How can teachers use Twitter to better communicate with families and to participate in informal professional development?

1. TWEETING
TEACHERS
Using TWITTER for student and Jon Moss
Pine Grove School
parent communication and as a
professional development tool @JonMossEdTech
#APSCTTechDay
www.EDvantaged.com

2. WHAT IS TWITTER?
 Twitter is a MICRO blogging
tool.
 Users post brief messages
(called “Tweets”) for others to
read.
 Tweets can be a user‟s own
content, a “retweet” (forward)
of someone else‟s content, a
link, or nearly anything else
can be conveyed as text.

3. WHAT MAKES TWITTER DIFFERENT
FROM FACEBOOK AND EMAIL?
TWITTER FACEBOOK EMAIL
 140 character limit  Limit of post length  Unlimited
is subject to
change.
 Public to  Public to only
EVERYONE.  Public to friends those you directly
only* correspond with.
 Social networking  Direct
access to the  Social networking correspondence
world! access to the with a finite
world! number of
recipients.

4. Demonstration
WHAT DOES TWITTER LOOK
LIKE?

5. WHAT MAKES TWITTER GREAT FOR
COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS?
 Easier to post micro updates
compared to full posts or
articles.
 Many of your news items that
you‟d normally share on your
class website may be shorter
and well-suited for tweeting.
 Twitter can be easily
integrated into daily tasks
and can be accessed on-the-
go.

6. WHAT MAKES TWITTER IDEAL FOR
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
 Twitter is great for sharing resources, seeking resources, and receiving
resources.
 True collaboration means that you and others are motivated to help one another!
 Ongoing dialogs – not a one-time PD session without the option of
follow-up.
 Twitter exchanges can (must) be brief, so there‟s no pressure to draft a
lengthy message.
 Many, many respected organizations have a presence on Twitter.
 Tweeting teachers have ongoing access to experts, leaders, and
organizations.
 “It‟s professional development at your will, your leisure, and your
interest.” (Mercier, 2011)

7. WARNING!
(Mercier, 2011)

8. Demonstration
ACTIONS ON TWITTER

9. TWITTER SYNTAX
@ # (Called a hashtag)
 Creates a “mention” to  Can connect your tweet to an
connect your tweet to a organized topic.
 @JonMossEdTech „s presentation
specific person or is really, really terrific!
organization. #APSCTTechDay
 @FakeJeffButler, you‟re  Can express a feeling or
hysterical! sentiment.
 Thanks for the  Learning that Twitter uses the
recommendations, internet... Yawn...
@elearningteacher ! #TellMeSomethingIDontKnow
 6 months left to the school year!
 Thanks for hosting us,
#IsItSummerYet
@MSNewEngland ! We had a
great time!

10. FOR EXAMPLE...

11. MY EXPERIENCES
 Informal professional development (a mixed blessing!)
 Networking with other professionals
 WordPress Experts
 Other teachers with Educational Technology interests
 Program and app developers
 ShowMe (from the very beginning!)
 Next steps?
 Communicating with parents and families!

12. WHAT MAKES TWITTER GREAT FOR
COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS?
 Easier to post micro updates
compared to full posts or
articles.
 Many of your news items that
you‟d normally share on your
class website may be shorter
and well-suited for tweeting.
 Twitter can be easily
integrated into daily tasks
and can me accessed on-
the-go.

13. WHAT MAKES TWITTER LOUSY FOR
COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS?
 You cannot be verbose,
elaborate, eloquent, or
Shakespearian in 140
characters.
 Does this make us seem less
professional?
 Does the very use of Twitter
make us seem
unprofessional?

14. UNFORTUNATE TWEETS...

15. WHAT MAKES TWITTER LOUSY FOR
COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS?
 You cannot be verbose,
elaborate, eloquent, or
Shakespearian in 140
characters.
 Does this make us seem less
professional?
 Does the very use of Twitter
make us seem
unprofessional?
 You invite RESPONSES.

16. NEXT STEPS
 Get a Twitter account.
 Start following people and/or organizations. BE A LURKER.
 Maybe post a Tweet about today‟s professional development day!
(#APSCTTechDay)
 Experiment with different platforms for your Twitter use?
 Website? Native client? 3rd party client app like HootSuite?
 Post a question or comment. Even if it‟s irrelevant.
 See what happens!

17. JUST
REMEMBER...
(Mercier, 2011)

18.  People/organizations to
THANK YOU! follow...
 @ASCD
 About me...  @NCTM
 @iPodsibilities
Jon Moss (Pine  @jasonohler
Grove)  @virtual_teach
 www.edvantaged.com  @iear
 All materials will be available  @elemenous
online! (Give me a few days!)
 @rmbyrne
 @JonMossEdTech
 @teach42
 #APSCTTechDay
 @paulawhite
 But you need to follow
people and organizations
that are meaningful to YOU,
not to me!