Twitter Tuesday - Some Interesting Apps

First I found today via Ozge Karaoglu on Twitter.  It is a Google Labs App that allows you to search a Twitter name and find people.  The Follow Finder by Google is interesting, yet fairly new.  I typed in my own name and only got three people it recommended.  I tried it again for the heck of it while writing this post and it gave me multiple pages worth.  It provides me Tweeps I might like, as well as Tweeps with similar followers.  Just another way Google is trying to get into the Twitter Universe.  It is a Google Labs project, so with time, it might end up being more useful.

Next is a site that most of the people that I follow on Twitter visit weekly, but probably don't realize all it can do.  Every Sunday a poll is posted for the topic on #edchat.  The site TwtApps has most than just a poll.  You can see in the image below all that they have to offer anyone on Twitter.  And although they advertise as business solutions, education is a business.  We are in the business of educating!

If you use Twitter with your classroom or school, you could easily use many of these TwtApps. 
- Use TwtQpon to tweet a homework or test coupon and the first student or first couple of students to reply gets the reward. 
- Use TwtAway and have a contest for your students to enter randomly for extra credit points. 
- Use TwtVite to invite students/parents to a play, athletic event, classroom activity, test, etc. 
- Use TwtPoll and TwtSurvey in your classroom the same way you would use a paper poll or survey. 
- Use the TwtFAQ to create a place for students to ask you questions about a project and it allows you to respond in more than 140 characters.

In the end all these apps can be used to increase traffic to your Twitter account and make it much more interactive.  Anytime you give students a reason to do something for rewards, generally they will participate.

Twitter Tuesday - Paper.li - Twitter like a Newspaper

Twitter has become a staple in my professional growth as an educator and I am always looking for new ways to view my Twitter Feed and to use Twitter in my daily routine and life.  Recently while looking at All My Faves, I came across Paper.li which advertises the ability to read Twitter Streams like a daily newspaper.  I was intrigued to say the least, so I checked it out.

First thought; how in the world do I view this?  I saw some featured sections, and I saw some current "Curators."  I noticed Education under the feature section, so I clicked.  I scrolled down and found Web 2.0 in Education.  What I found were Tweets by people I was following, links that they were sharing showed up in a pop-up window without leaving the webpage.  If there were videos that were shared, you could watch it right there in the newspaper, same goes for Photos.  There was even a section dedicated to #edchat and a Feed as well.  They also broke down the Tweets based on sections, such as politics, business, entertainment, living, etc.  Next to each section is a number so that you can view all the "articles" (Tweets) related to that section.  You can also view all the articles in list format if you want too.

You can also create your own newspaper.  So I created my own newspaper for what goes through my Twitter Feed, how cool!  What is really neat is that it will automitcally create a new edition every 24 hours based one what is shared!

What I did not like were all the ads within the "newspaper," but they have to make money some how.

Twitter Tuesday - March Final Edition

Hard to believe that we are already at the end of March.  Considering I started this blog and started using Twitter in December, I wonder what I would have known had I started in August, or even last school year.  I am doing a Professional Development on Twitter and Blogging and hope to transmit how Twitter and Blogging have transformed my passion about education, teaching, and students.  So much is lost these days with legislation and budget cuts that we are forgetting who is affected the most.  Students. 

But enough rambling, time for the great Twitter Tweecap from the past week.

1.) As a History teacher, a Ning like this would be really beneficial.  The Teaching History with Web 2.0 Tools is great for social studies teachers to join and share how they are using Web 2.0 in the Social Studies Classrooms.  By the way, when I shared this Ning on Twitter last week, it went from 6 members to 31.  And the Ning was created as part of a PD.  You can see the creators blog here

2.) The 23 Things Project is designed to help introduce you to tools that can help transform your classroom, school, and teachign style.  Thanks to @Web20Classroom for such a great project and idea.  Also another great link from his Blog is "Why a PLN?"  A great voicethread!

3.) Want to learn more about Web 2.0?  Well take a class!  This is a self paced experience to help you learn about Web 2.0 and create an online protfolio.  Great to share with new teachers and teachers interested in using Web 2.0.

4.) 25 Essential Free iPhone Apps for e-Learners

5.) TubeChop - Allows you to easily chop sections of YouTube videos and save for later.

