My Hands-On Teacher Session on 'Twitter'

Today I ran a training session on Twitter. Quite a large number of teachers elected to attend. I don't think they had any idea what Twitter was before the session.

Twitter is a simple, free, text messaging website that allows you to connect to other educators around the world. Here's a video explaining it. You can send and receive short messages via your web browser. (To join, go to twitter.com now and register, and follow me and other people: www.twitter.com/steve_collis).

I have been on Twitter for 6 months or so now and have found Twitter to be invaluable. Apart from anything else, my interactions on Twitter have made me much more aware of the global education community. I feel part of a global teaching movement.

I also get a string of brilliant ideas dished up to me!

Anyway, I was delighted by the 26 people who replied to me in a matter of hours!

The training session went really well! My colleagues had a ball and seem quite enthusiastic about continuing with Twitter.

Below, I'm going to post three different things.

1. A list of my colleagues who are now on Twitter. Please feel free to 'follow' them!

2. A list of the replies I got on Twitter.

3. A google map actually showing where people replied to me from. This is what I mean by a global community! (by the way it was easy to make this map. I went to www.umapper.com and copied the text from the twitter messages into it, and it generated the google map, cleverly, by scouring the text for recognisable locations)

1. A list of my colleagues who are now on Twitter. Please feel free to 'follow' them!

http://www.twitter.com/imma65

http://www.twitter.com/jenny289

http://www.twitter.com/Clive_Thomas

http://www.twitter.com/markliddell

http://www.twitter.com/SueSk

http://www.twitter.com/shhartley

http://www.twitter.com/Lillipilly

http://www.twitter.com/gharbor

http://www.twitter.com/jennyscotney

http://www.twitter.com/DanielDawes

http://www.twitter.com/peter_robson

http://www.twitter.com/spot_dog

http://www.twitter.com/The_Norman

http://www.twitter.com/TimBrownSnr

http://www.twitter.com/connorc

http://www.twitter.com/chimofee

http://www.twitter.com/anne_sharkey

http://www.twitter.com/cwoldhuis

http://www.twitter.com/Stephen_H

http://www.twitter.com/Tim_Barrett

http://www.twitter.com/linfoot

http://www.twitter.com/krblom

http://www.twitter.com/sadam

http://www.twitter.com/schultzie86

2. A list of the replies I got on Twitter.

What I find really interesting about people's replies here are their reasons for using Twitter.

# 4ngel4 @Steve_Collis location:

England,
Weather: raining, twitter is great for discussing ideas with like minded people.
Enjoy your training about 4 hours ago

 # barton1875 @Steve_Collis New to twitter
but can see that it has great opportunities to find resources, methods and
ideas to help children to learn. about 4 hours ago

 # barton1875 @Steve_Collis Birmingham

England,
cold and raining. Now there's a shock! about 4 hours ago

 # dehohulin @Steve_Collis Hello from

Tinley Park,Illinois!
Sunny and 34 F today. I ♥ Twitter b/c I learn so much from the brilliant minds I follow! about 9 hours
ago

 # LisaSuhr @Steve_Collis I am the only tech
support person in a small rural district. Twitter allows me to "find"
my colleagues frm all over the world. about 12 hours ago

 # LisaSuhr @Steve_Collis Hello from NE
Kansas,

USA,
1/21 weather was 50 dgrs F and today it shld be down to 35 dgrs F! No snow on
ground about 12 hours ago

 # weatherhead @Steve_Collis Tweeting from
my deck in Warrimoo. Twitter is short news bursts from people that count. It is
very moist and sticky indeed. about 12 hours ago

 # MylesCarrick @Steve_Collis oh, and it's
really hot here in

Sydney ...
but you knew that! Have a great PD workshop! about 12 hours ago

 # MylesCarrick @Steve_Collis Tweeting from
my Nokia in Chiswick - Twitter helps me never miss little and big discoveries
by the people I _really_ follow! about 12 hours ago

