January 18, 2013 - Have you Tweeted this week?

Have you tweeted this week??

This week for our tech tidbit, I am recommending joining Twitter (www.twitter.com) and creating your own Personal Learning Network.  Even if you subscribe to twitter and never send out your own ‘tweets’, you can still benefit from the 140 character bursts of information that others share in the ‘twitterverse’.

Begin by creating a username (preferably one close to your own), uploading a photo, and filling in your bio. Then twitter website’s Twitter Teacher will begin to walk you through the process of how to tweet, follow celebrities (you can delete these followings later if you like) and locate friends on twitter using your e-mail addresses.   In addition, you can begin to follow other teachers and educators you know, such as Brenda Sherry (@brendasherry) and Mary Kay Goindi  (@MKGoindi ) as well as other key figures in the world (educational or not).  Doug Peterson @dougpete is a fantastic resource for up-to-date technology in education as is @PLPNetwork (the Powerful Learning Practice) and one recent twitter account which has become a huge sensation (and wonderful resource for  students as well) is astronaut Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) who has been tweeting and uploading photos from the International Space Station..  

Some may question the benefits of twitter, especially after the well-known thought that it is only about publicizing what you ate for lunch, however twitter has become so much more.   By reading what others are tweeting about (often news articles) and growing your list of whom you follow, you are able to build your Personal Learning Network and professional knowledge.  Once you are comfortable you may wish to send out your own tweets or  ‘re-tweet’ what others have said, to your own followers.  Then when you have a challenge you are facing or are looking for a resource, you can ‘tweet out’ your questions and watch the assistance pour in.

Don’t forget, you can view who others are following and click on ‘follow’ to begin following them as well thus growing your list of whom you are following exponentially.

Please feel free to follow myself (@smanzerolle) or the others I have mentioned above to begin your own PLN.  If there are any questions please feel free to ask…

Good luck and happy tweeting!

Stace