6.) Dreams of Education - A new blog by @ktenkely that discusses all things that many of us wish education would be and focus on.  Looking forward to it as an addition to the Blogging Alliance :)

7.) My school system uses Turning Point because of its easy integration with Power Point.  Here is a list of 10 Ways to use Turning Point to make your classroom interactive.

8.) Share with your students the 15 Essential Web Tools for Students.  Gerat stuff!!!

9.) From @RusselTarr - A great way to edit pictures online using Cut My Pic.  Also a great Countdown Timer...that lets you choose music and upload your own!!

10.) Want to build a website?  Try one of these 45 Web Builders.  Really?  That Many?

11.) A MUST READ!!!  10 Gaps in Education that don't get enough Press

12.) Interested in starting a Blog using Blogger?  Check out these Blogger Video Tutorials.

13.) Lit 2 Go - A great way to put literature on your students iPods.  Especially if you have an iPod Touch Prorgam.

14.) Want to share files online?  Here are the 5 Best Sites for Online File Storage and Sharing.

15.) Fresh Brain - A place for students to create Facebook Applications, Video Games, and Videos.

16.) Math teachers are always looking for movies to show in class.  Well, this website has a TON of clips. Way to go Harvard!

17.) Constitution Facts - Great for government classrooms.  I was always looking for a great way to teach the Constitution.

18.) A Wallwisher Wall trying to findout what your favorite Web 2.0 Tools are.  Share your favorites.

Twitter Tuesday #9 - Top 20+ From the Weekend.

What a busy weekend.  Not really for me, but on Twitter.  I got a lot of great resources as well as articles about the "NCLB 2.0" as it is being called, or The Obama's Administration plan for Education.

1.) I am working on a Wiki for Facebook in Education and was shared a blog post by Tomorrow's Tech in Today's Schools about using a Facebook Template as part of a project in Power Point.  I know we hate Power Point, but it completely changes how it is used.  Check it out.  Great idea!

2.) Education Reform Policy Articles and Links:

• A Blueprint for Reform - Official Publication
• Education Week - Administration Unveils ESEA Renewal Blueprint
• The Big Idea - It's Bad Education Policy - L.A.Times
• From the Christian Science Monitor - 5 Key Changes to NCLB proposed by Obama
• Reform of NCLB Starts in Iowa

3.) A collection of Online Videos, Lessons, Games, and Quizzes: NeoK12

4.) From Shelly Terrell, a great video and resource for explaining the purpose of a PLN and Networking.  Also the creation of a Wiki about Networking.  Worth visiting if contemplating working to create your own PLN.

5.) From a YouTube search, a great list of Smart Notebook Video Tutorials

6.) A new craze are inforgraphics.  Here is 35 Great Social Media Infographics and The State of the Internet video.

7.) Two Reasons for Teaching Facebook in Schools.  I am contemplating a video of some kind with my students about value and safety of Facebook.  This might come in handy.

8.) iPod Touch/iPhone Apps for students.  Pretty nice list.

9.) Larry Ferlazzo wants to help a Blogger and Twitterer reach a larger Audience.  Nominate a Blog or Twitterer HERE.

10.) ZuiTube - Great videos for kids.

11.) KySTE attendees who are on Twitter.  Supporting my fellow Kentuckians on the Twitterverse and others.

12.) Educators Sharing Resources on Diigo - A GREAT group to join.

13.) Evaluating Websites - A great list of references.

14.) U.S. to Roll out Major Broadband Policy  - From Yahoo!  You can also visit Broadband.gov

15.) Google Earth in Education Resources

16.) TxtBlaster - Similiar to my post about texting students using your email.  This is online.

17.) Amazing Web 2.0 Projects - A Book!!  PDF

18.) In case you have not seen this, Teachers on Twitter - A Wiki.  Browse by subject matter.  Also a list of educators who share resources.

19.) ScribbleMaps - Draw on Google Maps - Interesting.

20.) 92 Videos That Will Make You Go: Huh, Whoa, Wow, Ahhh and Ha-Ha - Great list...must find time to look at them.

And finally, a picture is worth 1000 words.  Here is how so many in education feel today with the changes to education policy.  Where does responsibilty for failing schools REALLY fall??

Twitter Tuesday #9 - To Follow or Not to Follow...That is the Question.

