You Are Invited

Twitter Metaphor

Imagine that you have been invited to the biggest, most talked about party of the year. Everyone is talking about the party.  It is on the news, in the paper, on the internet, a lot of celebrities are attending, and to top it all off the party is free.  How would you react?  Would you attend? Why or why not?

Here is the story of the party that I was invited to back in 2009.

At first I didn't want to join the party. I didn't think that it was my kind of party, and I had better things to do with my time. I kept hearing about it on the radio, and people were buzzing with excitement over it. Was I missing out? I was still not convinced and had no desire to join the party.

As I was preparing for another big event in my life, applying to the tldl program, I realized that people in the program had joined the party and I was encouraged to do so as well.  So, it was decided. I got out my invite and RSVP'd that I would attend. At first when I arrived I was a bit hesitant and shy. I was surrounded by famous and very intelligent individuals, and I didn't think that I had anything significant to say. After I felt a bit more comfortable with all of the new people and surroundings, I gained some confidence and I started joining some of the conversations. That is when the party started...and it still has not ended.

Thanks to Chantel Kingston (2009), for the inspiration I received after reading  Social Media DIY Workshop for small business   that compares twitter to attending a large party.

The Twitter Party

Pre-Party Planning

The twitter profile/ bio is very similar to an invitation to a party. If you want people to follow you on twitter your profile must be informative. When I first signed up for twitter I was hesitant to include information about myself and I kept my profile empty. Over time I realized how important the profile information is for other twitter users. I recently updated my twitter profile to reflect my current job, interests, passion, and education. After attending the SLJ Conference this year I also realized how important it is to have a real picture instead of an avatar. I recognized so many people from twitter, but they did not know who I was because I had an avatar for my picture.  As a result, I have changed my avatar to a real photograph of me.  

Sending Out the Invitations
Before sending invitations out for a party you must have an audience in mind. What is the purpose of the party?  Who do you want to attend the party?  What would make them want to attend?  Your twitter profile is like an invitation for a party. When people receive an invite they decide if they want to attend based on the information provided. Similarly, when people read your profile they decide if they want to follow you. The invitation/profile is crucial to getting the party started. After your twitter profile is posted and you continue to tweet about your passion and interests you will be surprised how many people will start following you.  I found a neat website, Mention Map, that allows you to visualize the connections that you have as a twitter user.  

Getting Ready For The Party

Before attending a big party we pay close attention to our attire. We try to dress accordingly and usually it takes a little bit longer to get ready when attending a special event. When you first start tweeting it takes some time to get used to it. You also may pre-meditate what you are going to tweet and it may not come naturally at first. You will be very conscious that what you tweet will be well received. Twitter is similar to getting ready for a party because it takes a bit to get ready, at first you might be nervous and uncertain.

At The Party
Meeting new people at a party is always a highlight.  A party is always more entertaining when there are people that you can talk to and share experiences with. Sometimes parties can be extremely overwhelming and there are so many people to meet. Twitter is like a party except that it is 24 hours a day,7 days a week. You can choose who you want to socialize with and you can socialize with a few people at first.

Leaving the Party 
Twitter is a party that never ends. You may not always be in a mood to party, but with Twitter you can determine when you want to arrive, take a break, and leave.

Consider this as an invitation to the best party of the year: Twitter. If you have not joined yet, I hope you will consider giving it a try.

And The Learning Continues

It is hard to believe that it has only been a year since I have signed up with Twitter. According to Twitter Grader, that is a website that determines how "influential" you are on twitter, I have been a member for 1 year and 5 days and my influence on Twitter is 2, 282, 095 out of 8,144,548. Not too bad considering I am relatively new to this.

 Since I have only been on Twitter for just over a year,  there are still some aspects of Twitter that I have not experimented with.  I have been using TweetDeck and I love it. I especially like that I can organize my groups and view them in columns.

When I am doing research or surfing the net I usually have my TweetDeck on so that I can view the new tweets as they appear. When I am writing and don't want to be distracted I turn TweetDeck off and check in during a writing break, or if I need inspiration.

I know that a lot of  people use TweetDeck and others use HootSuite. I decided to create a HooteSuite account to see what the benefits of both would be and if I should switch over. At first glance, HooteSuite has a very similar layout to TweetDeck.

