TCEA 2019 TakeAways

Twitter Tips for New Users

Twitter can be a bit overwhelming when you first get started. Who should I follow? How do I tweet, retweet, quote? What does all of that mean?

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Just do it. Don't keep putting it off. Make your account. It only takes a second. The hardest part is deciding what your twitter handle should be. Mine is @sstatler. Very creative, right?
• Start following people you know. Here are some of our teachers at GRIS:
• @GRintermediate
• @GlenRoseSchool
• @RachelBeaucham1
• @MarlaBretton
• @ClassroomRolon
• @Keri_Flippen
• @AmyTurn81182056
• @KariRYeager
• @apes_lam
• @JillCPower
• @JWheelerGR
• Start out by just reading what others have to say.
• Look at the profiles of the people you follow. Click on Following to see who they are following. Many times, you will have similar interests and will want to follow some of the same people.
• Search for hashtags related to your teaching assignment or interests. This is a great way to find new people to follow. Cybraryman has an extensive collection of hashtags for educators. Try some out.
• When it all gets overwhelming, use one of the following sites to help you see only what you want to see.
• Search a specific hashtag in Twitter
• Use a Twitter Wall to show one specific hashtag:
• https://www.the-wallrus.com/
• http://activitywalls.com/
• https://twitterfall.com/
• http://twttag.com/
• Or use a site like TweetDeck to organize your twitter by hashtags

See the post from our TCEA Take Aways to get more ideas.

TCEA Takeaways

TCEA Takeaways

Where to begin? Evelyn, Keri, and I learned so much at TCEA, and we are so excited about using everything we learned. We even made the front page of the TCEA magazine. ;) All of the presenters have posted their handouts on the TCEA Convention website.

My biggest takeaway is Twitter. I know it is old news, but I have promised myself that I will use it every year after TCEA. I always lose interest and quit tweeting. This year, I vow to use Twitter for professional development. It is a great way to create a Personal Learning Network (PLN). In the beginning, I created a Twitter account because it's what all the cool kids were doing. Now, I see the value in following fellow educators with similar goals and interests. I have found more resources through my Twitter PLN. This week I even participated in my first TweetChat. There are many scheduled chats on Twitter. You just have to find one that interests you and follow the designated hashtag at the specified time. I participated in a Texas Librarians Chat #TXLchat and we discussed what we learned at #TCEA15.

Here are a couple of tools that will make Twitter a little easier to use:

• TweetDeck - a website that allows you to create columns of different hashtag searches that you are following
• HootSuite - organize all of your social media in one place and post on all sites at once
• FlipBoard - online platform and mobile app that organizes all social media and news into one place, giving it the look and feel of a magazine. Search for particular topics or hashtags and "flip" the results into a magazine that you can follow.
• TweetChat - enter a hashtag to begin following a chat. TweetChat organizes the discussion, allowing you to reply, retweet, or favorite. 

If you're interested in learning more about Twitter for professional development, talk to me. My end goal is to create a hashtag for our campus discussions and learning.

Follow me! @sstatler

I have a lot of great sites, apps, and tools that I want to share with you, but I don't want to overload you with too much information. I plan on creating a Google Sheet to share all of our great resources. Please ask one of us if you have any questions or need some suggestions for integrating technology.  I really look forward to watching our campus use technology in new ways.

Stay tuned for more TCEA goodies from Keri and Evelyn!