Help EDUCATORS take flight with TWITTER–2 BIG IDEAS that SIMPLIFY!

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By eldh on FlickrAndreas Eldh

Are you helping your educator friends adopt Twitter into their professional learning routines?

These Big Ideas/Goals will help simplify the learning curve on “The Twitter!” They’ll help educators get connected to others and to their own voice and passion!

It is possible to offer fun and low-key training options for staff and then start your school or district PLN/hashtag and remove the walls that separate you from learning together.

Educators need a face to face startup training session and then at least 1 or more open-ended followups where you can personally help them where they ‘are.’

—I use my Twitter blogpost as a guide.  

  • No Frills Fast Guide to Edu-Twitter 
  • I tweet it out to my colleagues/ edu-friends for reference as they progress. Simple to advanced.
  • There are MANY Twitter resources and guides out there available for use. Use what you know.

    —There are many layers to a Twitter PLN and they take time to master!

    • Don’t teach everything you know about Twitter all in one day; will overwhelm a beginner.
    • Keep it Simple; NO PRESSURE to tweet. Just monitor 5+ minute daily for a couple weeks.
    • Those 5 minutes will naturally ‘get’ longer once you ‘get’ it. ðŸ™‚
    • *DO ASK them to consider these questions BEFORE you begin intro. Solid anticipatory set. 🙂
    • Offer choice of beginning and progressing rooms for assistance/growth during PD.

      Twitter Training BIG IDEA #1: 

      Simple. Easy. Your single goal for 2 weeks is to…

      “USE & PERUSE”


      Friends DON’T let friends, under any circumstances, leave their 1st Twitter Training UNTIL THEY… 


       1. …follow 50-100 educators OR MORE 

        • Many educators that start Twitter follow 10 or fewer before they leave their informal training. A PLN needs to be robust and varied, especially for beginners. Don’t be afraid to follow MANY educators.

        2. …know to click the HOME birdhouse ICON in upper left every time they’re on Twitter


          …and scroll through the tweets from the educators they follow for 5 minutes/day for a couple weeks. IT’S REALLY THAT EASY. No pressure. Just click on links, look at pictures, and have fun seeing what’s out there. What will you find?! Where might this info take you?! 

          …tell ’em this is their 2nd home for the next two weeks. LOL

          3. …know that a PLN is their Personal Learning Network and the BIGGER the better!

            • it is all the people they follow, that follow them, and any hashtag ‘communities’ they follow or participate in. It is GOOD to follow MANY educators. You will gain followers and grow your PLN as you CROSS THE LINES AND CONNECT THE DOTS…
            • There is nothing more you have to do or know. Just USE AND PERUSE until next time!


          Twitter Training BIG IDEA #2: 

          Now that can use and peruse on Twitter, it’s time for you to…

          “CROSS THE LINES and CONNECT THE DOTS”


          • Cross the Lines #  (#hashtag literacy#) 

                Image credit: laurakretler.com
            • Type ‘your’ relevant hashtags into the search bar of Twitter once you’re comfortable with monitoring the Home birdhouse icon tweets! 
            • Use the power of hashtags to search the world of educator ideas and resources.
            • Don’t forget to ADD relevant hashtags to the end of your tweets to spread your ideas to people who will use them!
            • Keep handy 2-4 main hashtags you’ll use to gather ideas, resources, or help via searching or adding to the end of tweets…as reminders!

          • Connect the Dots

          @ktvee, @jhox1, @jj_litt at #edcampkc
          in Nov, 2012. ~lauragilchrist4 Flickr
            • Start actually connecting with educators like the ones in this picture via tweets, retweets, and replies whenever you feel comfortable and ONLY when you feel comfortable.
          • Share and read ideas/resources, or ASK for tips via Twitter!
              • ATTEND a local or regional Edcamp. What’s the Edcamp buzz? 
              • Participate in a Twitter chat by ‘lurking’ or interacting at the specified chat time — more connecting of the dots! I use Tweetdeck to monitor multiple chats, tweetstreams.
              • Follow educators you meet or that follow you. GROW your PLN. You just may find that you have a BIG VOICE and BIG PASSION for education since your world is now full of inspirational, supportive, and creative voices cheering you on….! 



            Here is a slideshow of educators who have connected the dots on Twitter and BEYOND…in person! Please, do yourself a favor and go experience an EDCAMP. Tis free! Edcamps embody true and vibrant learner-centered PD and are a great model for teacher learning/PD in schools!


              Here’s a little bit o’ silly you can do now AND/OR with your trainees:
              Say this 5 times fast, my educator friends!

              “Top Twitter Trainer Tips” 
              If you can DO this and do it well, I guess you could say you’re (al)literate.  LOL