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.
I just made my Twitter account and I started to look through users I should follow because of their content. It is sort of overwhelming with there being so many accounts and not knowing which ones are the best to follow. Any advice on which ones to follow for a secondary school English teacher?!
Over the summer I got a lot of use out of Twitter. I used it to find demonstrations, learn about what what happening outside of my own community, and I even had a few semi viral tweets where I posted the History of a few figures memorialized as confederate monuments, that were torn down during the insurrection this summer. While there is a big gap between professional development and civil disobedience, I think that the benefits of twitter are the same regardless of medium. I had followed a few people already discussed in this article, and a number of local Richmond policy activists who work with the School Board. I think that I would follow this articles advice and find small time educators to build a professional network of people doing the same things I am.
I like the way twitter is set up because everytime you like a post, it goes into one location on your profile. This makes it very helpful when using twitter as a PLN, because you can easily go back and look at all the resources you have liked. I really liked that this section of the article gave you a starting platform of names and organizations to look into on twitter.
Since it’s easy to get stuck in a rut teaching the same books over and over again in high school English, I could definitely use a platform like Twitter to get expert advice on how to diversify the way I’m teaching the classics. I did try to open a Twitter a long time ago and found it difficult, but I’m attempting to use it again to avoid feelings of burnout and isolation (common among educators).
I consider myself a professional lurker. I have joined, left, and joined Twitter again far more times than I can count. I created an account during my time student teaching: @coffeedegreeiep that I had high hopes for, but have never used to Tweet. I do follow a handful of the users listed in this post, but I can say with some confidence that Twitter is my least used social media platform. Maybe taking the time to re-vamp my account today is the refresher I need to become more involved again, and as more than a lurker!
I used to have twitter and never really used it. I really have wanted to re-join for quite some time but this pushed me to finally do it. I am not great at using it but I am excited to dig into it and really use it. My username is @BeccaKoch2. I am a preschool special education teacher and I am looking forward to finding others in this field.
@K_OConnell141 is my twitter account. I created this account in another technology class I took for a previous master’s degree and at first I underestimated its benefits, but now I’m thankful I created it because I connect with many educators using Twitter and engage in various chats that are of interest to me.
I was a Twitter follower long ago, but I didn’t really understand it. When I went to check it out again, I couldn’t remember my password. So I have just recently joined Twitter again, reluctantly, because I still do not understand it. My new Twitter username is not easy to remember, but here it is if you would like to connect with me, a 2nd grade teacher. @Nancy65330301 So far, I have entered the five suggested accounts found above. I have not posted anything yet. I am looking forward to learning and connecting with other educators on Twitter.
After looking through some hashtags on Twitter (#edchat and #elachat), I found two accounts I was interested in following. The first account is @mywriteabout. I like it because they share real student writing samples and tips about teaching writing (I teach 9th grade ELA). I also started following @Edsurge because they share a variety of different articles about teaching. Two recent ones I found interesting are “Kids Are Spending More of Their Lives Online. Teachers Can Help Them Understand Why” and “Sudden Shift to Online Learning Revealed Gaps in Digital Literacy, Study Finds”.
@alicekeeler is a math teacher from California. I decided to follow her after seeing the information that she posted about translating meeting chats to all languages for live chats. This is so important to me since I have 6 ELL students this year. I also really liked that she posted some time saving tips for teachers using spreadsheets. It seems as though she posts a lot about how to use technology tools, which is super helpful with remote learning right now.
#yorkdukes uses the hashtag York High School uses to share information and updates to patrons of the York community. Twitter has served as a great communication piece to everyone interested in what is going on K-12 at York High School. After viewing my profile, I realized that I never completely set up my profile. My username is @jhirschfeld1
@Ed4Excellence is a twitter account that I think I may follow as they make a lot of posts related to maintaining a welcoming classroom environment through acceptance of diverse students and teachers. Diversity is so incredibly important in the classroom and it is absolutely necessary to understand how your students are impacted by the world around them and it is the duty of an effective educator to diversify the cultural knowledge of the students in their classroom. The children are the future and it is important to guide them towards acceptance, inclusion, and equality,
I don’t use twitter, but I can see how this would be a great social media network to reach other educators. It’s so easy to tweet out to someone to get ideas or to share ideas!
I found that twitter can be very useful in the sense of staying connected and relevant to new teaching styles as well as innovative classroom ideas. I’m not much of a social media kind of guy; however, I will consider this route as I continue my education.
I do not frequent Twitter, but I may start to just so I can easily share/receive information and quickly build a PLN. Twitter is very common in todays generation and I feel it would be a very useful tool!
This changed my view of Twitter. I can see how it could be an engaging tool in a classroom for my students and families.
Here are my initial impressions of Twitter:
https://sarahklein14.edublogs.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=6&action=edit
Here are my initial impressions of Twitter:
https://sarahklein14.edublogs.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=6&action=edit
Twitter can also be used to share ideas for the classroom. I could put out a problem that I am trying to address, and I would have the support of my professional learning network to give me ideas and encourage me. As mentioned earlier, it’s good to have give and take within the PLN because it is always good to contribute ideas for others when needed. If I am worried about trying something new in the classroom, I can ask my PLN for ideas on how to make it successful.
I am interested in following WordPress Beginner (@wpbeginner), a site that offers WordPress tips, tricks, and resources for building my own blog.
First Twitter account. I need to be patient with myself in learning how to use this!
@CDamebrusie
Because I’m so young and in this modern age group of teachers I feel twitter will be my best networking app because it is so native to us in this generation and would be really easy to share info and build a PLN quickly.
Because I’m in such a young generation of future educators I feel twitter is the best way for me to build my PLN and get the latest news nowadays.