 # edueyeview @Steve_Collis Currently in

Lisbon ,Maine;
+8F(-14C) and overcast. Love twitter for PLN connections, new ideas, tools, resources.
about 12 hours ago

 # lucybarrow @Steve_Collis Hi from a
beautiful & cool evening in Ballarat! Love twitter because it keeps me up-to-date
with ed & world issues. about 13 hours ago

 # nstone @Steve_Collis Hi from

Elstree, UK.
Weather grey and wet, twitter is great company when you're sick at home! Also
good 4 resources about 13 hours ago

 # zecool @Steve_Collis Bon matin! It's a 'relatively'
mild -11 C in

FrederictonNB.
Twitter for me is 2 things: connect and learn. about 13 hours ago

,Canada

 # shortcomp @steve_collis

Sydney

, darn hot. I like the conversation. Like
ringing someone and asking their opinion times 1000 about 13 hours ago

 # APKC @Steve_Collis Is a major element in
my personal learning network, and provides opportunities to broaden areas of
interest, understanding about 13 hours ago

 # APKC @Steve_Collis Tasmania, weather
galeforce with fires, now calm with rain ; enables immediate contact with
friends, contacts, quick research about 13 hours ago

 # annemareemoore @Steve_Collis I like
twitter because it is relaxing and it is amazing how much important and new
information is generated on Twitter about 13 hours ago

 # deantregenza @Steve_Collis i like twitter
because its mobility and capacity to put forward ideas as they come out of your
head... not losing the moment. about 13 hours ago

 # annemareemoore @Steve_Collis hi from hot
sultry NSW Australia. Violent storms and much needed rain - hoping it will be
fine for water skiing on the weekend about 13 hours ago

 # dannynic @Steve_Collis hi from a cold, (8oC)
grey, wet and windy Southend on

Sea ,UK

. Twitter is
like 24 tv show - "events occur in real time" about 14 hours ago

 # ajep @Steve_Collis from a hot & humid

Sydney at, share ideas & learn - its PD &
more about 14 hours ago

. Twitter
helps u connect far & wide, c beyond where

u

 #juler @Steve_Collis Love the connections
and learning with lots of people. In Brisbane Aus. Going to be hot 2tomoorow. about
14 hours ago

 # Darcy1968 @steve_collis Hi Steve & crew.
I'm in Kiama NSW & like Twitter as it is a fun professional & personal (up
to the minute) networking tool. about 14 hours ago

 # warrick_w @Steve_Collis I like the immediacy
of it about 14 hours ago

 # point2five @Steve_Collis gold coast, rain,
cooler finally- like twitter because verbosity is verboten & tweets are
entertaining and sometimes valuable about 14 hours ago

 # etalbert @Steve_Collis Lower Blue Mtns-Like
Twitter for its global reach,ease of cross industry sharing, great information
filter for busy educators. about 14 hours ago

 # carolrainbow @Steve_Collis Hi All I am
based in

Oxfordshire , UK

. Twitter keeps me up to date
with tech news, world news, colleague's news and is fun :-) about 14 hours ago

 # tombarrett @Steve_Collis hi from cold and
wet

Nottingham , England

. Twitter is great to
connect with people in the simplest way. Hope you have good day about 14 hours
ago

 # nrwatkins @steve_collis hi from
Launceston,

Tasmania ,
where it is cool, overcast, raining :-) I like Twitter because there is always
more to learn about 14 hours ago

 # ackygirl @Steve_Collis I like twitter coz
it lead to meeting you at a conference.. and you said "yay you're ackygirl
- can I give you a hug" lol about 14 hours ago

 # paulrwood @Steve_Collis and I am having a
great deal of trouble sleeping tonight/this morning. about 14 hours ago

 # paulrwood @Steve_Collis From Dallas but
currently in

Philadelphia

for Educon. It is 24 F here and I learn so much from the collective knowledge
of PLN about 14 hours ago

3. A google map actually showing where people replied to me from, around the globe!