Using Twitter for Teaching, Learning, and Professional

DevelopmentSocial Media Series

Presenter

Jason Rhode, Ph.D.Assistant Director, FacultyDevelopment and InstructionalDesign CenterNorthern Illinois University

niu.edu/facdevjrhode@niu.edu twitter.com/jrhode

Today’s Workshop

• Introduce the basics of Twitter• Explore best practices for using Twitter in

teaching, learning, and professional development

Have you used Twitter before?

• If no, please select the No option X• If yes, please select the Yes option

Have you setup a Twitter account?

• If no, please select the No option X• If yes, please select the Yes option

Do you use a smart phone or tablet?

• If no, please select the No option X• If yes, please select the Yes option

Rate your proficiency with Twitter

A. Newbie: I’m brand new to Twitter, never used beforeB. Novice: I’ve setup an account and followed a few

people, but that’s about it

C. Power User: I check Twitter at least weekly, post periodically, and feel comfortable with many features

D. Pro: I tweet regularly, use hashtags, share links, and engage in conversations with other users

Join the conversation on Twitter!

#twitter4tlpd

Pedagogical Framework

engaging students in collaborations, connecting concepts with real-world applications

presenting material and concepts in a

meaningful and memorable

ways, guiding the learning process

fostering social presence, providing timely information, guiding the learning process

pulling together, reviewing, and

selecting content, resources, and conversations

Socially Engaged Online

Instruction

Social Media Tools & Technologies

Social Bookmarks

Social NetworksPodcasts

Blogs Wikis

Video Sharing

Photo Sharing

Social Networks• connections among users

with shared interests, relationships, or contexts

• “following” or “friending” to add a connection in your network

• either public or private• used for different purposes

(personal, professional, academic)

• many networks intertwine

Recommended Free Social Networking Tools:

• Twitter.com• Facebook.com• LinkedIn.com• Google+

Diagram courtesy http://flickr.com/photos/joepemberton/3305147093

Twitter Basics

Twitter Described

“Part blog, part social networking site, and part cell phone/IM tool. It is designed to let users describe what they are doing or thinking at a given moment, in 140 characters or less”

– Educause 7 Things You Should Know About Twitter

Twitter Search

Trending Topics

"most breaking" news stories from across the

world; hottest emerging trends and topics of

discussion on Twitter

Platform Independent

• Twitter messages, referred to as “tweets” can be sent and received from multiple platforms:– Web-based Twitter account– Software client on any desktop or laptop – Twitter app on smart phone– Twitter app on tablet– SMS from any phone

• The same Twitter account can be accessed from any of the above platforms!

The Web: Twitter.com

Twitter App: Smart Phone

Twitter App: iPad

SMS

• Account can be configured to allow for messages to be sent via SMS to 40404

http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2009/01/twitter_first_off_the_mark_with_hudson_p.php

Election Coverage on Twitter

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2010/election.pulse

Iranian Election Protests & Twitter

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/06/25/a-twitter-timeline-of-the-iran-election.html

Hurricane Sandy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/hurricane-sandy-twitter_n_2025910.html

Following Others

Following someone on Twitter means:

a) you are subscribing to their Tweets as a Follower

b) their updates will appear in your timeline

c) that person has permission to send you private Tweets, called direct messages

Followers

People who receive your tweets

Anatomy of a Tweet

Hashtag (#)

The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a

way to categorize messages.

@Mention

Any Twitter update that contains @username anywhere in the body of the Tweet. (Yes, this means that replies are also

considered mentions.)

@Reply

Public reply to another Twitter user, always beginning with @username

Retweet (RT)

Tweet that is reposted to your followers, either by clicking the “Retweet” link on the Twitter website or by beginning a tweet

with RT @username

Direct Message (D)

private message sent via Twitter to one of your followers

Favorites

Favorites, represented by a small star icon next to a Tweet, are most commonly used when users like a Tweet and wish to save

it for later.

Lists

Collections of other users

Why Tweet?

• Expand your personal learning network• See what’s happening right now in the world

and your discipline• Share with others your discoveries, new

knowledge gained, or resources located• Participate in larger conversation without

personally “friending” other users• Communicate with colleagues and students

from a mobile platform

Email vs. Twitter

• Send messages privately to selected recipients

• Unread messages collect in inbox

• Messages are private & only recipient can view

• Send private, public replies, or completely public messages

• Unread messages keep flowing by in stream

• Public messages can be viewed by anyone & easily collected via hashtags

Email Twitter

Uses for Twitter in Academia

• Participating in backchannel conversations at conferences using hashtag

• Following colleagues in your discipline• Engaging students in authentic conversations

and learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom

• Utilizing mobile devices in field or classroom for real-time conversations and information sharing

Why Use Twitter in Teaching?

• Extend learning experiences beyond the “walls” of the classroom

• Bring in current events to the curriculum• Engage students within lecture-based instruction• Connect students from across multiple sections

or institutions• Reach out to experts in the field• Pull the world into your classroom• Introduce students to informal professional

development

How to Get Started on Twitter

1. Setup a free account at twitter.com2. If you have a mobile device, download &

install free Twitter app3. Follow a few users, suggestions:

@NIUlive @FacDev @jrhode4. Find other NIU colleagues and departments

to follow (see NIU Social Media Smashup at smashup.niu.edu

5. Post to Twitter!

The Twitter Experiment at UT Dallas

http://youtu.be/6WPVWDkF7U8

Academic Excellence in 140

http://youtu.be/SVOY2x81_bg

Learning in Authentic Contexts

http://irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1222

More Twitter Studies

http://citeulike.org/user/jrhode/tag/twitter

NIU’s Social Media Use Guidelines

http://niu.edu/marketing/socialmedia/guidelines.shtml

Questions?

• What other questions do you have?

More Resources

https://jasonrhode.com/twitterinedu

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Continue the conversation on Twitter!

#twitter4tlpd

Contact the Presenter

Jason Rhode, Ph.D.Faculty Development and Instructional Design CenterNorthern Illinois University

jrhode@niu.eduniu.edu/facdevtwitter.com/jrhode815.753.2475