Activity 1: Getting started with twitter

[Maggie Verster]

Twitter is not just a hyped new age fad, it has become a powerful tool for communication, teaching and learning. We will, for the next week, register for a twitter account, start using it as a communication channel, learn a few tricks and explore how we can use it in our classrooms and to create learning networks. Please watch (feel free to download) this learning object (LO).We willl pull out some of the slides in this discussion to get some personal stories and perspectives as well as additional ideas.

Twitter tutorial for teachers

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Here are some steps to get us all on the same page (more or less ;-)

Step 1:

Register (if you do not have a twitter account yet) for an account:

Registering for twitter

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Step 2:

Post your user ID (twitter username) here (in the comment box below) so that we can add and follow you

Step 3

Send your first tweet and say hallo to us in twitter. Important: Add #blogtwit1 to your tweet so that we can track all workshop tweets:eg

Step 4:

You can add the following co-workshopees/facilitators as twitter friends so long. Please scan their tweets and then click on the follow link just beneath their names. Their tweets will then appear in your HOME stream. We will later look at ways to add a whole lot of people to your network at the same time. Before you add them.....look at who they are......scan/read at least 1 page of their twitters.....visit their blog/website if they have one.....THEN follow..... If they do not have many tweets, welcome them profusely!!!

@maggiev @scox2702 @wcedlearn @sueaus @cohsapaa @bhallowes @tracychagami @mariefarren @cyndidannerkuhn @riette_roos @khanyiso @dkbrear @Melaniedebruyn @Ariellah @mariefarren @GaylinU @DianeHolmes (will add as we go along...)

Step 5:

Reply to some of the tweets that speak to you, or just be friendly! Just add the person's @twittername to what you want to say to them. To find people who are talking to you but not following you, click on @yourtwittername in the green strip on the right.

Step 6:

Come back to this activity thread and tell us how things are going. Reply to others in this thread and follow on with comments/stories/questions as I upload slides into this discussion....

Steps 7-10

Keep Twitter open in your browser, tweet--> read--->tweet--->read-->.......tweet tweet

[Cyndi Danner-Kuhn]

Here is the resource page from my summer class. I teach Technology for Teaching and Learning to future teachers. In other words, elementary & secondary education majors. When you get to the link page, scroll down a bit (below the Voicethread stuff) and you will find all my resources and information about Twitter that I gave my summer class.
Hope you find it useful.
http://summerded318.cdkedplace.info/DED318Summer/Day3-July8.html

[Maggie Verster]

Thanx Cyndi - we will go and explore and I will tag it to this workshop!

Great done!

[Brenda Hallowes]

Thanks for posting this resource Cyndi. It's really helpful

[Maggie Verster]

Twitter Id's: Just reply to this little tread and insert your twitter ID:

Also, Don't forget to add #blogtwit1 into your tweets.....

[Maggie Verster]

Maggie: @maggiev

[Larry Rosbach]

Larry Rosbach: My twittername is @cohsappa

[Jeff Trevaskis]

My twitter username is: @jefftrev

[Maggie Verster]

Another "getting started" guide:

How to Get Started With Twitter

[Brenda Hallowes]

#blogtwit1:Hi everyone. Friday night and first opportunity to catch up.

[Brenda Hallowes]

#blogtwit: Sorry forgot to add twitter name. It's @bhallowes

[Patience Mthembu]

I was able to open a twitter account.Wow, this is what every teacher has to be aware of. Twitter is a solution to some of my frastrations, I am going to encourage the teachers I am working with to join twitter because we can talk about classroom challenges / achievements as they happen without waiting for a meeting and this can be our way of encouraging each other. At times I need to get feedback / update from teachers without going to the schools and twitter is my answer. Thank you for the information. I love this.

[Maggie Verster]

Great Patience!!! What is your twitter username so that we can follow you? Your biggest challenge will now be to get the teachers you work with on board as well. Otherwise you might get frustrated if you are not following each others twitter streams so that you can ask quick questions.

Ahhh here I found you. Patience twitter name is PatienceMth