In a recent article in the Louisville, KY Newspaper, The Courier-Journal, they reported on the increasing use of Social Networking in schools around the city.  There were a couple of things that caught me eye in the article.  First, 2nd graders were using Twitter to Tweet about what was going on in their classroom...utterly amazing.  Makes me wonder what my 3 year old will be doing in 4 years (considering he already uses my iPhone better than me).

Second was the number of school districts blocking access to Facebook, while allowing access to Twitter.  It shows me that school districts across that state see the value of Twitter as an educational tool, but are still completely terrified about Facebook, which is understandable considering the negative media attention Facebook has been getting in the media.  I have a wiki that is still a work in progress for gathering positive uses of Facebook in Education.  I am a firm believer that if you can't get parents to come to you, you got to go where they are, and parents are on Facebook...more parents than you will see at Parent Teacher Conferences.

Third, and the main point of this post, was that I discovered that the Kentucky Education Commissioner is on Twitter.  I proceeded to Tweet that he had a Twitter Account (which I think needs to be linked from the Department of Education website so people can find him on Twitter).  I did not have a chance to check his profile.  Nancy Blair did, and she tweeted up an interesting point.  Was the Commissioner of Education in Kentucky really buying into the idea of Twitter??

Communcation on Twitter can go both ways.  Mr. Holliday, the Commissioner, was only following 10 people, while being followed by over 375.  He has over 250 Tweets, so his account is still young, and it is a great starting point.  The point Mrs. Blair was trying to make was that communication in his position should and needs to goes both ways.  In order to get the most out of Twitter Mr. Holliday should be following more people, especially educators, classrooms, and schools within his own state that are using Twitter.  In order to see the value of Twitter in a position such as his, it would be beneficial for him to be able to see what educators around Kentucky are Tweeting about.

I am all for him sharing what he is experiencing as Education Commissioner.  It helps me keep up to date with what is going on at the state level in regards to edcuation in Kentucky.  At the same time I would hope that he would want to hear about what is going on in "his" schools that he might not always hear about in the newspapers, on the news. or in meetings.  Schools around Kentucky are doing great things, and not just the schools in the big cities.  Many are using Twitter to share these things.

I really did not think anything of the fact that he was only following 10 people.  I am glad that Nancy Blair brought it to my attention.  So, the question then becomes, should Kentucky's Education Commissioner, or for that matter, any state Education leader, be EXPECTED to follow?  Or for a person in his position is it more about being followed than following others? 

So many teachers talk about not feeling like they are heard by politicians and educational leaders when it comes to issues in education.  By following educators on Twitter, would this solve, or help to solve, the problem of communication?  Would more educators join Twitter knowing that they would get a better chance to be heard by politicians and educational leaders in their state?

What are your thoughts?  Would appreciate opinions, thoughts, and ideas.

Twitter Tuesday #8 - Changing of the Times

I remember when I was in high school, waking up, getting ready for school and having my morning bowl of cereal (Fruity Pebbles by the way).  I remember getting the paper and looking at the sports section, the features, and the comics.  It was a good way to pass time while eating breakfast and my way of having something to talk about when I got to school.

Today, as I sat eating my morning bowl of cereal (Frosted Flakes, now wishing it was Fruity Pebbles) I did all those same things as I did when I was in high school, accept, it was not just the newspaper.  I pulled out my iPhone, and while eating breakfast I played Word With Friends.  I also checked my email.  I checked sports through the ESPN ScoreCenter app.  I even looked at Facebook real quick.  I also have a Mobile RSS Reader so that I can read the blogs I follow while on the go.


That of course was not all I did.  I also used the TwitBird app to check the Tweets from my PLN that seamlessly continued while I was asleep.  I saved some of my favorites to read later because after all, it was just a couple bowls of cereal!  Now granted I don't have a subscription to the local newspaper, but this morning I realized...why?  Sure for the sake of support, but if I can get information other ways, and for cheaper, why?  I can get the same comics, the same sports scores, the same news stories, and quite a bit more.  Heck, I didn't even watch USA vs. Canada Hockey, but I knew a lot of what happened because of Twitter.

I have found that I check Twitter on my iPhone more than using the website or TweetDeck on my Laptop.  It is just as fully functional and provides the same options.  It also allows me to not feel overwhelmed with Tweets.  Twitter and TweetDeck don't let you know how many Tweets happened the last time you checked.  The iPhone allows me to know whether I have time to look at Twitter, and many times I don't.

