page as the conversations were lively and constantly evolving from people joining in throughout the evening. Is this kind of conversation worthwhile? Absolutely! I have added a number of new technology experts to my professional learning network (PLN), and have gained new followers who share in my educational interest in technology.

Dare to Tweet in #edchat…it will do your PLN good!

Twitter: What Are You Doing?

The Power of Twitter
Well, the secret of Twitter is really out! Last month, Twitter was revealed to millions more as Oprah sent out her first tweet on April 17th Friday’s Live Show. I suspect Twitter will be a little more crowded now because everything Oprah endorses explodes in popularity. Recently there have also been a number of ‘Twitter Wars’ between media moguls and celebrities, all competing for the title of Twitter King or Queen. It is easy to dismiss this tool as frivolous and a waste of time. Everyone has their own reason for using Twitter – personal, professional or both.
Although Twitter was developed in San Francisco in 2006, I have only been tweeting since 2008. I had a little trepidation at first, not knowing exactly what was worthy of saying in 140 characters or less. In the beginning I truly did not understand the power of this application. However, the more I use it, the more I understand Twitter’s power in building networks and facilitating professional connections. For the most part, I choose to follow people, institutions or industry experts working within the field of education (public, private, government), technology and media specialists, and Web 2.0 enthusiasts.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a tweet from someone I was following stating that he had just updated his blog with a posting titled 3 Reasons Why Twitter Works in Education. The blog posting described Twitter in three words:
·Simple
·Communication
·Connections

Twitter is simple. It gives users quick, short updates leaving readers the choice to follow a link for extended reading, or skip over and continue browsing tweets.

Twitter is an instant communicative platform that networks and connects with others who may have similar interests, thus creating social and professional connections that establish online relationships which may prove to be professionally beneficial.

The University of Minnesota has officially sanctioned using Twitter as part of their Digital Media program as outlined by Terry Freedman in his article Twitter in the Classroom.

Tim O’Reilly has much to say in his commentary Why I Love Twitter. Six key points outline the “architectural features” that O’Reilly finds impressive – simple, cooperative, sustains natural social grouping with privacy support, provides alternate interfacing, and is an ever-evolving application. O’Reilly specifically describes more of Twitter’s benefits as being able to:
-pass along tidbits of news
-follow interesting people
-learn from others
-track interesting ideas
-shape the future

Local, national and international media has jumped on the Twitter train. Marshall Kirkpatrick gave interesting insight into How We Use Twitter for Journalism on the ReadWriteWeb last spring. I receive Twitter updates from my local media outlets such as the Edmonton Journal, CTV Edmonton news, and Global Edmonton.

To sum up, Twitter is a simple communicative outlet that allows people from around the globe to network and connect.

What about the educational implications of this Web 2.0 tool?