Open your favorite browser and go to twitter.com.  Once on Twitter create an account.  This video will help you through the process if you get stuck.  You can also see Twitter’s help page to get written directions.

Your profile is your public face in Twitter.  What you put here will set the personality and style of your “Twitter”.  Take some time today to update your profile pic, Twitter header, biographical information, and theme color.  You can see my bio page below and if you get stuck you can check out this tutorial.    

Twitter isn’t much good if you don’t follow anyone.  So today your mission is to find and follow 15 people/organizations.  Try to do a mixture of friends/family, educators/organizations, and hobby/news feeds.  (For Facebook users, following someone on Twitter does not automatically give them access to follow you.  It is a one way conversation.)  You can find directions for searching on Twitter here.  Hera are a few of my favorites to help get you started.   @edutopia, @beard_speak, @shakeuplearning, @zachsnow, @teachingchannel, @history_pics, @TexasHumor, and @alicekeeler.

There are various stages of the Twitter user.  The first stage, the Egg Head, isf for those who set up an account but never use it.  You can tell an Egg Head by the characteristic egg profile pic.  You by now have passed that level and now are at stage two:  The Lurker.  Lurkers, it isn’t a bad thing I promise, follow people and read posts, but haven’t contributed to the conversation yet.  Your goal today is to spend a few minutes lurking today.  I also want you to “like” or “heart” at least five tweets that you like.  You can do that by pushing that little heart button under the tweet.  

Twitter has its own lingo and actions and before we progress any further it is time to stop and take a look at each one.

Handle- This is your Twitter screen name.  It can be any combination you want and can be changed at anytime.  It is always preceded by the @ symbol.  You want to keep your handle short and easy to type while still being personal.

Retweet- If you find a tweet that you like and you would like to share with your followers you can use the retweet button to share the tweet with them.  The retweet button is the center icon beneath the tweet that looks like two arrows circling on each other.

Hashtags- The hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the pound (#) and is used to put tweets into categories.  This is a way to see what other people are saying about the same subject and to be part of the conversation without having to follow millions of people.

Like- Liking a tweet (pressing the heart symbol below the tweet) is like favoriting a website.  It saves the tweet to your likes so you can easily find it again.  It is also useful for a couple of reasons: 1, you can let someone know you like the tweet without having to retweet it, and 2, save the tweet so you can read the article attached to it later.

Direct Message- If you want to reach out to someone on Twitter you can Direct Message (DM) them.  A DM goes only to you and doesn’t show on other people’s twitter feed (but it will show in yours).  To DM someone you can click messages at the top of the page or the left facing arrow under the tweet.

Now for your assignment.  I want you to search the hashtag #edtechchat and “Retweet” one tweet you feel is worth sharing and “Like” one tweet you feel is worth saving.

It time to get that first tweet out of the way.  Some feel the pressure to make their introduction to the Twitterverse epic while others start sharing their thoughts on Italian cuisine and other nonsensical rambling.  I wouldn’t recommend starting in either place. You can see my first tweet below.  It was a shameless plug for my now defunct blog.

A good first tweet could be one of three types: 1, share something about yourself or your class (something good happening), 2, share a link to an interesting article you read, or 3, say hello. These obviously are not the only ways to accomplish your first tweet, but they are non-threatening and set a good tone for what is to come.

Your task today is to tweet your first tweet.  To write a tweet you will click the blue “Tweet” button in the upper right hand corner.  It will open a new window like the one below.  From there you can write your text (max of 140 characters) add a picture or link (you will want to shorten the link using bit.ly, goo.gl, etc.) and add your location (if that is your thing).  Click “Tweet” when you are done.

You got your first tweet out there, now it is time to learn how to be responsible with your new super power.  Attached is an article on Twitter etiquette.  Read the article and learn what is okay to do on Twitter and what is taboo.

Twitter Ettiquette

So far we have done everything from a computer.  Now it is time to take it mobile with the the Twitter app.  Download the app from the Apple Apps store, or the Google Play store and sign in.  Then watch this short video on how the app works before tweeting (with a picture) from your phone.

Today let’s share some content.  Find three educational articles from ,Edutopia, Edudemic, TCEA, Edsurge, or a site of your choice and tweet them using the hashtag #RLChat.

By now you might have noticed you have started getting a few followers.  There are few tried and true ways to get more followers (you want followers).  First, you can continue to follow more new people/organizations. Be care to not follow too many new people at one time or you will look like a spammer.  Second, you can use popular hashtags to get your name out there in the circles you want to run.  Third, you can retweet.  Retweeting lets your followers see what you feel is share-worthy and gets your name connected to people who regularly retweet and like the same things. Today’s task is to retweet 10 tweets and add the hashtags #RLChat and #edchat.  Try to spread your retweet throughout the day so you don’t congest your follower’s feed.

Twitter lists are a way to group people together to make it easier and more organized to follow groups of people.  I use lists to curate news feeds and edtech resources without clogging up my main Twitter feed.  Watch this short video on Twitter lists and then start one of your own.  You access list from your profile page.

Twitter chats are a great way to connect to like minded people.  For today’s challenge I want you to read this article on Twitter Chats then view the calendar of Twitter Chats to find one to participate in.  Make sure to answer at least one question during the Twitter Chat.

Your final challenge is to complete ONE of the TWO challenges below:

OPTION 1:  Read this article from Edudemic and and use one of their ideas in the classroom.  To get credit for this challenge you and your student must use the hashtag #RCISDC4L

OPTION 2:  Create a class hashtag for your class and share out class activities, projects, and good news.  Then share that hashtag with parents so they can see what is going on in your classroom.  To get credit for this challenge you must DM @beard_speak with hashtag so I can follow.

As you should know, to get credit for this challenge you must complete challenges 9-13 and #hashtag things correctly.  Once you have completed those challenges Direct Message me @beard_speak to get your PD hours and badge.