I did some research to find out what the differences and similarities are between HooteSuite and TweetDeck. I found an excellent blog post by Sazbean that compares the two.

Some of the interesting features that I discovered about HooteSuite were:

• HooteSuite has the ability to provide you with your Twitter stats
• You can add multiple users to your account 
• Scheduled updates are available

 For an overview of what HooteSuite can do for you check out this video.



 After my research about HootSuite and dabbling with it for awhile, I decided to tweet out to and ask fellow twitter followers what they prefered. TweetDeck vs HooteSuite.  I was surprised and intrigued when Shannon Miller said that she used TweetDeck on her desktop and HootSuite's Hootlet for sharing resources.

I was not sure what she meant by HooteSuite's Hootlet, so I Googled it.   I was thrilled to discover that HootSuite has an add-on for your web browser. How slick is that? So often I would come across a website that I would want to share and it would be such a chore to open Twitter or Tweetdeck, so I just wouldn't bother. Ok, I know it is not that big of a chore but it really was an inhibiting factor. With only a few quick steps a HootSuite icon was added to my mozilla firefox browser.

 Now,  when I find an article or website that I want to share I can simply click on the icon and VOILA!

 

For now, I will continue to use TweetDeck because I like the flying update and the overall appearance of it. I will also begin sharing resources using my new HootSuite Hootlet add on.

Adding Twitter To My Blog

In a few short steps a) copy embed code b) paste into the "Add A Gadget" column and press save, I added Twitter Feeds to my blog. I think I prefer the HootSuite application because it is constantly updating and is a bit more interactive. What are your thoughts? I am thinking about what this could look like for my blog about YA books?

Twitter N Me
 Sometimes I wonder why I even try to talk about how a certain web 2.0 tool could be used in my  personal life. What is a life? I think I gave that up when I started my TLDL program.  Even though I mostly follow teacher-librarians and other educators I do follow others such as: CBCRadio2 , Discovery News, and Time to name a few. I could also see the potential of using Twitter to search to share information and upgrading.

MicroBlogging in The K-12 Classroom

"What happens to traditional concepts of classrooms and teaching when we can now learn anything, anywhere, anytime(Richardson, 2009)? Watch this video to discover how four educators discuss how Twitter is changing education.


Twitter & Education - #140conf LA from RealPlayer SP on Vimeo.


As educators in the 21st century we must continue to create opportunities for our students to contribute positively to society.  Using Twitter or other Microblogging platforms in the classroom allows the students to communicate beyond the four walls of their classroom, and emphasizes the importance of collaborating,  sharing and contributing. The important question to ask is: How can Microblogging platforms change the culture of teaching and learning in the classroom? Due to age limitations and privacy Twitter may not be the first choice for educators. Richard Byrne has discussed in detail five platforms for a classroom back-channel chat.

I have used TodaysMeet in the classroom and it is very simple and easy to use. You simply set up a chat area, give it a name, and invite people using the url.  There is no public gallery, no advertisements and it is great for using in an educational setting. Bring on the backchanneling.

Why would you use twitter or other microblogging platforms in the K-12 classroom? According to Mashable reports and the National Survey of Student Engagement " Students in the study were asked to contribute to class discussions and complete assignments using Twitter increased their engagement over a semester more than twice as much as a control group." Does engagement mean academic excellence?







Teacher Librarians/Learning Leaders and Twitter

In Buffy Hamilton's article, "Pivots for Change: Libraries and Librarians" she talks about establishing a presence in the library and marketing your library using Twitter. Hamilton (2010) asks the reader to think about where their students and parents dwell,  and to consider creating a presence using social networks. This is a free and powerful way to reach parents and members of the community, and to highlight upcoming school and library activities. Christopher Harris provides teacher-librarians with some catchy examples of promoting the library in less than 140 characters.

• "The new Meg Cabot is here! While waiting, grab something from our Cabot Countdown shelf of books that you're sure to enjoy."

• "Classes first, third, and eighth period. The library is open, but remember to respect the work taking place. See you (but not hear you)."

• "Just finished reading the third book in Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series. Will and Evanlyn are Skandian captives. Can Halt save them?"

