Twitter+introduction

__**Twitter 101**__ media type="youtube" key="tDUF-qFsEno" height="400" width="700" align="center"

**__Twitter 102__** media type="youtube" key="P8nCl_Db-QI" height="400" width="700" align="center"

At first I was hesitant about twitter and didn’t really buy into its intrusive nature, however, I have grown to really appreciate this platform. Twitter allows you to maintain a constant stream of information coming to you throughout the day. With twitter, you can follow who you want and block those you don’t want.

As a member of twitter I can keep up with colleagues in my personal learning network (PLN) on a daily basis. I can read articles my network posts and respond to them privately in a direct message or via the main feed. I suggest finding a few good people to follow initially and then slowly expand your radius as you get more comfortable tweeting. Twitter also allows you to post photos, videos, and links.

What I have gained most from twitter is the ability to access articles and information that I may have never seen otherwise. I have discovered new bloggers and many valuable classroom resrouces that have surfaced in tweets. Like any network, you have to weed out the material you want and not get overwhelmed by the one tweep who will post 300 tweets a day. There are also several desktop platforms that you can use to filter and showcase your twitter feed. The one I recommend using is [|TweetDeck]. It can be used on any OS and mobile device and its user interface is simple and user friendly.

To filter your twitter experience you can create a list or users that are all associated in one category, or you can filter a column with a # symbol followed by the specific text that is being used. For example #edchat

Finally, Twitter employs a unique language. At times, this can be intimidating to most newbies, but fear not, there are plenty of twitter guides out there to help with this process. Below you will find several links to twitter resources. I recommend scanning each at your convenience.

__**Twitter resources:**__

The beginner's guide to twitter by Michael Hyatt

An educator's guide to twitter by Steve Anderson

8 Videos that will guide you through Twitter setup by David Wees