With eReaders, Smartphones, and the eventual iPad, Newspapers and Magazines probably will become obsolete.  There is a reason many newspapers and magazines are creating Digital "E"ditions, because their readers are on computers more often now.  They offer digital or paper subscriptions as well.  (just look at your bills....how many are paperless...think those companies thought that would happen 10 years ago?) This will be more evident as my generation, my student's generation, and my son's generation gets older.

How do you get your news?  How do you get your information?  I know how I get mine and I know I am prepared for the change over to digital; are you?

Twitter Tuesday #7 - A Collection of Tweets

Let me start off today's post by saying that there was a lot of great education chat today via #edchat on Twitter.  If you are available at 7pm EST tonight, I suggest that you join in on the fun.  Topic focuses on the changes in 21st Century Education and 20th Century Education.  While sick I saved a collection of Tweets with valuable resources and information.  I use Instapaper to save Tweets.  It is also available on the iPhone.

1.) I am really interetsed in getting students to use Wiki's at my school...still waiting on a policy for them, but when that time comes, here is a great collection of resources for using Wiki's in the classroom.

2.) Comics in the Classroom - 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources!  I am really big on Comics and the kids love them.  Highly recommend checking this site out.

3.) From the Teacher Reboot Camp - 12 Word Cloud Resources...Something other than Wordle.  She beat me to the punch.  Planned on this for a Friday post, but why reinvent the wheel!

4.) A Huge selection of Web 2.0 resources and blog posts about each one.  Farr-Out Links to Learning.

5.) Posterize Anything - Blockposters is a site to turn anything into a wall poster for free!

6.) Want to increase fiber optic cables in your community or city?  Nomiate your community and see if Google chooses you!

7.) Here is a great social network for art teachers who are wondering how to implement Web 2.0 in their classrooms.

8.) Great list of Web 2.0 resources with screen shots of each webpage.  Addictive Tech Crisps for Education

9.) Colabopad - Interesting new Collaborative Writing Pad - Worth playing around on.

10.) Summer Workation - A place for teachers to find work during the summer.  I know I could always use some extra money.

And just for Fun...Learn Something Every Day.

Twitter Tuesday #6...From Sick and Unplugged to First #edchat

Well, being sick sure did take a lot from me.  I was unplugged from Twitter for quite a while.  I guess you know you are sick when you are to tired and just don't feel like reading and updating Twitter!  I jumped right back in tonight though, and participated in my first #edchat.  It was a great experience discussing teacher evaluation and how teachers assess their own classroom and teaching.  The usual responses were mentioned, but then there were also some others.  Most teachers will tell you that portfolio's, scheduled walk-through's, and student surveys do little to help teachers learn about themselves.  Most of the time, its ineffectiveness is not because of the process, it is because of the user.


We always had a saying when I worked in retail and a customer would bring in a computer with problems that we could not solve...."I guess it must be user error."  Same thing for teacher assessment.  If you don't use the tools correctly, then it must be user error.  If you don't take information you learn about yourself to improve what you are doing, the only person to blame is the user.  Think about it.


One option is Peer Observation, but how do you monitor it?  How do you ensure that teachers really are observing each other?  You could probably require a form, but does that really ensure that learning and assessing was going on?  Probably not.  One suggestion I had was to have teachers on planning go with a principal when they complete a walk-through.  This would ensure that peer observations are going on and when post observation meetings happen, that teacher could also participate.  Maybe even participate in the pre-observation meeting.


I am not teaching now, but keeping a blog has been a great form of reflection for me in this new job.  I take much of what I find and reflect on how it could be used in the classroom.  I then share that with teachers.  I know that keeping a reflection blog would receive quite a response, but if you could trade that for keeping a big binder portfolio would you?  Most of the time, a portfolio completed by teachers has the necessary parts required by the administration/district thrown in there, and often times, nothing new is put in, even though you have new students. There is also very little reflection.


Another topic within the #edchat was assessing Administrators.  Most of their assessment comes from test scores, attendance, teacher retention, etc.  But who assesses them on things like communication, organization, leadership, etc.?  Should teachers have a say in such evaluations?  A lot of that comes down to respect.  Would an administrator respect the opinion of a teacher fresh out of college?  If you create such a system, who is in charge of seeing suggestions implemented?  Teachers always have to show evidence, would administrators have the same requirements; to show evidence?  Just throwing this out there.


