Welcome to the third step in our free professional learning series on building your PLN.

In the first two steps, we looked at what a PLN means and how to become a connected educator.

We’re now getting into the specifics of how to use particular tools, beginning with Twitter.

The aim of this step is to:

  1. Explain what Twitter is and how it’s used.
  2. Explain the benefits of using Twitter as part of your PLN.
  3. Helps you set up your Twitter account and connect with others.
Should You Use Twitter Flowchart Sylvia Duckworth
Sketchnote by Sylvia Duckworth

Introduction To Twitter

Most teachers who are using Twitter would probably agree that it is their number one way they build and connect with their PLN.

In fact, a 2016 study showed that the most popular tool K-12 teachers use to connect with others was Twitter.

What Is Twitter?

Twitter is a social networking, news, and microblogging service that allows you to send out short messages called tweets.

Along with text and links, tweets can also contain media (up to 4 photos, a video, or a GIF).

Tweets used to be limited to 140 characters but this increased to 280 characters by 2018.

Twitter is a place that you can just lurk, by reading others’ tweets, or contribute, by sending out your own tweets. Obviously, the latter is what you work towards as the more you put in, the more you get out!

You can read tweets without having your own Twitter account (as long as the accounts you’re following are public — and the majority are). To contribute, you will need an account which we will explain below.

One of the great things about Twitter is that it is accessible on your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. You can use the native Twitter website or app, or there are many other popular third party apps that aim to improve functionality and accessibility.

Tweetdeck was once an independent app that has now been acquired by Twitter. Many users enjoy using it to organize their feed.

Twitter is used by people in nearly every country around the world. 83% of 193 UN member countries have Twitter a presence. For teachers, this means you have access to thousands of teachers with rich backgrounds and experiences that can contribute to your professional growth.

Anatomy Of A Tweet

Twitter is made up of tweets. We created this diagram to help you understand tweets better.

You’re welcome to share it with others or display it on your blog.

Anatomy of a Tweet | Edublogs Teacher Challenge

Interacting With Tweets

When you see a tweet, there are certain things you can click on:

  • The person’s name to see their profile page. You can look at their bio and see all their tweets.
  • Follow to have the tweeter’s future tweets show up on your homepage.
  • A link (if there is one) to open a website in your browser.
  • A hashtag to see other tweets that are categorized with the same hashtag (regardless of whether you follow the people using that hashtag)
  • Like (the heart) — this shows your appreciation, agreement, or acknowledgment of the tweet. Simply, tap/click the heart to like the tweet (tap/click again to undo).
  • Retweet to share the tweet with your own followers. This demonstrates that you found the tweet interesting or shareworthy. You will also have the option to add a comment to the retweet.
  • Direct message — you can message someone privately or start a private group conversation. Depending on individual settings, you might only be able to direct message someone if you both follow each other.
  • Comments — this allows you to either read what other people have said in a public reply, or add your own reply.

Think You’re Not Interested In Twitter? Think Again!

Twitter is more than just “another social networking tool”.

It generally isn’t about reconnecting with people you knew in high school or sharing what you’re cooking for dinner. Of course, some people only use Twitter for fun, although for most educators Twitter is about connecting with like minded individuals for personalized and ongoing professional development.

There are millions of tweets flying around in the Twitterverse 24-7 but the good thing is you can use Twitter as your time and inclination permits!

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach has shared an analogy of Twitter being like a river. The river keeps flowing but sometimes you might just walk past and have a quick look, sometimes you might hang around and dip your toes in, other times you might spend hours swimming around.

The choice is yours.

In this three minute video, Alec Couros explains how Twitter is used effectively in education.

Benefits Of Using Twitter

Twitter is like a virtual staffroom where you can catch up with your PLN. It’s a place where educators can find advice, give advice, find great links, share work, and engage in general musings about education.

Want examples?

