I was just twittered that I'm #1 on Tweeterboard! What? Initially, I kind of feel like Napolean Dynamite,
"I don't even know what that means."
However, although Robert Scoble has too many friends and cannot add me on Facebook (he was cool enough to comment on my blog, though [Happy Birthday Robert if you read this]), I guess I beat him in one thing. (Uh, the only thing, like, ever.)
The Twitterpoll Did it!
I have a feeling that my recent twitter poll did something to the stats. This twitterpoll started because I wished I could "meet" all of my friends on twitter.
coolcatteacher Twitterpoll: Where are you from and what do you do? For a blog post I'm working on. Respond @coolcatteacher in your response. 06:35 PM January 17, 2008 from web
I've been working on a blog post about the usefulness of twitter and have been helping and editor who covers education, ellenu, get connected to the most amazing educators in the world, and have been on twitter more than usual. (Like 15-20 minutes a day instead of the usual 5.)
Really, twitter doesn't rule my life, I have some tricks that help me use twitter effectively.
How I use twitter
I use twitter most
- I check it to see "breaking news" -- Believe it or not I found out about the Virginia Tech Shootings There from @andycarvin
- To find people to help me test new Web 2.0 tools for the classroom - There is a alot of vaporware out there... I'm not going to use anything in my classroom unless it is safe, it works, and meets an objective of mine. (I like it when its fun too.)
- To Uncover Great Stories - Sometimes I do freelance work and I use it to find the "stories" of teachers and educators who deserve to be heard but might not have been in the news yet.
- To Tap in the Power of the "Network" - If I have a big problem and need a solution, if I twitter it, I'll have an answer in seconds.
- To demonstrate the Power of the Network - I use this to demonstrate by asking the people in my network to shout out where they are from.
- To let people know what I'm doing. I use twitterfeed to stick in blog posts (and I send my twitter updates to my facebook account to update my status there as well using a facebook app for twitter since facebook is blocked at school.)
- To help others do these same things and share.
- To get a good laugh (like the joke from Riptide_Furse last night about TechCrunch's top 10 telephone tricks.)
7 Tips for Using
Twitter Wisely
- Get Snitter
When you do, click options and set as I've done on the right (except for the pink!!) - I am a big believer in the Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Model -- I usually check twitter in the morning and at night when I'm blogging.
- I set direct message to text me on my cell phone. This gives my network a fast way to encourage me and reach me if I can help. In fact, this past summer when my grandmother died, my friends direct messaged me and I received texts on my cell phone at the funeral. It really meant a lot!
- Understand that Twitter is a lot like going to a conference. Twitter is full of "happy accidents" and chance meetings. Most of us don't read every general twitter.
- I read all of my @coolcatteacher replies
If someone takes the time to reply to me, I will read it and usually respond. It is faster than e-mail and shorter too because I'm limited to 140 characters. There is a trick to this.
To do this, go to your twitter home page, click Replies and settings and make it look like this below. (That way if someone is not your friend you can still see their reply.) - I respect the direct messages and keep them private.
Several people responded over direct message for the twitter poll, however, that is private to me so I only included the public messages below. It is how I send my e-mail or other private info to others. (Doggone it twitter, alphabetize that thing.) - Focus on the people. It is not about the technology but the people that technology allows me to connect with. It is about network and PEOPLE. Twitter is efficient, easy, light, and useful. Although MacWorld took the service completely offline a few times this week, its still a great service. I believe in teaching and learning effective technopersonal skills and twitter is one thing I do every day.
So, who are all these "twitter" friends -- I've been asking them for the last 24 hours and here are the answers. It is a long list with people from Abu Dabi to Korea to England and all over the place.
Now, let me make a point. I am a teacher first... I have an incredible network of educators right here to help me be better. I believe in global collaboration and in the importance of teaching digital citizenship in order to advance the US as a nation and for any nation who wants their citizenry to be successful.
And within 24 hours, these people answered a question for me.
I think this whole thing should serve as a wake up call to those watching education everywhere that there is a growing grassroots efforts of educators around the world that are bypassing bureaucracy, textbook companies, and governments and connecting their classrooms and learning spaces.
To me, this is not a testimony to me "coolcatteacher" but to the power and muscle of the edublogosphere and how we are finally beginning to gain momentum.
Note: There were so many responses, that they "knocked" my RSS feed down. I have moved these responses to a Google page that you will find here - http://coolcatteacher.googlepages.com/twitterpoll%3Awhereareyoulocated%3F
If I missed you, I'm sorry. I'm completely choking blogger with this list!
tag: twitter, Robert Scoble, Andy Carvin, Snitter, technology, education, learning, innovation, networking, Getting things Done
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