So, on top of all the other reasons why I have created a Twitter account and started Tweeting, I discovered that #edchat in itself is a whole reason in its own.  Through #edchat, I also discovered many other educators that I added to my PLN.  So if you have a free Tuesday night, 7 EST time, or 12 EST, you can join in the fun by searching for #edchat and then following the conversation, and when you are comfortable, join the conversation.  Just following the conversation will open a ton of doors, so don't feel like you have to immediately join the conversation.  Get a feel for it first.


I am sure that there was a lot more to the #edchat conversation from tonight, but these were the conversations that I took part in and wanted to highlight.

Twitter Tuseday #5 - Twitter Apps

With the rise in Twitter there are plenty of viable options for Twitter Desktop Applications, iPhone Applications, and other Smartphone Applications.  I will first examine the Desktop Twitter Applications.  I also am a PC guy (currently) so these will all be Windows based programs.  There are more than these, but these are the ones that I found the most information about.  They are in no particular order.

Tweetdeck - This is the desktop app that I use.  What I like is the user interface.  It is also compatible with your Facebook.  I don't really use it for that.  It  will automatically shorten URL's in your tweets as well.  You can view replies, Direct Messages, etc. in its own column keeping you connected with Twitter while working on other things.  It minimizes to your toolbar as well and displays a "tweet" window when you receive any new tweets.  You can also get the application on your iPhone.

Hootsuite - Advertises itself as a more "professional" Twitter Client.  You can get your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Ping accounts via the desktop software.  You can schedule tweets and organize into Columns and Tabs.  You can track statistics and even retrieve embed codes so that you can add search columns to your website.  You can also get the application on your iPhone.

Seesmic - Like the others you can organize our tweets and Facebook feeds into columns.  You can also incorporate your saved searches and Twitter List.  Nothing really different from the others.  I did notice that it seems to be the one application that has a Twitter client for every model of SmartPhone..except the iPhone.

Skimmer - Same features.  Main difference is that it can be linked to Blogger, Flickr, and Youtube, as well as Facebook.  Basically, it keeps you from checking the websites that you probably visit everyday.  Other than that, there is not much difference than the others.  By visiting the site you can view some screenshots of the application.

Digsby - Includes IM and Email inclusion as well as linking to Facebook and Twitter.  It creates a toolbar at the bottom of your screen with access to the accounts that you grant it too.  You can visit the website for screenshots and a demo video to help further explain some of the many features.

iPhone Apps
I own an iPhone.  Just got it, so upon joining Twitter, I immediately starting looking for a good Twitter App.  I currently use Twitbird.  I suggest that you just search "Twitter" from the App Store and read the reviews and features to determine which is best for you.  There are MANY, MANY others, but I will look at some of the more popular ones here:

Twitbird (comes in three versions: Free, Pro, Premium).  Each one offers different features.  The free version will come with some advertisements in your tweets.  Worth paying under $3.00 just to not have to see them!  I like the Push Notification Feature (cost a little extra) but it will alert you of replies and direct messages.  You can also create an Instapaper account to save links.  Very user friendly.  You can visit the software creator's site here.

Tweetie 2 - Brand new recently updated.  Does not offer Push Notifications according to the description I read, but will probably be in a future update.  Has a lot of features, probably more than I need.

Twitterific Premium - Can also be downloaded as a desktop application for Macs.  I originally used this one before changing over to Twitbird.  It has a lot of great features as well.  No Push Notifications, and from what I have read, not many differences between the paid and free version.  I liked the dark theme and the many different colors of the Tweets.

SimplyTweet - You can view the developers website here.  SimplyTweet has a lot of the similar features.  Has Push Notifications as well as many different themes.  You can also view it in landscape and portrait mode.  Something the other Apps allow as well.

EchoFon Pro - Formerly known as Twitterfon, and you can visit the developers website here.  Supports Push Notifications.  Can be used for free SMS according to the website.  Also is available as a desktop App for Macs.  Like the others, you can also setup multiple Twitter accounts.

Twittelator Pro - You can visit the developers website here.  It advertises the ability to create your own theme.  Includes many dingbats, or emoticons to enhance your Tweets.  Advertises over 200 features, but one of those is NOT Push Notifications...if it had that, this would probably be the most complete App for Twitter.

