Get Connected: Social Networks–Twitter
I’d like to begin with a huge THANK YOU! for the positive feedback I’ve received regarding the launch of Technology in the Middle. Writing for one’s peers can be a daunting task and I truly appreciate the support you have shown. Your input is proof-positive that blogs can be a great way to get connected!
As I mentioned in my last post, participating in social networks can also be extremely rewarding. This short clip from CommonCraft does a nice job of explaining why social networking is so popular:
Of the many networking resources available, I have found Twitter, Delicious and Ning particularly useful. Because these tools are distinct in their function, I will highlight Twitter today and address the others soon.
Twitter: A Whole World in Your Hands
I must admit that when I first heard about Twitter I was less than enthralled. The idea of sending 140 character (or less) updates letting the world know what I was doing seemed downright silly. The MSNBC article, “Twitter Nation: Nobody cares what you’re doing” really captured my sentiments on the whole Twitter phenomenon. So what changed my mind? Learning to find and follow the right people.
Find and Follow
As a social network, Twitter is based on the concept of following. Very simply, I see the updates (commonly called tweets) of the people I follow, anyone who follows me will see what I write, and it is all updated in real-time. For example, here’s a screenshot of my Twitter feed as of this writing:
Notice that some updates contain links, others hint of things to come, and some are simply quick glimpses into what people are doing (i.e. the whole idea behind Twitter). While I enjoy reading all types of posts, those most useful to me often contain links and/or references to professional resources. So how does someone new to Twitter find the people behind these wonderful updates from among the approximately 700,000 Twitter users? Keywords and “Following” lists.
When you create a Twitter account, you are asked to provide a brief profile that includes a one line biography and your location. A “find people” keyword search will return results based on these user profiles. A search for “middle school” returned 54 users, including yours truly:
Using my profile as an example, if you decide you’d like to start following me and receive my updates, you would simply click the “follow” button (not shown here) and I’d be added to your “Following” list. I would then receive an email notification with a link to your profile and could then choose to follow you. If you would like to learn more before adding me to your network, you could click the link to my blog and/or my username to see what I’ve already posted on Twitter and who I am following…and that list can really be useful.
Much like a blogroll can steer you toward excellent education blogs, perusing someone’s “Following” list can help you locate interesting and relevant people. A good number of the contacts in my network were established this way and whenever I add someone I invariably check to see who they are following; there’s always someone new to connect with from somewhere.
Social and Global
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Twitter is the ability to interact with people from other cities, states and countries. MICDS has made “going global” an institutional priority and I cannot stress enough how beneficial Twitter has been in this capacity. There are some amazing people doing extraordinary things in places I will never get the chance to visit, but thanks to social networking, time and space are no longer barriers to collaborating and learning.
Thanks to Twitter, the day Technology in the Middle was launched I received feedback from Australia and Qatar, last night I joined an impromptu ICR chat session with teachers from the USA and Canada (and perhaps elsewhere), tonight I’m participating in a Skype conference call to discuss a project on Digital Citizenship, and I can’t wait to see what opportunities tomorrow brings. And I need to note that compared to many of my fellow Twitter users my Following/Followers lists are quite modest; even a small foray into the “Twittersphere” can yield incredible returns.
Start Tweeting
When used effectively, Twitter really is a personalized, global, social learning network and I would encourage you to give it a try. Although it is quite simple to use, this post is by no means a tutorial and I would encourage you to contact me, utilize Twitter’s online help menu or refer to The Big Juicy Twitter Guide for further information. In time, as your network grows, you may wish to explore more advanced Twitter options, including updating from your mobile phone, using a desktop client like Spaz or Snitter, adding Twitbin to Firefox, or using TwitThis to share your favorite blog posts. In the meantime, feel free to follow me and then start tweeting!
January 6th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
A nice overview of Twitter. I will share this with some of my staff…
January 6th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Oh no, my “being lazy” tweet is immortalized above for all time!
This is a great overview. Twitter is one of those things that sounds useless in theory but is surprisingly fun, educational and useful in practice.
January 6th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Patrick,
Great introduction to Twitter. I think you really hit the key points. I am now following (and am followed by) more than 300 people. Contrary to what you might think, I have found that increasing my numbers has increased Twitter’s usefulness. Not everyone is on at the same time, so the more people you follow the more likely you are to get an answer to a question or a problem. There are also lots of people out there offering resources and links of interest.
There are times when too much is going on and there are people who I have stopped following. My twitter network is G rated, so swearing will definitely cut you off my list. I also use the network primarily for professional resources. I’m not that interested in non-professional tweets. Too many of those just make for a lot of static on the line.
If you are looking for more people to follow check out my following list. You already follow me and I follow you (that is how I came to this blog post). For other’s reading this comment feel free to follow me, I’m lizbdavis on Twitter (and most everywhere else).
-Liz
January 6th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Liz makes very good points to add on to your fine entry… Originally I wanted to keep my twitter network to a manageable amount of 60. I found that I was never getting feedback when I needed it the most. Now I am over 100 and there is always someone to help.
While many like the social aspect of seeing that someone is making pancakes (Tim Lauer), I tend to stick with professional tweets. The problem is that I don’t become as personable to some in the network like Tim Laurer does… Although he is much more popular than just pancakes!