The 14 Day Twitter Challenge

Without a doubt Twitter offers the best educational professional development you can ever experience.

However, even with all the amazing benefits that Twitter offers, many teachers new to this tool sign up, tweet once or twice, and then don't persevere and miss out on an incredible learning journey with incredible opportunities to connect with other educators on levels you would never normally be able to connect with.

So to assist with the goal of helping teachers unlock their potential, I have designed a 14 day twitter challenge for my school. Feel free to adapt for your own journeys. Follow it and reap the rewards of powerful connections and new learning.

Thanks to jarrod@pegeek.com for the idea. Jarrod set up a 14 day challenge for PE teachers https://www.smore.com/y4nu-the-14-day-twitter-challenge.

Watch the video below for an overview of Twitter.

Sign up to Twitter. The following videos steps you through the process. Username tip: Include NZ in your username to show which country you are from. This name will be for your professional use only. Create a separate name if you want a personal twitter.

I would recommend the following five tweeps to initially follow:

@traintheteacher

@allanahk

@tedtalks

@enablelearning

@krivett1

Sub Task 1: Search on one of the following hash tags

#edchatnz

#daily5

#edchat

Events:

#ignition13

#icot13

#gtasyd

Find a tweet of interest and follow that person. You may want to favourite the tweet.

Sub Task 2:

Search on a subject to find more people of interest. For example PEGeeks will get PE Teachers, New Entrants may get some new entrant teachers. Try other subjects that are relevant to you.

Sub Task 3: Look at the profile of the tweeps you have selected to follow and specifically look at their bio, in preparation for writing your own bio.

Sub Task 4: Please add your twitter handle to the google spreadsheet called SHS Twitter Information at Teachers Shared T:\Curriculum Teams\ICT\2013\Collaborating and Connecting Goal Information

The first thing to do is to let people know about you and your interests. The more descriptive your bio is the better chances you have to be followed by like-minded people. If you have a blog or website than link to it and let others discover it.

Find your profile by clicking on the person icon at the top right of the screen. Remember to include a photo. Don't remain an 'egg'.

Search on one of the following hash tags

#edchatnz

#daily5

#edchat

Events:

#ignition13

#icot13

#gtasyd

Find a tweet of interest and follow that person. You may want to favourite the tweet.

@TrainTheTeacher (Stephanie) has a NZ Tweeps list. Click on https://twitter.com/traintheteacher/nz-tweeps/members. Find 20 people of interest to follow.

Compose a tweet and introduce yourself. Remember to include where & what you teach. Finish your tweet with #SHSSchool. "Hi I am new to twitter. I teach years ? and am looking forward to connecting with other educators".

Engage in the basics of Twitter, and respond to a tweet from someone you follow.

@ – when placed in front of a Twitter name, it allows the person to see a reply to them under Replies

RT: – you use this to re-tweet a tweet that is worthy of sending again to your followers; this is a great way to gain followers, too

#- Hashtags - to track specific conversations ( Use Twitter Search to see what I mean)

Favourite - Save interesting tweets to a list of your favourites

View the video tutorial below and witness the basics in action

Search on one of the following hash tags

#edchatnz

#daily5

#edchat

Events:

#ignition13

#icot13

#gtasyd

• Follow at least 3 new people you find interesting.
  
• Favourite an interesting tweet.
• Retweet something interesting

Find and add all SHS tweeps. In preparation for a Sunnyhills Tweet Chat, have a think about something great that has happened this year in your classroom and be prepared to tweet about it at the chat.

• On a Monday at 3.30 there will be a tweet chat with the hash tag #nameschoolchat. Please login at 3.30 and tweet one great thing that happened this year in the classroom. Remember to use the hash tag #nameschoolchat.
• Respond to at least 1 tweet with your thoughts and opinions.

Make one new tweet that could include something great or a struggle from your teaching that day, a question for the day. Remember to include #nameSchool in your tweet.

Other missions for the day include

• Find 2 tweets of significant value and favourite them.
  
• Retweet something interesting

1. Respond to at least 2 tweets
   
2. Retweet at least 2 tweets
3. Favourite something you could use in class

Don’t rely on Twitter.com (although it is a place to start!)

If you’re taking part in a popular chat, you will find it far easier to follow if you use a different twitter client than twitter.com. I recommend using twitterfall to follow chats, other people recommend hootsuite.

It’s a matter of personal preference so you might like to try a couple of different options until you find the one that works best for you.

Login to www.twitterfall.com using your twitter sign on. Watch the video below to become familiar with this website.

Participate in the next #edchatnz 8.30 Thursday's twitter chat.

Follow @MissDSciTeacher who is the founder of #edchatnz. https://sites.google.com/site/edchatnz/home

Congratulations. You are now at day 14 of the challenge. This is really just the beginning of your learning journey.

The 14 Day Twitter Challenge is designed to assist people with the initial stages of discovery on Twitter. Continue beyond the 14 day stage and reap the rewards for years to come. I would encourage you to create a class twitter account and participate in the #kidsedchatnz on Wednesdays at 2 pm. http://kidsedchatnz.blogspot.co.nz/. Check out this link for the roadmap to using twitter in your classroom http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/10/teachers-roadmap-to-use-of-twitter-in.html

If you need any assistance please don't hesitate to get in touch with @HelenOfTroy01