  • In this post, Chris Betcher describes what he got out of tweeting for just 10 minutes.
  • Similarly, in this post Edna Sackson describes what she got out of 30 minutes on Twitter one morning.
  • In this post, New Zealand teacher Juliet Revell explains some fantastic professional and personal opportunities that she experienced thanks to building a PLN on Twitter.
  • This video by Matt Miller offers snapshot of some of the things you might see on Twitter in any given session.

While these examples aren’t new and some minor functions of Twitter have changed, the basic premise remains; there are countless ways educators are using Twitter to benefit themselves and their students.

Here’s a tweet from a high school history teacher who joined Twitter in 2019.

Check out Why Teachers Are Turning To Twitter by Brendon Hyndman for more research and examples of how Twitter is used in the global education community.

Twitter provides a modern platform for teachers to share, network, gain emotional support, build professional learning communities and make a contribution to their profession.

Five Steps To Building Your PLN Via Twitter

1. Join

The sign up process is easy. Just follow these steps:

  • Go to http://twitter.com and click on the sign up box, or go directly to https://twitter.com/signup.
  • You will be required to enter information such as your name and email address as you’re guided through the sign up process.
  • Once you sign up for an account, you can select a unique username. Try not to make your username too long and make it something that identifies you, like your name, rather than a complex nickname.

Once you’re signed up, you can customize your profile.

  • Complete your bio so people know who you are. You have 160 characters for your bio. Educators often share the age group or subject they teach, and particular interests.
  • Add a profile photo. Real photos can be a better choice than a cartoon avatar. It helps you to build your relationship with your PLN. Bios and photos can hold a lot of weight in virtual relationships.
  • You’ll also be able to add a header photo. Popular header images for teachers include landscapes, a classroom photo, or a quote. Tip: You can make a personalized Twitter header image with Canva.
Twitter Profile Page Example
Your Twitter profile page offers a snapshot of what you’re all about

Refer to the Educator’s Ultimate Guide to Twitter for more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to set up and use Twitter.

2. Follow People

Following someone on Twitter means:

  • You are subscribing to their tweets and their updates will appear in your home timeline
  • That person is able to send you a private direct message if you’re following each other

Following isn’t necessarily a reciprocal relationship, like Facebook friendships. Someone can follow you without you following them back and vice versa. You don’t need to wait for approval to follow someone either, as long as their account is public.

There are thousands of teachers around the world on Twitter, you just have to know where to find them!

No ideas?

Start with our Edublogs team like @edublogs @suewaters @ronnieburt @Edublogs_Eugene and me, @kathleen_morris

There are many educational thought leaders who thousands of people enjoy following such as:

Additionally, there are many popular sources for keeping up to date with the latest news, trends, and research in education, such as:

The examples listed above are only the tip of the iceberg and far from an exhaustive list!

Once you have a few people to follow, look at who they are following and you will start to build up your PLN.

You can also adopt some Twitter regulars as your mentors and ask them to put a tweet out to encourage their followers to connect with you.

Twitter also regularly shows you suggestions of people you could follow.

Watch this video to learn how to follow and connect with people on Twitter.

3. Lurk

You’ll need to spend some time checking out the stream of tweets and getting the hang of tweeting, retweeting, direct messaging, and hashtags.

Some people say Twitter isn’t as intuitive as other web tools but it doesn’t take long for it to make sense. Give yourself a few weeks to try it. Whenever you have a few spare minutes, open Twitter, scroll through your feed, click on some links, watch how people are interacting with each other.

If the people you’re following don’t interest you, it’s fine to unfollow them. Remember, you’re in charge of building your own personal PLN.

4. Contribute

When you’ve lurked for a while, jump and contribute! Like or retweet a few tweets, reply to tweets that resonated with you, and send tweets of your own. You could try contacting a few people via direct message too — ask them a question or introduce yourself.

It may take some time to get the hang of how Twitter works. We’ve made this cheat sheet to help. Feel free to share it with others or use it on your own blog.

Twitter Cheat Sheet for Teachers | Building Your PLN Edublogs Teacher Challenge Course

Remember, the more you put in, the more you get out.

