I personally use Twitter to connect with educators and other people and companies who are involved in education. I have found my Twitter connections have formed the basis of my Professional Learning Network and I am amazed by all I have learned from them.
I have recently begun participating in Twitter chats. I am still figuring out if this type of professional dialogue works for me. I know it definitely works for many others and, as someone who provides professional development for educators, I feel it is important to explore all of my options for expanding my reach. I have organized a few resources here in case you are in the same position I am...exploring!
FYI, you can find me on Twitter at cummingsl. I also tweet as os_edtech.
I have recently begun participating in Twitter chats. I am still figuring out if this type of professional dialogue works for me. I know it definitely works for many others and, as someone who provides professional development for educators, I feel it is important to explore all of my options for expanding my reach. I have organized a few resources here in case you are in the same position I am...exploring!
FYI, you can find me on Twitter at cummingsl. I also tweet as os_edtech.
Twitter Chats
Twitter chats involve the synchronous use of Twitter. People with similar interests get on Twitter on a specific day and time to talk about their common interest. Twitter chats almost always have a moderator or two to guide the conversation. Topics for the chat are usually selected ahead of time.
A hashtag is used to identify the tweets that are part of the conversation. Some examples are: #edtechchat, #miched, #udlchat, #wleced
During a Twitter chat, all tweets should include the hashtag for that chat so that the tweets are part of the conversation.
Moderators will pose questions. Questions are identified by Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. When you answer a particular question, you should use A1, A2, A3, etc. to correlate your answer to the correct question. Note: Don't forget to also include the chat's hashtag!
It is okay to lurk in a Twitter chat when you are new to the process. I have done this a few times just to see how things work and to become more accustomed to the disjointed nature of the conversation.
You can participate directly from Twitter by searching for your Twitter chat's hashtag. You would then choose to see the "top tweets" or "all tweets" for that hashtag. I find it is best to choose "all tweets." You can also use tools like Tweetdeck and Twubs to participate in a Twitter chat.
Twitter chats are a good way to meet new people who share your interests, gain knowledge, share your ideas and expertise, and grow your professional learning network.
Check out this list of popular education hashtags that also includes hashtags for some of the best Ed Chats. You should be able to find a Twitter chat or two that is of interest to you to try out.
A hashtag is used to identify the tweets that are part of the conversation. Some examples are: #edtechchat, #miched, #udlchat, #wleced
During a Twitter chat, all tweets should include the hashtag for that chat so that the tweets are part of the conversation.
Moderators will pose questions. Questions are identified by Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. When you answer a particular question, you should use A1, A2, A3, etc. to correlate your answer to the correct question. Note: Don't forget to also include the chat's hashtag!
It is okay to lurk in a Twitter chat when you are new to the process. I have done this a few times just to see how things work and to become more accustomed to the disjointed nature of the conversation.
You can participate directly from Twitter by searching for your Twitter chat's hashtag. You would then choose to see the "top tweets" or "all tweets" for that hashtag. I find it is best to choose "all tweets." You can also use tools like Tweetdeck and Twubs to participate in a Twitter chat.
Twitter chats are a good way to meet new people who share your interests, gain knowledge, share your ideas and expertise, and grow your professional learning network.
Check out this list of popular education hashtags that also includes hashtags for some of the best Ed Chats. You should be able to find a Twitter chat or two that is of interest to you to try out.