How Twitter is all about the coffee.... Using Twitter to form communities of practice. A presentation from the Handheld Learning Conference 2009. Do you Twitter? Some people have “complained” about Twitter as shallow and lightweight, they have missed the point. Is Twitter just about following people and reading informative links or is it about conversation and community? I use Twitter in various ways, saying when I am drinking a coffee,to inform about what I am doing, blog articles and as a backchannel at events and conferences. However telling people is only half the story, the real value of Twitter is the conversation. Of course really Twitter is all about the coffee. It’s the coffee you drink with colleagues during a break, where you discuss work, but also your commute, TV, films, the weather. It’s the coffee you drink whilst browsing the web and posting links of interesting web site to your blog or in an e-mail. It’s the coffee you drink in a coffee shop, reading the paper or a book. It’s the coffee you drink with fellow delegates during a break or at lunch at a conference. Where you discuss the keynotes, the presentations, the workshops, where you are going next, your hotel, the food, the coffee, what you do, where you’re going, what gadgets you have in your bag. Twitter is about these moments, but without the physical and geographical limitations. Twitter allows people from different institutions, sectors, different, departments to share these moments. This presentation will look at how Twitter can be used to improve and enhance teaching and learning through the use of Twitter as a community of practice.

1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/

3. It’s all about the coffee...
The value of Twitter
James Clay - Gloucestershire College

5. Twitter

14. ...it’s all about the
coffee...

15. You drink coffee...

16. with your family...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/

17. with colleagues
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsms/1374503176/

18. with Friends...
http://www.friendscafe.org/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/148900/size/big/cat/509/limit/recent

19. conference delegates...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesclay/2941473612

20. At the dinner table...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugglan/100963544/

21. On the street...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shij13/32903700/

22. In a cafe...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shij13/32903700/

23. On holiday...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/procsilas/15942925/

24. ..even at McDonalds!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iirraa/750061941/

25. ...on your own!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmyroq/3365686309/

26. Conversation

27. Geography
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simondee/3206147553/

28. Time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/17945646/

29. Community

30. Sharing links

31. Collaboration

32. Blogs and news

33. Crowd sourcing

36. Conferences

37. Back channel

39. What’s happening...

41. Conversation

42. Who washes the mugs?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/knile/3499922378/

66. What?

71. It’s not for everyone!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/w00kie/384533164/

72. What if you drink tea?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranguard/3218808314/

73. That’s my community
of practice.

74. Create a community!

75. ...it’s all about the
coffee...

76. James Clay
ILT & Learning Resources Manager
Gloucestershire College

79. t witter.com/jamesclay
elearningstuff.wordpress.com

80. Questions?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/calavera/65098350/