BlackBerry Twitter Apps Information
- Free BlackBerry Twitter Apps Roundup
- Seesmic for Blackberry
- Article over official RIM Twitter App

Droid and Nexus One Twitter Apps
- Twidroid
- Top Three Twitter Clients
- TweetCaster
- Seesmic

Twitter Tuesday #4 - Twitter Tools Top 10.

You would think that just be able to use Twitter and software like Tweetdeck would be enough to meet your needs as an Tweeter.  But let me tell you, those only scratch the surface of tools that you can use for Twitter.  I wonder if I will ever run out of tools to post here weekly...sooner or later it will have to be information from Tweets I receive.  For this week I thought I would create a Twitter Tools and Applications Top 10 that I find useful and entertaining.  These are in no particular order.

1.) 140 Twitter Tips - A Slideshow Presentation with Tweets suggesting ways to improve your Tweeting experience and Twitter Marketing Tips.  How could you become a better Tweeter?  How could you adapt these suggestions for education?

2. ) CalTweet - A tool for online promotion of your events via Twitter.  Would be a good way to share events in your classroom or school as well.  You can print a guest list and have RSVP's emailed to you.  It seems more social, but it could be worth investigating to see if it can serve an educational purpose for you, your students and school.

3.) Friend or Follow - A great way to check who you are following that is not following you back or who is following you that you are not following back.  Interesting look at your Twitter friends and followers.

4.) TweetStats - A Great way to discover your life as a Tweeter.  Tweets per hour, day, month, as well as a Twitter Timeline.  You also can get Reply statistics.  You can also get your Tweet Density so you can see when you are Tweeting the most.  It will also provide a Tweet Cloud and Hashtag could.  Interesting information.

5.) Twibbon - A great way to get someone to follow a cause on Twitter.  Raising funds for a student or a school project?  Want to get the word out about a community service project?  Twibbon might be a great source for your school or classroom.

6.) TweetBeep - Receive Twitter Alerts via Email.  Might be a great way for you to monitor a school or classroom account to ensure no inapporpriate information is baing shread on your school or classroom Twitter account.  Think of it as Google Alerts for Twitter.

7.) Trendistic - See trends on Twitter and even check for trends of your Twitter Account.  Check trends to certain websites, categories, or people.  Here is the trends for Twitter post of "Tablet"

8.) Twitt(url)y - Tracks URL's shared on Twitter.  Lets you know the most popular links and stories for the day.  Are you RTing any of these?

9.) Sniff Sniff....want to know when you have been Unfollowed?  Qwitter can tell you that.

10.) Twitter Analyzer - A very through analyitic tool for your Twitter Account.  Probably the best that you will find on the Web.

Twitter Tuesday #3 - A Reflection of Sorts

My previous post about Twitter gained quite a following.  Especially my post about Using Twitter as an Educator.  I also had a post about schools using Twitter as well, and most likely in the near future our school will be looking at going the route of creating a Facebook page as well.  I have come to realize that using Twitter is like opening a treasure chest of educational technology gold.  An endless stream of educators and administrators just aching to share their views and opinions with little ole me..I guess big ole me (6'5" - 240).

What's great is that finding all these people was fairly easy.  Many of these same people are members of Classroom 2.0 and The Educators PLN, which I joined months before Twitter.  I then found people via their blogs, and then via their Tweets.  The easiest way to find people to follow in your PLN is to see who they are following and follow them as well.  That is how I have came across a lot of great blogs and people on Twitter.

I have come to realize though that what I like best about Twitter is not neccesarily the resources being shared, but it is the opinions, articles, and videos that people share that catches my attention.  I find myself clicking and saving these to Instapaper on my IPhone all the time so that I can look at them later on my computer.  Every weekend you can count on me sharing these in my Weekend Extra postings.

