Twitter



Twitter is fast becoming one of the most talked about social networking sites in educational circles. Educators all over are realizing the benefits using Twitter has on the profession and are encouraging other educators to start using the service. One of the reasons Twitter is so important to educators is that it provides an incredible foundation for the building of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). These networks are providing educators with the feedback, resources, and tools necessary to incorporate 21st Century Skill into the classroom. Twitter is not only good for creating a global collaborative faculty room, it can also be used very effectively in the classroom to communicate with students and parents. Unfortunately, without some initial guidance it can be easy to miss the point of using Twitter. This page of the wiki has been set up to give you a starting point and to make the value of Twitter apparent from the beginning.

Common Misconceptions:


 * 1) "Twitter users just post "tweets" about what they are having for breakfast and other trivial stuff." Where this is true for some Twitter users, it is definitely not the reality for most. Many educators use Twitter to post links to articles, blogs, Web 2.0 sites, and other items on the web that relate to education. If you do follow people who tweet useless information, you always have he option to stop following them, which will remove their updates from your feed.
 * 2) "I don't have time to use Twitter." There is no rule that says you have to read every tweet that is posted to your feed, but if you have time to read through a handful of posts you will definitely find useful information and resources. Especially if you are following the right people. It is also very likely that you will find resources posted to Twitter that will save you considerable time. Teachers have spent years squirreling away every resource they can get there hands on. Why not take advantage of the capability to build a network of teachers from around the globe willing to share these resources?
 * 3) "I would use Twitter but it is blocked in my district." Although this is true for many school districts, Twitter was unblocked in the HPSD near the end of last school year. During that time Twitter has been used by both teachers and students for educational purposes.


 * Set Up and Finding Followers:**


 * 1) Visit www.twitter.com
 * 2) Click on the yellow sign up button and follow the directions. You may want to watch the YouTube video, How To Use Twitter.
 * 3) Watch this screen cast on following our recommended Twitter users.
 * 4) Add teachers from Tweepml. This is a list of 25 teachers that tweet about education.

[|Can Tweeting Help You Teaching?] Nine great reasons why teachers should use twitter. 100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter.
 * Web Resources:**


 * How to use Twitter for the K12 Classroom - From LearnitN5:**

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 * YouTube Example of Using Twitter in the Classroom:**

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