Don’t be afraid to start replying to people, retweeting tweets, asking questions, and striking up conversations.

Many teachers on Twitter are very friendly and always happy to help newbies find their feet!

What To Tweet About

Still not sure what you could be tweeting about? How about:

  • A photo from a lesson
  • A link to something interesting you’ve read
  • A question about a topic you’re interested in
  • A request for a resource
  • A link to something from your own blog or someone else’s blog
  • A favorite online tool you like to use with students

5. Stick With It!

Many regular Twitter users have commented that it took them a few attempts to get going with Twitter. Sticking with it is so important. Make yourself check into Twitter daily for a month before you make any decisions about whether it is for you.

It takes time to build rapport with people. When you do, you’ll find your professional world will be so enlightened and your students will be better for it!

Remember, you definitely won’t be seeing everything that’s tweeted, so don’t feel like you have to. You’ll receive notifications when someone replies to you, mentions you, tags you, or direct messages you. Otherwise, Twitter works fairly serendipitously and you’ll just see what you see!

Useful Video

To walk you through getting started with Twitter and to demonstrate some of the tips mentioned in this post, check out Starting a PLN on Twitter: A Quick Guide For Teachers by Common Sense Education.

Conclusion

Effective teaching and learning doesn’t occur in a vacuum. To be the best teacher you can be, you need a diverse and innovative network.

As we outlined in Step Two, traditionally, the staff at your school was your main network of teachers to collaborate with. This network may be fantastic but can become an echo chamber for the same ideas, values, and perspectives.

With Twitter, the barriers of distance and access are broken down and the world is at your fingertips!

In our next step, we explore Twitter further by looking at hashtags and Twitter chats.

Your Task

PLNs are about sharing, collaborating, and learning from and with others. Here’s your chance to ask a question, comment, and get involved!

We’d like you to add your voice and ideas to our ongoing conversation on building your own PLN by undertaking one or more of the following challenges:

  1. Video Reflections: Watch How To Use Twitter Effectively In Education with Alec Couros or the Common Sense Education video on Getting Started With Twitter. Leave a comment on this post to share your ideas on how you might use Twitter to build your PLN.
  2. Join: If you haven’t joined Twitter yet, head over to twitter.com and sign up. Leave a comment on this post with your Twitter username so others can follow you. If you’ve joined in the past, now could be a good time to review your account. Do you need to update your images or bio perhaps?
  3. Find Someone: After browsing Twitter, find someone who you think you’d be interested in following. Leave their Twitter username in a comment and tell us what they’re tweeting about that you find interesting.
  4. Go Deeper: Write a blog post about your initial impressions of Twitter. You could include — what you see as obstacles to taking part in Twitter, what you have learned from being on Twitter, or who you have connected with via Twitter. Don’t forget to leave a comment here with the link to your post. You might even like to document your own journey as a new Twitter user to inspire others to do the same!

Also, feel free to leave a comment to ask any questions or share your tips.

How to leave a comment: Scroll down to find the comment box. Write your comment, then enter your name and email address (email addresses are not published). Enter the anti-spam word. Press submit and we will moderate your comment ASAP.

772 thoughts on “Step 3: Using Twitter To Build Your PLN

  1. I found @BrianMendler on twitter. He tweets strategies for building relationships with your students, and how to maintain a positive classroom environment for all students. He also seems to have written a book that could be interesting as well as speaking at seminars which could be interesting to look into further.

  2. I have never used Twitter before and I have never really thought of using Twitter for networking purposes until now. After thinking about it for a little while, I feel as if I would use Twitter to build my PNL by following accounts that could help me, but also in exchange I could help them. This help could be a wide range of things including, donation of supplies, advice from seasoned teachers, or even venting with a fellow teacher that is going through the same difficulties as me. I feel as if Twitter is a great platform to expand on as you can connect with individuals from all over the world.

  3. My initial impressions of twitter is that it could be a great tool for networking and finding resources. You can look up pretty much any word in the search bar and something relevant will come up. A page I would follow is @WeAreTeachers. This page posts quotes, events, and resources for teachers who are looking. They provide up to date information about a variety of topics relevant to teaching.