Now the question becomes, how can I use it in the classroom.  I am sure some of these are posted on other websites, but I am actually just listing the ideas that came to my mind while typing this post.  It is important to note that Twitter does not allow deletions of messages from others that appear on your page.  It does allow you to block them which does delete their Tweets, but you cannot delete individual Tweets from others.  So I suggest you have people follow you, but not necessarily that you follow them.  More about giving then receiving.  Remember, Twitter and Texting is this generation's method of passing notes to one another.  Now to the ideas:

• An interactive discussion about a project or idea.
• Links to arcticles relating to current events or research being conducted
• 140 Characters discussion over books, movies, events, people, topics, etc.
• Picture Share
• Display during class and as you lecture or show a video allow students to ask questions for clarification or discussion when finished....most kids are scared to ask you to repeat something as well...this would give them that opportunity.
• Create a hashtag or an account for your classroom and allow communication between you and your students easily.
• Have students turn in their assignments by linking them in Twitter for students to see.
• Peer Review via Twitter.
• Extra Credit
• Classroom Reminders - (Test dates, Due Dates, Clasrrom Projects or interruptions)

Looking for others?  Here are some articles I found. 
- How One Teacher Uses Twitter (More Like Professor)
- 50 Ways to use Twitter in the College Classroom (Could adapt for High School)
- 25 Ways to Teach With Twitter
- 29 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom (Google Docs Presentation)

I conclude this post with an idea.  Someone with some computer programming experience will probably be able to create such a program, make millions and I will be left thinking...."should have taken computer programming in college:"
Create a microblogging site with education in mind that can provide more options for educators, such as the ability to create classes, add students, embed video, etc.  Also provide a way for us to chat with other schools and classrooms from around the world.  Provide a way to text in post via cell phones.  Maintain the open source feature so that it continually feeds like Twitter.  It would be a great way to have a discussion in the classroom using technology.  Because in my experience, using the technology generally creates more engagement even when you are finished using it.

Have you used Twitter in your classroom?  Success or Failure?  Please Share!

Twitter Tuesday #2 - Twitter Tools!

Ahhh Twitter....where would educators be without you?  Joining Twitter has been like opening a treasure chest of educational technology gold!  One of the neat things about Twitter has been the useful applications, webpages, and software that I have found that actually enhance your Twitter Experience.  If you have a Smartphone...Twitter Apps can even greatly increase your Twitter experience!  I use Twitbird, but there is Twitteriffic and others you might want to check out.

1.) TweetDeck - I downloaded and used TweetDeck for the first time today for the #Edchat on Twitter.  I got to say that I thoroughly enjoyed using this platform.  It made following the Tweets a lot easier.  It is great to use for multiple accounts as well.  You do have to download it and use it on your desktop, but it is worth it.  I highly recommend you using this platform if you don't already.  There is also Hootsuite, but I am not personally using it, so it is not right for me to tell you about it.  If you are using it, tell me about it!

2.) Where You Tweet - Twaitter - Advertises itself as a business addition to Twitter, but I think it is definitely worth checking out...it has several features of good use...

• Schedule: Schedule your twitter messages
• Recurring: Set your twitter messages to send on recurring basis: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.
• Twitter Calendar: Manage your scheduled messages (Twaits) with our powerful calendar tool that works just like your Outlook calendar.
• Translation: Translate your tweets into any language with the click of a button. Do you follow tweeple that post in foreign languages? ...easily translate any tweet into a language you understand
• Feeds: Register your blog or business RSS feed with twaitter and have your new posts automatically sent to twitter. (coming soon)
• Schedule in Mass: Have a lot to say and a lot to schedule? Upload a file with your messages in our file format and we’ll be happy to schedule all the twaits for you.  (Coming Soon) *subject to Twitter message sending limits
  

3.) What is your Twitter History? Twitter + History.  A great way to log your Tweets so that you can track what you are saying in a calendar format.  It would be a great way to track the Tweets that you are doing professionally and want to remember in the future.  It is also a great tool to use if you have a Twitter account for your school or district.  It looks very promising if you want to track your Tweets.

4.) Your Very Own Twitter Statisitics - Track your tweets, followers, and those following you and how often those occur.  It evens provides estimates for your account in the future.  It also allows you to compare your Twitter with other users.  So...what are your stats....how do you "Twack" up with other users?

5.) Share Groups of Twitter Users - TweepML is a great way for you to track your #followfriday and #teachertuesday.  I highly recommend that you check this tool out and see how you can use it.  As they say "TweepML is an extensible, open standard format that allows you to manage and share groups of Twitter users"

6.) What is Your Twitter Karma? - See who is following you, see who you are following, and then see how the two groups follow each other.  Don't like your Karma...then you could use their tools to completely wipe out your Twitter account and start all over...not sure why, but the option is there.  I guess that is for those who feel bad Karma from their Twitter!

