Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging service and social network that allows users to post updates in 140 characters or less. Twits (those who tweet)  follow other users to see their updates; unlike Facebook, however, following is not mutual - you don't have to follow people who follow you. Twitter can be used to share links, ask questions, engage in worldwide conversations, follow breaking news, score discounts, meet new people, and have fun.

As an educator, you can use twitter to increase your personal learning network and professional network, to connect your students to experts, or as a tool to communicate with parents and students. In this unit, we will focus on using Twitter for professional development and student learning; using Twitter for classroom commmunication is covered in the Communication unit.

Twitter Resources

• How To Sign Up on Twitter
• List of Twitter Resources
• List of Orono Staff on Twitter

Facebook

Facebook is a social network that enables users to share status updates, pictures, events, and links with groups of people. Though it started as a private network and is still used largely for personal sharing, the addition of public fan pages and groups have made it a good tool for students, teachers, coaches, schools, and districts to communicate with each other. For more information on using Facebook for classroom communication, please see the Communication unit.

If you have a Facebook account, you can use it as a professional resource by becoming a fan of pages related to education or your subject area. You can also join groups to network with other professionals. Below are some recommended pages and groups:

• Orono Technology Integration
• Hybrid Pedagogy
• Digital Media & Learning Research Hub
• Edutopia
• Mind Shift

Tutorials

If you get stuck on any task, please post your questions to the Discussion Forum.