  4. since I have twitter and don’t use it as much as my other social media but after watching the video Twitter is so useful to connect with other and get ideas as well as get inspired.

  5. @Cobratate. This might seem controversial but Andrew Tate is literally hilarious with what he says on the internet sometimes. I might not agree with a lot of the things he tweets about, but he’s a very interesting guy and he speaks a lot about the purpose of living and different aspects of life that matter more than what we think matters.

  6. I would follow the account We are Teachers. This Twitter account tweets about a few different things. The tweets are ideas, stories, and resources for teachers and kids. This seems interesting to me because it is always nice to have resources to better improve teaching and learning. The tweets can be focused on ideas to help to teach and I find this beneficial.

  7. The account I found is @NEAToday. This account is for an organization focused on student and professional advocacy. The account has shared resources regarding autism in education for awareness month and day. It has also tweeted out a game based around showcasing the downsides of standardized testing. Overall, it is for sharing the work of educators and professionals who are on the ground fighting for the students’ wellbeing.

  8. Some time ago, I made a Twitter account before I took it down because I felt I wasn’t using it as much as Facebook at the time. Later, I made another one to see what changed; a few things were new, but everything else was exactly how it was before I deactivated it before it was bought by Musk. While I use the app for personal lurking for a five-minute distraction, I started following educator and education organisation accounts like @realmenteach @nea and @teachergoals ever since I started majoring in education.

  9. @TherapyBetter is an area that interests me as I’m a psychology major with hopes to have a minor in education. The twitter feed provides information on changing patient treatment and also how different factors are considered within a patients treatment.

  10. – @XureilaYT, She tweets a lot about one of my favorite games, the Sims 4. Most of her posts consist of fun builds and mods that she uses in the game, I think it’s pretty cool.

  11. After viewing the Alec Couros video, I realized that Twitter can be useful because you can connect with people who are facing the same difficulties and asking the same questions as you are, and you can share ideas and words of encouragement. In addition, you can network with other teachers to share lesson plans, advice, and get ideas.

  12. I went on twitter and found an account called @HelpATeacher. It was a very interesting page that has a lot of motivational posts and helps find donors to help teachers with supplies. This is another great way to use a PLN, to make others aware of the needs for students in schools who may lack the funds for resources.

  13. I love the idea of using Twitter as a resource as a teacher. It’s important to not keep teaching in one box. You’re able to interact and have discussions with teachers around the world at the touch of a button. This is another resource where teachers can showcase their personalities a bit more, but professionally.

  14. Though I have a twitter I barely use it because of all the drama that comes along with the app and people who are unexplainably. rude on it. This has kind of turned me off from using Twitter, I mostly avoid getting on the app now.

  15. There appears to be a lot of different resources available on Twitter. Consequently, there is a lot of content to go through. Some of the content I found right of the bat wasn’t great, but it is still worth digging through.

  16. I honestly don’t feel like recently, that twitter has been the best option to use. I feel like other websites maybe Facebook or some other social media would be good. I just think that Twitter can be problematic and not a good way to use it from an education stand point.

  17. An aspect I like about Twitter is that it can be used to connect with other educators from around the world. It can be challenging to meet new people face-to-face, but this is a convenient way to do so at any time. The platform provides different ways for teachers to share their ideas, like in a tweet or video. From seeing others’ perspectives, it can be eye opening and something new that you would like to try. Although Twitter can be a broad social media, specific hashtags are a direct way to find new ideas about a certain topic. I feel like it helps a viewer to maintain their attention when there is less wording as well, so only allowing 140 characters is a helpful restriction. Not only do educators use their own profile, but each school district does as well. When the school districts are active with their social media, it’s informing and connecting the community together. An example of this is that they help inform students and staff about school delays/cancellations, like snow days! I deactivated my account years ago, but this made me consider reactivating it again.