7.) Twitter List - I was fairly new to Twitter, and knew about the feature of List, but I had little understanding of how to use them, at least until I found this blog post about Twitter List and how they work.  I am still fairly new to Twitter, and most of the people I follow would fall under one list anyway, so I don't see a need for list yet, but something tells me you do.  Maybe this will help you out.

8.) TwitBlogs - I just found it and was having trouble getting it working.  It seems promising so I thought I would share it and figured that I would just check back when the glitch is repaired.  It is for when those 140 characters are not enough!

Remember, if you are not using Twitter, as an Educator, you should!.  If you missed last weeks Twitter Tuesday edition, you can find it here!

What Twitter Software, Applications, or Websites are you using? Let me know of some that I have left off this list because I don't know about them!

Twitter Tuesday #1

Well, my recent blog post about Twitter being shared on Twitter created quite a buzz about my Blog and I am rather excited about the growth of my blog, my Twitter followers, and my growth professionally since that post (Is that a record for mentioning "Twitter," "blog," and "post" in ONE sentence?)

Well, here is my first official Tuesday Twitter Focus post.  There are quite a few things that I want to touch on relating to Twitter that I have discovered:

The first is a group of teenagers on Twitter that I follow; TechXav.  As their website boast, they are "a group of young and zealous teens, ranging from the age of 11-15."  They provide some great Twitter post relating to all things technology, but at the same time, they have post that relate to Educational Technology.  The kids are from Singapore and the United States...talk about Global Collaboration!  What I like about reading their Blog is that I get a dose of humor, as well as information.  If you don't follow them, or have not seen their website, I recommend doing so.  One recent post is related to Twitter....Flocking.me.  I want to give them credit for showcasing an interesting way to follow your friends on Twitter.  It Flocking.me could be used to help separate your professional and personal followers on Twitter.  I also think these teens are a great example of why we need to promote more technology in the classroom.  Learn about them here.

Since I am fairly new to Twitter, I am sure some of you are as well.  Shared on Twitter recently by some of the people that I follow: Web20Classroom and NMHS_Principal, is the The Twitter Guidebook.  Might be worth checking out to help increase your knowledge about Twitter.

Shared on Twitter by ShellTerrell, a blog post discussing what you might call yourself on Twitter.  A great link in the Blog Post is a way to find your Twitter Birthday.  Let me know when your birthday is and we can throw a party....on Twitter of course.  Mine by the way is October 2nd, 2009.  Be sure to put it on your calendar.  If you want to get me a gift, I am a sucker for Jelly Belly candies...but not the nasty ones like popcorn and licorice.

But the Blog Post in general brings up an interesting point/question.  Do we have titles for Twitter Experts, Novices, or those that distringuish themselves on Twitter because of what they post?  Then I thought, surely there is a Twitter Dictionary....and there is!  Twictionary can help you give yourself a title, maybe someone you follow, or your tweets. 
Maybe we should all create a Twitter Alias based on how we Tweet.  Based on our Twitter Alias we can create a Twitter Assassin game.  You must Tweet the person you are given before they tweet the person they are given....last one standing wins (prize to be determined later.)  Of course I can read the news headline now "Teachers/Educators participate in Twitter Assassin game."

Have fun on Twitter....I sure have been!

Focusing on a Focus

I decided last night that I wanted to improve the focus of my blog by creating a focus for each day.  Below is what I have decided to do for each day.

Must See Monday - Despite what you might be thinking, I did not steal the idea from NBC.  Every Monday I will post an article, resource, or Blog that I feel is a Must See.
Twitter Tuesday - Every Tuesday I will post a resource I found on Twitter, Lists to follow, People to follow, or an important Hashtag related to education.  It might also mix of all of these, depending on the mood I am in.
Wiki Wednesday - Every Wednesday I will link to a Wiki that I find interesting or helpful to educators.  It might even be something from Wikipedia that we might normally not look at unless it happened to be posted to a blog! 
Think-Twice Thursday - Every Thursday will be a resource, website, or blog that you should "think twice" and consider how to use it or reconsider why you are not using it.
Friday Focus - I will still be continuing my Friday Focus where I focus on a certain resource.  You can visit my Previous Friday Focus Post below:
Online Timelines
Social Bookmarking
Weekend Extra - With time permitting, I will post some extra stuff that I find on the weekends.

These won't be the only post of the day, but they will be the first or the last of the day.

Let me know what you think!