 Gwyneth Jones, the Daring Librarian, presented  "Don't hate the Hastag: A Social Media Revolution." at CASL's 2010 conference and she said, "personal learning networks and utilizing social media has shifted the way we make connections and grow within our profession. Twitter allows me to grow, share, and network with other teacher-librarians around the world and even in my own community.


As a learning leader, you may feel the urge to convince others to join twitter if they have not already done so.   Thanks to Rodd Lucier of the Clever Sheep for creating, "20 Things I've Learned in Twitter." This is a great way to promote Twitter to staff members, and other colleagues.

20 Things I Learned in Twitter

View more presentations from Rodd Lucier.

Twitter and Professional Development

Twitter is the best 24/7 professional development for educators in the 21st century.  On November 21st Larry Ferlazzo posed a twitter challenge "ten people I follow on twitter and why."  I decided to complete this challenge and as you will see below, it is evident that my reason for being on twitter is to grow as a learner and teacher.  I would pass this list on to fellow teacher-librarians that are just starting to experiment with Twitter. I could also use these examples to show other teachers how Twitter can be used for professional development. This activity really forced me to think about why I follow the people that I do and what impact they have on my learning. This was an extremely difficult task as there are so many amazing educators and teacher-librarians on twitter, but this is the list I came up with:

@aasl    The American Association of School Libraries is not a "person" but it is an organization. I like their motivating "advocacy tip of the day and I also think that it is important to stay informed about the events and opportunities available through the AASL.

@Larryferlazzo Larry Ferlazzo always posts new information and resources that he has added to his blog. His resource lists cover every subject imaginable in grades K-12.  His tweets are always relevant, and reflect current research and events happening around the world.

@gwynethjones  Is a teacher-librarian that dares to challenge your thinking and is a strong advocate for teacher-librarians and the pivotal role that we play in student learning.

@gcouros  Is passionate about education and this is reflected in his tweets. George is an extremely reflective practitioner who continuously extends and challenges my thinking.

 @shannonmiller Shannon is another teacher-librarian who loves to share her new web 2.0 discoveries, ideas, and what is going on in her library. Shannon makes an effort to reply and respond to your tweets which is the best part of twitter.

@librarybeth  Beth's background is in libraries and she is currently a PHd Student who is passionate about literacy education. Need I say more? Beth's area of interest reflects my passion as well. I always look forward to Beth's insightful posts.

@zephoria  Danah Boyd researches social media, and she tackles a lot of issues surrounding social media and teens. Her research and insight is not like any others. Danah's research is cutting edge and she even manages to create a personality through 140 characters. I think she would be one of the most fascinating individuals to sit down and have a chat over coffee with. Oh wait, twitter is kind of like that!

@buffyjhamilton  Buffy Hamilton's blog is "The Unquiet Librarian."  I think this sums up Buffy's passion for libraries, and her zest for learning  Combine all of that with her knowledge of library reform, advocacy, transliteracy, and participatory culture and you have another cutting edge resource available to you through twitter.

@RossJTodd Ross Todd is an extremely distinguished professor at Rutgers University and is the director of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries. Ross Todd averages a few tweets a week. He is an example of quality vs quantity. When he does tweet, it is meaningful or thought provoking.

@joycevalenza  Joyce Valenza's bio simply says, "teacher-librarian, learner" Joyce is an amazing teacher-librarian that shares her everyday challenges, thoughts, and she keeps you in the loop of the library world.

What is so unique about Twitter is that you also have an opportunity to share, question, and challenge other educators. Twitter can be whatever you want to make it.

Concluding Thoughts

 When you leave a party you typically feel exhausted. Twitter is not an exhausting experience but the process and steps to getting started can be overwhelming.  A good party typically consists of: meeting new people, getting acquainted with old friends, sharing stories and experiences, and good food. So find a great snack, a computer and get started with the best party of the 21st century, Twitter.

References

Hamilton, B. (2010). Pivots for Change: Libraries and Librarians. Library Media Connection, 28(6), 54-56. Retrieved from Literary Reference Center database.

Christopher Harris.  (2007, November). Tweets at Your Library. School Library Journal, 53(11), 24.  Retrieved November 23, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1375667231).