Are you afraid to tweet? Does the name Twitter make you
cringe? My first thoughts of Twitter
are a social network to follow people’s lives (as if you have nothing better to
do). You see and hear about Twitter
everywhere; the news, sports shows and the entertainment networks are always
referring to how they get their “updated” information about a celebrity by
reading what they tweeted. I have always viewed Twitter as a social networking
tool that allowed people you don’t know, to get involved in your business. Oh
boy was I wrong. There is a whole other side of Twitter that can help to
enhance your professional life without invading your personal life. You just
need to get over the fear of the lingo and a whole new world will open up for
you. A world of professional development as well as making professional
connections that can last a life time. These are the endless stories I hear
from those that encourage the use of Twitter.
Click on this video to get an idea what Twitter is.
When I finally took the plunge and signed up for Twitter I
began to experience the endless amounts of resources that other professionals
are so willing and at times eager to share. I was also taken back by the acts
of kindness to help each other with any question they may have, no matter what
the topic is. Twitter should be used as a professional network where you give
as much as you receive.
So, how do you start? Let me take you through my version of
a beginner Tweeter start up:
2.
Set up your profile – Try to remember, when
setting up your profile make sure you have your professional profile not your
personal profile. Your fellow Twitters do check to see if you have things in
common or at times why you are putting your posts up. If you want to put that
you like to knit or run, put that information at the end. Otherwise put what
you do for professional work and possibly your educational background.
3.
Watch – find a hash tag (a group with the same
interests) to watch. Observe what they are putting in their post to understand
the lingo and the flow. This does not take too long to understand because there
are not too many things you can say because you only have 140 characters to
post with. Some educational hash tags to follow - #digcit #edchat #emchat
#engchat #sschat #fcschat
4.
Sit with a Tweeter – If you don’t feel
comfortable I would suggest sitting with someone who has tweeted before so they
can explain and show you how it works. Doing this may take the fear away.
5.
Have Fun! – Then all you have to do is have fun
with it. Start to gather information that you may find interesting. Set up a Diigo account or a Livebinder to store all
the information you find.
6.
Take the first step and tweet – post something simple,
something as simple as a thank for sharing. And then slowly add more and more.
These are simplistic steps toward beginning to use Twitter
as a professional resource. To read a lot more about Twitter visit Cybraryman’s Blog. The blog is
loaded with information on Twitter as well as endless Educational Resources.
Cybraryman.comMy next step is to figure out how to send a link through a tweet by using a small url. Stay tuned for more Twitter updates as I start to use it more for my professional growth.
Are you using Twitter? Why or why not? What advice can you
give me for my next step using Twitter? What problems, issues, and concerns
have you encountered with using Twitter? What would you tell another teacher
about using Twitter as a professional resource tool?
When I first signed on to twitter I was very skeptical. It seemed like a whole other world! I remember that at first, I was going to use twitter as a social outlet. However when I signed up, I was completely confused. I had put twitter aside to never venture to again, until grad school. Once I learned how to use twitter in class and figure out how to tweet, I could not believe how much information was out there. The majority of my twitter use is to absorb all the information I can take in, but I have defiantly warmed up to twitter!
ReplyDeleteWow, you make it look so easy, Kate! When I have more time I'm going to come back and go through your tutorial step-by-step to set up a Twitter account. I've been avoiding it up 'til now because I've always associated it with celebrity gossip (who cares that Alec Baldwin was escorted off a plane when he refused to turn off "Words with Friends" and Tweeted about how miserably he was treated? Yet it was all over the news and radio. I had no idea that Twitter's powers could be used for good as well as for evil. :)
ReplyDeleteKate, you can try bitly.com for a URL shortener. Once you move into the next stage, try a site like Buffer or Sharealcholic. These sites offer more than just shortening a URL. I started with the Google shortener site, but switched to Bitly quickly. I did not start using Buffer until a few months ago, and like it a lot. I can show you the features once you are ready, but for now, continue to use Twitter as a research tool. When you are ready to tweet about a site, you will need the URL. Some online resources have a tweet button and wil shorten the URL, but you also want to add your own comment before the tweet goes out. Happy tweeting...!
ReplyDelete