  18. Monica Burns- @classTechTips, This is an amazing twitter account for educators to follow because she helps people improve their tech skills. I feel this is very important in today’s time. We are constantly using technology as ways to teach and for additional resources. I could always use more tips on technology!

  19. After watching the provided videos, it seems that Twitter would be an excellent tool to share lesson plan ideas or different ways of teaching. It can be difficult to constantly create creative lessons, and having other ideas would benefit students. I look forward to exploring posted lessons on twitter, while also considering being cautious when taking in information. As with all social media platforms, information is not always accurate.

  20. I followed @Edutopia and really like their perspective on “brain breaks”. I really and truly believe that students need regular movement and breaks built into the curriculum because of how much they learn in a given day. Not only are they learning content they’re also learning how to socialize with each other which even for adults is exhausting. When I pull my students for group if I’m a bit early I take a different variation of our normal route to allow them some extra time to stretch, talk to each other, and look at artwork they might not have seen before. (:

  21. One account I do know I would really enjoy following is @TEDtalks. I think TED talks include a lot of information on current studies, research, methods, conspiracies, etc. These videos could be very useful to have on your timeline for fast access.

  22. I’ve had Twitter for a long time and don’t think I would personally ever use it as part of my PLN. I may follow a couple of people or education communities on there, but that’s probably as deep as I would go. Twitter has had a lot of issues recently too and it’s hard to say how strong and lasting a community would last on the platform.

  23. I personally am not a huge fan of twitter but I do think I could use it to gather resources and ideas from other teachers. I like that there are many teachers that use it and it is almost like a Pinterest board of ideas for classrooms and teaching. I don’t know that I would make my own public sharing space as I just am not super familiar with twitter but I am sure that I could learn how to if I changed my mind!

  24. @teachinghistory. This account seems to have good free resources and webinars for history teachers.

  25. The video with Alec talks about how teachers use Twitter to post lesson plans or materials that they feel will help other teachers. I have never really used Twitter. I would use Twitter in my teaching career to follow other educators to learn how I can improve my lessons. I would also use it as a way to grow by joining others in a conversation about improving teaching strategies. I would use it as a way to get feedback after a lesson.

  26. Similar to the previous step, a massive portion of being an educator is modeling strong ethics for your students. Creating a twitter page as an educator that is used to appropriately connect to your students and other model educators offers students another look at what a digital tool is capable of – again, a collection of resources that students can access and interact with at their own pace.

  27. After browsing on Twitter, I ultimately have come to the conclusion that I will be following @ dylanobrien. Not only his a popular celebrity and brings so much laughter on Twitter, but he also uses his platform to spread awareness on different topics. Not a lot of celebrities care about the things Dylan is advocating for.

  28. After browsing on Twitter, I ultimately have come tp the conclusion that I will be following @ dylanobrien. Not only his a popular celebrity and brings so much laughter on twitter, but he also uses his platform to spread awareness on different topics. Not a lot of celebrities care about the things Dylan is advocating for.

  29. I stopped using my old Twitter account because I was burnt-out from all of the bad news in the world. I just created a professional account for purpose of starting a PLN. My handle is @morkbarrinb . I went through and followed some suggested education accounts.

  30. I’ve been using Twitter for years, and I definitely agree that you can find a lot of good information on it! While you do have to be careful in deciphering the accuracy of some tweets, it is definitely a good platform to use to keep your finger on the pulse. This step made me want to find and follow some more education focused accounts!

  31. Since I have never joined Twitter after experiencing a change in social media platforms for several years back to back I finally jumped on board by utilizing the handle @teachpoland.

  32. I am interested in @mathequalslove. It looks like I can find excellent resources and ideas on this Twitter page.

  33. I have never had a twitter account but after learning the benefits of one for a PLN, I definitely plan to create one!

  34. I began following ISTE on Twitter. This network will keep me up to date with dates for conferences. They also share ed-tech resources from time to time. I learned what are benefits of it are and how to use them to follow others as well as make comments from one of my best tech teachers at NSU.

