Tutorial #4: Use Twitter for Classroom News
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So what is Twitter? Great question. I have to admit that for most people, Twitter is a phenomenal waste of time. On the other hand, I have found that Twitter offers a great service for me to stay in touch with parents and colleagues.
Twitter is basically a place where people can post news about themselves (or in my case my classroom and website) that other can read easily. My Twitter updates are listed on the front page of my website. Additionally, anyone who signs up to receive Twitter updates on their mobile device (iPhone, etc.), can easily follow my updates.
Click here to check out my Twitter page.
Step 1: Signup for a Twitter account
Click here to signup for a free Twitter account. This step is quick - fill in your personal information and choose a username that will be easy for people to locate. When people search for you on Twitter, it will be easiest to find you by searching by this username.
Step 2: Add a new update to Twitter
Log in to your account to post your first news update. There will be a box titled "What's happening?". This is where you will type your updates. You are limited to 140 characters (including spaces), so make sure to plan out your words accordingly! Once you click update, anyone can read your posts.
There are a few ways for people to read your updates:
1. They can go directly to your Twitter page (i.e. www.twitter.com/username)
2. Anyone who uses Twitter can "follow you" (they subscribe to receive your updates)
3. You can post your Twitter updates to your website or blog
Step 3: Publish your Twitter updates
Assuming that you and your students are not connected on Facebook or Myspace, the best way to publish your Twitter updates are by installing a Twitter "widget" on your website or blog. Click here after logged in to your Twitter account to add your widget.
Once you click on the link above, select Widgets for "My Website" and then "Profile Widget".
In this part of Twitter you can do the following:
1. Set your username for the widgetAfter you have finished customizing these fields, click on "Finish and Grab Code". You can post this code inside the html on your website or blog.
2. Choose how often your "tweets" are updated
3. Choose the number of tweets shown
4. Choose the colors for your widget
5. Choose the size of your widget
Step 4: Find Interesting People on Twitter
One of the nice things about Twitter is that you can follow the updates left by many interesting people. Click here to search for people on Twitter.
Here are a few of the interesting people that I follow on Twitter:
Ron Clark, teacher Kevin Carroll, author Bill Cosby, entertainer Blood:Water Mission, organization
Now you are reading to start "tweeting" like crazy! Once again, make sure that you use discretion and don't use student's names or personal information online, as anyone can find your class page. I try to keep the updates very generic. If parents need more specific information, they can e-mail or call me.
If you have any questions about Twitter, please e-mail me!