Just created a new professional Twitter account to use in the future. My username is @ErinHinders
Jason W. Bohrer
@MrJBohrer
He is spreading the news for CSTA (Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)
@csteachersorg) In the world of computer science they are helping to providing some awesome training.
Gretchen Barnabei is an educator who has writing workshops. Her website https://trailofbreadcrumbs.net/ is filled with writing ideas and templates.
@gretchbernabei
I made a Twitter account 2 years ago and have not used it but once or twice.
@marchioniM9
I feel overwhelmed with sites like this. I don’t know where to start.
Hi Denise, it can be very overwhelming trying to get on top of all things digital these days. Fortunately, there are a ton of really useful guides out there, including this one that offers practical advice. It’s great that you have a twitter account, a good way is to start is by following some of the influencers that cover your interests, and you will quickly get the hang of things. All the best!
I joined Twitter. I had years ago but haven’t been on in a while! I’m back @jessie_vogt
I have been on Twitter since 2010, but have mostly been an occasional lurker of my school district, my children’s schools, and my favorite TV shows. I had no idea until reading this blog, what a hidden gem Twitter may be for me professionally. I use, snap, Insta, FB and Pinterest for ideas; but Twitter, who knows why not? I think it may have had to do with the character limitation, and possibility the vulnerability of being more public (retweets etc).
In the short time I was on this step of the EduBlog Building Your PLN, I revamped my profile and Twitter Page to an educator page, posted a tweet from my ISTE Certification training that I found valuable for distance learning, and followed some educators in my cohort and field, as well as some social justice advocates. I am looking forward to learning more, and growing my PLN on Twitter.
I joined Twitter! It’s pretty awesome. I’m using hashtags to connect with other educators! I’m just lurking around to see what I can find. Follow Me! _iTeach5K
I do have a twitter account but I have not really used it in the past. I have recent reviewed and updated my account. @afspitzer
I just signed up for my twitter account. My username is @CynthiaBerube9. I have already had a great time following the recommended people in the education field. I am anxious to get started.
I am not on twitter; however, I plan on using this platform to follow professionals in the education field.
Lynette Moffett
@Rosieberries2
I am going to give Twitter another try
I decided to give Twitter another try and updated my account.
@Rosieberries2
My professional Twitter account is @HHEdTechTeacher. I have recently created this account for professional use only and have begun by following educational book authors and presenters from IDEAcon that have stood out to me and who I want to learn more from. I am trying to move away from being just a lurker and contributing more to conversations. I want to continue to build my PLN by using the ISTE and ISTECERT hashtag to connect with other educators that are going through the same certification process as me. I have already been able to learn a lot from my own cohort and see many possibilities in learning from other cohorts.
Not a big fan of social media but know it is another tool I can use to build my schema.
I am following @Tolerance_org to learn how to incorporate anti-racist materials and critical conversations into my classroom. I have also started following @ZinnEdProject to learn more about the historical roots of racism. Finally, I am also following @JackieWoodson, @The_Pigeon, @OneCrazyRita, @Nikkigrimes9, @kwamealexander to share black voices in my classroom this fall
I started using twitter more during this school year. I have been able to connect with educators across my district and community. I tend to be more of a “lurker” than actually posting, but I have come to love the retweet feature for relevent and interesting information. I have been able to follow professionals that I have recieved PD from such as Paul Anderson and Lucy Calkins. It has been a great tool. @caitslinkerd
my professional twitter is @amaya_d20. I mainly retweet information that I find relevant and interesting rather than creating my own tweets currently but I will begin to do that soon.
My remotely new professional Twitter account is @sarahephelps.
For me personally, in my “adult” life, I’ve been more of a lurker than a poster. I don’t necessarily like putting a lot of information about myself out there for everyone to know. However, I think that with a little bit of time, I could find a balance to use my professional Twitter in a way that’s effective and nonintrusive. I decided to follow @langwitches because her name caught my eye, but upon further investigation I noticed that she places a large emphasis on the importance of straying away from the traditional worksheet and pencil form of learning. I think she’ll be a useful influence for me to have!
I have a professional Twitter account- @Ms_MorrisVA.
I am new to twitter and I have learned about it from this post, as I added some of the suggested resources like Edutopia (@Edutopia). I found that it is a good educational source for teachers to enrich their knowledge.
My impressions of Twitter are all good. I have been on it for over six years. However, I will now be using it for more of a professional reason than social as I did before. I have learned that there are positive and negative things that are said. It is hard to stay clear of these types of people. Most of my connections are friends or friends of friends. I hope to have more colleagues over then next year.
I am brand new to Twitter, so some of the first people & organizations I chose to follow are familiar to me. In particular, I follow NB Teacher Wellness (@wellteacher235). It is a school-based wellness program dedicated to helping staff in New Brunswick schools be healthy and well. I know each of the teacher wellness counselors personally and they are amazing! The messages I have seen so far have been helpful (related to physical and mental well-being), especially during this pandemic. Also at times, they are inspiring and motivational, and at other times, they are light-hearted and fun!
I like to use twitter to follow education sites that provide information that might be helpful to me teaching in public schools. I also follow teachers who I can feel comfortable with connecting with and bouncing ideas off of as well as inspire and encourage each other.
One twitter account that I followed is @teacher2teacher – it’s a community of teachers that talk about different aspects of education that could help. Right now, they are talking abut distance learnings and bouncing ideas around about how to make it effective.
I checked out and followed Shelley Sanchez on Twitter. Her account in great and she uplifts other teachers and shares helpful teacher tips as well as quarantine tips.
@MsFlowers3282
I have not used Twitter before, but I think it is a great way to network. I am a little nervous to use Twitter. I think social media is a great way to meet people and learn new things. I am rethinking my decision about Twitter.