  35. I have just joined Twitter and am excited to be able to connect with more educational resources. @TED-Ed would be my suggestion to follow and @TEDTalks. There is great information here to share with other educators and students.

  36. @TeachingSTEM has some awesome ideas! As a STEAM school, we are always looking for new ways to incorporate hands on activities into our lessons. I will definitely be taking some ideas from them!

  37. As I have experience in using and creating hashtags, I would use Twitter as a resource to find content in technology integration within the classroom, 4 – 6th-grade curriculum. I have learned that to be a successful teacher in your grade or content area, it is important to know what students have learned previously and need to learn for the future. A list of things that I would tweet about,
    • A photo from a lesson
    Educators like anchor charts or activities to lessons that they will teach or want to revamp
    • A link to something interesting you’ve read
    During PD meetings and Formative Assessment groups, we receive articles to read up on and books to study that would be helpful to share with others as connected educators.
    • A question about a topic you’re interested in
    I would ask specifically in Social Studies as that subject I am not most skilled in making engaging and hands-on learning.
    • A request for a resource
    There are lots of free resources available which is nice that we just have to ask someone to post a recommendation on Facebook.
    • A favorite online tool you like to use with students
    Specializing in technology integration, it is nice to share other tools and programs that most people do not know to use other than Microsoft applications.

  38. @TeachingSTEM focuses on articles, ideas, topics, etc. for teachers to reference when working to include or incorporate STEM into their classrooms. As a science teacher I am always on the lookout for ways I can connect different subjects or more hands-on activities for my students.

  39. I joined twitter in 2020 when everything was virtual. However I updated to reflect my current education standing. My tag is 3rd_gen_educata. I follow a lot of educators and masters of the trade. I also noticed that they did a lot of updates since the last time I have been active with twitter.

  40. I just joined Twitter and I am already seeing a benefit to this social media site. There are so many resources here. I have been used to googling or facebook and even IG from time to time, but I believe that Twitter will be a great tool for me to have for my newly formed PLN.

  41. @teachingchange is a user that I find essential to a teacher’s PLN. They provide tools and resources for parents and educators to uplift their students as agents of social change.

  42. Hi,
    I joined Twitter because I wanted to gain more information of what is going on in the world and gather updates on education and current events.

  43. All of the amazing things you can do on Twitter and I still don’t get on it as much as I do the others.

  44. I am already a current Twitter member. I have had it since high school. I started using it because it told me when school was closed for snow days but am now realizing how much more helpful it can be. I plan on creating a new account just for my educational side.

  45. I have created a Twitter where I hope to connect and expand my PLN with educators. My twitter is @Educationx3time.

  46. I’ve had a Twitter account since January 2019, but I do not use it often. I made the account for my personal life, but found myself gravitating towards other social media platforms instead. I really only used it whenever I wanted “live” reactions to an event that is currently happening. I never considered using it before for my professional life, and I’m curious enough to try it. My only concern right now is the new, current standing of it being recently bought out by someone. It seems like the platform is currently in a messy nebulous state right now, so if I were to decide to use it more professionally, it would occur after some time has passed for me to determine if it’s worth it.

  47. A lot of my friends and family members have told me to get a Twitter account. However, I was hesitant, but after watching the YouTube video by Alec Couros I began to see the different ways Twitter can be beneficial. For example, I did not think about using Twitter to share lesson plans and to connect with other teachers.

  48. Relatedly to the prior task, I think one way I would use Twitter to grow my PLN would be to follow leading researchers or organizations dedicated to educational theory and resources. I think to facilitate learning in the classroom, a teacher needs relevant and engaging information, but they also need resources and to continually evolve. As a result, seeing what’s new would be best.
    I decided to follow Sheg (Stanford Historical Educational Group) because they offer interesting resources for social studies teachers. They develop activities for lessons that are engaging for students, providing teachers with the tools they’ll need to develop lessons. However, they also approach education with an eye towards current events, making the classroom a setting where students can think constructively about modern issues through the use of social studies.

Leave a Reply to Haley Robinson Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *