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:
- Explain what Twitter is and how it’s used.
- Explain the benefits of using Twitter as part of your PLN.
- Helps you set up your Twitter account and connect with others.
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.
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.
I was hesitant to join Twitter. I didn’t quite understand what purpose it could serve me as a teacher. Now that I’ve followed just under 100 educators I GET IT. There is hope here. There is inspiration here. There is growth here.
— JessicaBellEducator (@BellEducator) April 7, 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.
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.
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:
- George Couros (@gcouros)
- Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne)
- Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo)
- Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent)
- Shelley Sanchez (@shellterrell)
- David Geurin (@DavidGeurin)
- Matt Miller (@jmattmiller)
- Jennifer Gonzalez (@cultofpedagogy)
- John Spencer (@spencerideas)
- Eric Curts (@ericcurts)
- Kasey Bell (@ShakeUpLearning)
- Mark Anderson (@ICTEvangelist)
- Silvia Tolisano (@Langwitches)
- Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher)
- Sir Ken Robinson (@SirKenRobinson)
- Steven W. Anderson (@web20classroom)
Additionally, there are many popular sources for keeping up to date with the latest news, trends, and research in education, such as:
- Edutopia (@Edutopia)
- EdSurge (@EdSurge)
- MindShift (@MindShiftKQED)
- TeachThought (@TeachThought)
- ISTE (@ISTE)
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
So, I joined twitter. I had one before but I joined it in a professional way. My twitter is @benton_jolee. I did a search and found quite a few edutechs to follow like @techlearning and @weareteachers
@teacher2teacher is a great source for teachers to connect and make eachother feel more optimistic about their futures working in the education field!
Someone that I would be interested in following is @SHAPEAmerica. This twitter page is a representation of the organization dedicated to physical education. I found it interesting because I am a health and physical education major and a lot of the information on their account is extremely useful to me. They have tweeted comments about various conferences, webinars, and the importance of physical education in America.
Twitter is great because it allows you to follow different hashtags as well as different educators. I like twitter because it is all public and is a great way of exchanging ideas.
I agree with the several other comments saying they don’t think Twitter is the best way to connect with other educators. I feel like Twitter has a lot of potential to strengthen and expand connections, but it is also a lot harder to control the audience that sees your posts while still getting some reach with your connections. It definitely has potential though. Some education-based Twitter accounts that I checked out and would follow if I used Twitter regularly include @NAACP, @TrevorProject, and @UNICEF.
To build my PLN using Twitter, I will begin by searching educational hashtags to find top posts. This will help me find popular accounts as they will likely appear multiple times. I would likely only lurk on Twitter, but I am sure that I will find many sources for new ideas.
Education is an ever-changing field, and so is the Internet. Therefore, Alec Couros’s discussion about Twitter is credible. Twitter allows everyone, especially educators, to learn at their fingertips. This is very helpful because sometimes, one person’s ideas can influence someone else’s ideas. Many teachers are always looking for more opportunities to expand their learning, so Twitter is the right place to find these suggestions.
twitter is helpful for me because it is a very familiar and casual app. i think it would be easy to connect and talk to teachers on it. It’s more of a blog if anything. i like that twitter gives you suggestions of users that you might want to follow based on who you follow. i think this would make it easy to find content that you’re interested in very easily.
After browsing Twitter, I found a blog that I really liked skimming through. If you search for @MindShiftKQED, you will find posts about the future of learning, cultural and technological trends, and innovations in the educational field. They also contain a link to their Podcasts that also dives into helping educators and adults shift their mentality from the traditional based learning to a more progressive based learning.
@DrMarsha . She tweets about how our brains affect our perceptions and experiences – I think that’s really interesting (and definitely useful for social emotional learning).
The person that I found is Scott Evans, @MrEPrimary. His content is all centered around reading and teaching reading. He is an author of the book 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Reading for Pleasure. What drew me to his page was that every month, he posts four to five monthly must reads which can also be found at his website, TheReaderTeacher.com. This is definitely an easy page to follow if you need more up to date book ideas or teach specifically reading.
Engaging with Twitter can help educators feel supported and part of a community. By following other teachers and using hashtags, you can effectively navigate through the vast amount of information available on Twitter to find relevant discussions, resources, and support, which makes it a useful tool for building a PLN. Overall, it is a great way to form connections and collaborate with others in the educational field.
An account that I follow that I believe other teachers should follow is @TED_ED on Twitter (X). The TED-Ed account shares different Ted Talk presentations of educators, students, etc., who discuss education and the different roles it can play. It is a very insightful account that inspires educators!
I would use twitter to educate other teachers about strategies that have worked for me to keep my students engaged and help students who need the extra help.
