Twitter 101

Last month, I shared some quick tips and tricks to build a PLN through social media. I'd like to dig deeper and really explore Twitter, which I believe can be the most beneficial source for teachers seeking quality content.

Let's take a closer look at Twitter and how it go beyond a basic tweet. This is how my Twitter profile looks on my iPad. Your profile page will look somewhat different based on how and where you're using Twitter, but the basics are still the same.
Before we dissect some tweets, allow me to get on a soap box for a moment. Notice how I have a profile picture that shows my face and a description about me?  You NEED a profile picture of yourself; not a cartoon, cute animal, or stock photo. You are not an egg! We want to see your beautiful face and know a little bit about you. It grinds my gears to come across a profile and see an egg. Rant over, let's move on.

When you post to Twitter you are limited to 140 characters unless you use something like TwitLonger. Let's take a look at a basic tweet. A tweet may or may not include a hashtag. Some of us will remember when a hashtag was really a pound sign. (Feeling old yet? I sorta am now.) What's a hashtag you may ask? A hashtag is a word or group of words used for a specific topic.

Source

A basic tweet has no hashtags, special characters, or emojis included with the text. You will notice under each tweet you send there will be three options; reply, retweet, or like. 

When you reply to a tweet, you first click on the left facing arrow underneath the text. 

In the example below you'll notice I've replied to someone welcoming them to a Twitter chat.

Now let's move on to retweeting. A retweet is when you share a tweet already shared by another person. There are two choices for a retweet; you may just retweet the original content or you may quote the tweet which means you add your comments or thoughts about what you're sharing. Below you will see examples of a basic rewteet and quote the tweet. 

Moving right along, let's take a quick look at liking a tweet. When you like a tweet, it's saved to the Likes section of your profile so you can reference it later. In the screenshot above you'll notice each tweet has a heart. The number next to the heart indicates how many likes that particular tweet has received.
Next week I'll share more tips and tricks for using Twitter. Enjoy what's left of your week! I'm preparing to present at my district's iPad conference next Monday. I can't wait to share what I've learned!