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1. Twitter as a Professional Development Tool:
How to Use Twitter to Develop a Personal
Learning Network
Presented by Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D. Candidate
Thames Elementary
April 4, 2012

2. • A Personal Learning Network is an informal learning,
self-constructed, diverse professional network whose
purpose is supporting the personal or professional
learning needs of the individual.
• A PLN allows you to:
• Make PD choices according to your individual needs
• Be flexible in how you learn
• Connect with like-minded peers
What is a Personal
Learning Network?

3. Twitter is an information social network.
Twitter allows you to:
• Follow a myriad of experts across fields
• Connect with peers
• Obtain information in real-time
What is Twitter?

4. • Connect with educators here in the U.S. and abroad.
• Share best practices and resources.
• Collaborate with educators around the globe.
Why should educators
develop a PLN via Twitter?

5. • Teachers in District 123: http://vimeo.com/36647045
• Lalan Dema:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXPfxwKkSXM
How are educators using
a PLN via Twitter?

6. • Create an account/profile
• Explore the features of the site
• Find people to follow
How do I get started?

7. • Choose a professional name
• Write an informative bio
• Upload a professional picture
• Adding your location is optional
Setting Up an Account

8. • Timeline- A record of tweets in real time. Newest tweets are at
the top.
• Tweet-A 140 character post.
• Retweet-A reposting of someone else’s tweet.
• Hashtags(#)-A label added to tweets to categorize or identify
its content.
Definitions

9. • Direct Message-A private message sent to someone.
• @Mention- These are public tweets that mention you or
are directly sent to you.
• Activity-A snapshot of follows, retweets, and favorites.
• Favorite- A way to archive tweets for future viewing.
• Search-A way find other users, either by name subject
area, or hashtag.
Features

10. • Type a subject area or field you are interested in learning
more about.
• Select and read someone’s profile.
• Click on the Follow button.
Find People To Follow

11. • Introduce yourself in a tweet.
• Ask a question and use a hashtag.(#edtech, #edchat,
#elemchat, #phdchat)
• Ask for a recommendation of people to follow.
Let’s Tweet!

12. • Cybraryman’s Twitter Page
http://www.cybraryman.com/twitter.html
• Getting Started with Twitter Chats
http://dayintheclassroom.edublogs.org/2011/08/06/getting
-started-with-twitter-and-twitter-chats/
Resources

13. • Twitter: @WillDeyamport
• Email: wdeyamport@capellauniversity.edu
• Blog: peoplegogy.com
Contact Me