Hey teachers, I'll be the first person to admit that Twitter makes an awful first impression. Do we really care what Ashton Kutcher is having for breakfast? The very simple answer is "NO" (that's an emphatic "no" - sorry to all you Ashton Kutcher fans).
The point is, most people don't really care what I'm doing (writing this blog post) or what I had for breakfast (coffee and a Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar). So why follow me or anyone else for that matter?
The answer is that I don't use Twitter to let people know what I'm doing. I use Twitter to connect with teachers. I Tweet about great Smartboard resources; I "Re-Tweet" (pass along someone else's Tweet) when someone shares something interesting; I update teachers with the status of my blog and my podcast; and I share information about Smartboard Professional Development. I occasionally Tweet something that I think is humorous to help with the daily stress of teaching.
Let's take a look at what resources were shared on Twitter this morning that relate to SMART Boards:
Just from this morning, here are the links that people shared about SMART Boards:
http://www.subtangent.com/maths/flash/measures1.swf
http://www.alsi-usa.com/ir_trial/mathspack1/angle/angle.html
I think you'll agree that Twitter, when used like this, can be a wonderful resource. So, what's the next step?
The next step is to set up a Twitter account and make sure you include a picture of yourself and some information in your bio. It's very difficult to get other people to follow you if you don't let them know who you are. You will then need to start following people so you get their Tweets to come to you. This is where you'll want to find some good people to follow.
You can begin by following these people who Tweet about education and Smartboards:
web20classroom AngelaMaiers dougpete coolcatteacher paulhami elemenous itrt KatStaton skipz langwitches cedpaine annemarie80 macharvey
There are so many other great people to follow. Here are a few guides to help you get started:
A Slideshow called Introduction to Twitter for Educators
I also recommend going to the SMARTBoards Twibe website and join the Twibe. A Twibe is a website that grabs all the Twitter messages related to a particular subject. The SMARTBoard Twibe will show you Tweets related to SMART Boards. It will also provide you a list of other teachers who are members of the Smartboard Twibe. You can find some great people to follow using this site. As of this blog post, there are over 250 members of the Smartboards Twibe.
Good luck with your Twittering and don't forget to follow me on Twitter too.
Sharing is Caring!
