1. Twitter in the classroom

2. What is twitter? Twitter is a microblogging platform.
Users short updates, often called "Tweets" of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to the user’s profile, followers, and are searchable on Twitter search.

3. Twitter Stats
Pew Research Study Released in May 2012 around 15% of online adults have used Twitter. 8% have used in a typical day.
26% were in the age group of

4. Twitter Stats Taken from Pew Research

5. Twitter Terminology Tweet – an individual post
Re-tweet (RT)– retelling someone else’s tweet
Modified Tweet (MT) – modifying someone else’s tweet
@username – a public message to a specific person
Direct – message to a follower
#hashtag – A tag that tracks groups & discussions
Lists – Organize your followers
More terminology on Twittonary

6. Hashtags
Popular hashtags in education: #edtech, #highered, #lrnchat, #socmedia, #edusocmedia, #socialmedia, #sachat, #smchat
Popular ways to find hashtags: Hashtags.org, what the trend, twubs, trendsmap.com

7. Twitter for Course Updates
Increases interaction between instructors and students
Enhances communication
Overcomes challenges of distance learning
Helps students stay organized
Provides medium for instructors to enhance their identity and encourage students
Students can let teacher know they have completed an assignment

8. Twitter API
Twitter allows users access to their database for use on their own websites and projects Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

9. Twitter Aps
Hootsuite – manage multiple Social Media accounts, sets up timed tweets
TweetDeck – Organize your twitter followers, set up timed tweets
TwitPic – Share pics via Twitter
TweetReach- Measure your twitter reach
Twuffer – compose future tweets
Trendsmap – Map of Twitter Hashtag

10. Guidelines Use a human voice
Be mindful that Twitter is public and searchable
Decide whether to use a personal of professional twitter handle and stick to it
You can use for your class personally
Keep to one platform for classroom usage

11. Example of Course Updates

12. Class Chatter
Use hashtags to facilitate real-time discussion on videos, reading assignments or assessments questions.
Can be used during class or outside of a classroom

13. Class Chatter Example

14. Other Classroom Ideas Track a conference
Track the rise and fall of trends
Follow industry professionals – a journalist may tweet events real time
Follow a famous person
Track usage of words/hashtags