I hadn’t used twitter in a long time and actually had deactivated my twitter in the past. During reading this, I downloaded it again and signed up for a new account. This is such a good way to connect with a community of teachers around the world.
Twitter is a great way to get information fast, short and sweet. I think Instagram is a better way to create a PLN as it is a lot more user friendly and has more of a visual base than a text based social media platform. Twitter is great for following organizations and entities. I don’t use Twitter for my educational needs, I use it more for local and national news if anything. It is a great social media site for people who share links a lot or like to converse using hashtags!
Using Twitter effectively to build my PLN can enhance my professional growth in various ways. I plan to follow educators, thought leaders, and organizations that share insights, resources, and innovative practices in teaching. Participating in Twitter chats on specific educational topics will allow me to engage in meaningful discussions and network with like-minded professionals. Additionally, I can share my experiences and resources, contributing to the community while receiving feedback and support. This reciprocal interaction will enrich my learning and keep me informed about trends in education.
I was captivated by Neil deGrasse Tyson’s insights that he writes on twitter and decided to follow him. https://x.com/neiltyson . Neil deGrasse Tyson is a captivating educator, and it’s impossible not to be drawn into his discussions. I attended one of his lectures last year and found him to be an inspiring figure in the field of education. Recently, he shared his experience of witnessing the Aurora from Long Island, New York. In his post, he eloquently explains the phenomenon, adding to its allure.
Using Twitter effectively to build my PLN can enhance my professional growth in various ways. I plan to follow educators, thought leaders, and organizations that share insights, resources, and innovative practices in teaching. Participating in Twitter chats on specific educational topics will allow me to engage in meaningful discussions and network with like-minded professionals. Additionally, I can share my experiences and resources, contributing to the community while receiving feedback and support. This reciprocal interaction will enrich my learning and keep me informed about trends in education.
As is described in the first video with Alec Courous, twitter is such a helpful tool for collaboration because it is basically a blogging platform. While it may feel too casual to use a social media platform to get teaching ideas, it is important to collaborate with/get ideas from other educators, and utilizing social media is an amazing way to start doing that. Because Twitter has so many ways to use it, such as creating posts, sharing media, commenting, etc. and is such a big platform, using it to build your PLN is easy and smart. I would likely use it to connect with educators from around the country/world to gather ideas for lessons or resources that may be helpful to my students. It is such a good platform to quickly share and find information.
Educational Twitter can provide opportunities that greatly benefit communicating with others within your field. It helps educators feel as though they are not alone in this. If you have a question or idea, they will help you with open arms if you find the right community. Hashtags are a great way to sift through the mountains of information provided by Twitter. I created an account, but still feel a bit overwhelmed.
I have just upated my old Twitter account and followed @aasl and @ISTEofficial to get news and tips from these organizations. (American Association of School Libraries and International Society of Technology Educators) I tried to follow a couple of other hashtags in the libary field and digital citizenship but they seem inactive with posts only appearing since 2017 or 2021. That was disappointing.
After watching all of the video and reading through the whole page of step 3, I trust that Twitter is definitely a great tool to begin creating my PLN. I know a few teachers, so I would probably begin by following each of them and then adding on to my following from there. I’m a very creative person, so I feel as though I would be able to share lots of fun activities I come up with for other educators to use.
The way they share about how to build your PLN on Twitter is essentially the same for all of the social media groups. I feel like Twitter/X is no longer the most popular modality for teachers. They are swapping over to Instagram.
I have had a Twitter account for years and use it in spirts. I need to be more consistent.
I personally think Twitter is a challenging platform to use for networking. I would rather use Instagram or TikTok because those are easier to navigate for me. However, the hashtags on twitter can be a great thing for educational conversation.
Twitter is hard to use, but I also think it is beneficial because it was accessible and you do not have to use photos in order to post.
I personally would not use Twitter (X) as a reliable source to build connections. X has its advantages and disadvantages. I feel as if the majority of twitter is not used for the intended purposes that this article is articulating. There may be a few sources or creators that I would follow/connect with for my PLN, but I personally think there are better ways to connect.
After watching the video, i can say these are the way how i build my PLN.
I agree that Twitter can help teachers develop a PLN by connecting them with other educators around the world. A PLN can be a valuable resource for teachers, as it allows them to share ideas, learn from others, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends in education. Hashtags are important for Twitter education chats. Hashtags allow teachers to connect with others who are interested in the same subject areas or grade levels.
I don’t think twitter is the best way to connect. I used to have a twitter account but forgot my password. I just signed up for a new account and was interested in following @Nasa because of all the cool things they post. I also really like @Gretathunberg .