Twitter... 1 Year Later

     Shortly after beginning this blog in January of 2012 I decided to join Twitter as well. Looking back at it, I can't remember if there was something specific that attracted me to Twitter but I do remember that I was pretty overwhelmed at the start. The first few days I used it I pretty much had no idea what I was doing and didn't understand how to use it effectively. Slowly I began to get used to the format and am now completely addicted! Twitter is now my go-to PLN tool and I've been able to network with some amazing educators from all over the world.

     I am now following 766 accounts that vary from other education students, educators, educational resources, education companies, and anything related to material I am using in the classroom. I would never be able to keep up with everything, however, if it wasn't for the "Lists" option. Some of the accounts I follow like the Winnipeg Free Press tweet ALL DAY LONG and completely clog up my news feed to the point where I could never find anything useful. To help, I've made specific lists that narrow down the accounts that I follow so it is easier to find information that I am interested in. For example, I can click on my "BU Education" list and easily see all the tweets from other education students without the clutter of the other accounts I follow. I also subscribe to other people's lists so that I can find other accounts that interest me. For example, I can click on the "Manitoba Educators" list by the Manitoba Teachers' Society to see tweets from other educators in Manitoba. In the image below, the first five lists are ones I have created myself and the remaining are lists that I subscribe to.
     If you are interested in learning more about Twitter and it's benefits for educators I definitely recommend checking out Twitter for Educators: A Beginners Guide which covers everything you need to know in plain English. It includes the benefits for educators, how to get set up, following people, getting people to follow you, Twitter "lingo" and various other applications that can help you get set up. Even after using Twitter for a year I've found this guide useful, especially the section on Guidelines & Best Practices.

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Image Credit: Twitter for Educators: A Beginner's Guide Cover, http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/MCPSS/MobileCounty/Departments/Forms/Twitter%20for%20Educators.pdf

Do you use Twitter?
What is your favourite thing about it?

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