An Intro to Twitter and Blogging

SD #67 Admin RetreatAugust 2012

Before we Start…Before we Start…

• Read this post…

• http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/3091

• Thoughts?

Learning IntentionsLearning Intentions

• Explore the benefits of Social Media• Create/enhance Social Media Accounts• Tweet a little• Blog a little

Social Media…where are U?Social Media…where are U?

My Story…

At first I was a lurker…

…making only a few connections.

My first big step….blogging.

Why?? His words…My PLN used to consist of our school staff, district admin team and the odd list serve; it was effective but primarily LOCAL.

Now, not only do I have my local PLN, but through the use of Facebook, blogs and Twitter (also Google+ and LinkedIn), my PLN also consists of thousands of educators and is now GLOBAL.

I have tapped in to my PLN to help plan staff meetings around motivation, literacy, and assessment and have also used it to continually collaborate with other passionate educators to help me grow not only as a leader but also as a LEARNER.

Twitter has become my own personalized human search engine as I am able to plug in to people with experience who can answer my questions. Twitter actually SAVES me time.

No two ways about it, you will have to invest.

Connecting to Connecting to others. others.

Focus on Learning Focus on Learning and Sharing.and Sharing.

Connecting to your Connecting to your school community.school community.

Focus on Focus on communication.communication.

Social Media…What’s your Purpose?

Getting Set up

Be Authentic!!

Create tweets here.

See who is “tweeting” you.

The “home” button takes you to your timeline. Where you can see what people are saying and sharing

Twitter Lingo

• RT – Retweet…it means that someone has just sent

someone’s original tweet again.

• MT – Modified tweet…it means that the original tweet

has been slightly changed

• My Account

Getting Started - Follow some great people…

How to start?How to start?

• One of the key ideas about Twitter is to follow a diverse group of people to avoid the ‘echo chamber’ effect. ~ Chris Kennedy (@chrkennedy)~ Chris Kennedy (@chrkennedy)

• A great post to find some BC “Tweeps”

http://cultureofyes.ca/2012/03/22/some-bc-edu-tweeters-to-get-you-started/

Some awesome locals…

• Naryn Searcy @nsearcy17• Scott Harkness @hark07• Claire Thompson @clthompson• Tom Schimmer @tomschimmer• Carolyn Durley @okmbio

#bced #bclearns #edchat

#cpchat #edtech #edleaders

#bcedplan #ntchat #ptchat

What the #*%@ is a hashtag?

Writing a blog takes couragecourage. I remember the hesitation and ‘queasy’ feeling I had the first time I hit the “publish” icon on my blog.

While, as school and district administrators we often write for a public audience, blogging does feel different from writing a school newsletter. The content might be similar, but it is more personal more personal than a Principal’s Message on the front page of a newsletter.

We often talk about the many changes happening in education and how we, as leaders, need to model the changemodel the change. We want students to take the risks, own their learning, be ready to make mistakes but to learn from them as well, and to create content for the digital world. We can help by modelling all of this.

~ Chris Kennedy (@chrkennedy)

Why?Why?

Blogging is a Blogging is a two way streettwo way street

Blogging Blogging challenges your challenges your thinking…thinking…

Blogging generates Blogging generates new ideas…new ideas…

Blogging is a way to share your expertise and be Blogging is a way to share your expertise and be part of the conversationpart of the conversation

Who to chose?

How do I follow?How do I follow?

• Subscribe by:–Email–RSS (Google Reader)– Through a blog provider

Some Blogs I Follow

• George Couros – The Principal Of Change• Chris Wejr – The Wejr Board• Johnny Bevaqua – Figuring it Out• Cale Birk – The Learning Nation• Chris Kennedy – Culture of Yes• Tom Schimmer – Learning, Leadership, Life