The 14 Day Twitter Challenge

Without a doubt the connections and learning that is possible within Twitter is simply second to none.

However even with all of the amazing benefits many teachers new to Twitter sign up, tweet once or twice, miss the benefit and let their accounts fade to oblivion.

So to assist with the goal of helping teachers unlock the potential, I have designed a 14 day twitter challenge. Follow it and reap the benefits of powerful connections.

Visit www.twitter.com and create a free account. Checkout the video below which guides you through the sign up process and initial setup.

Start by updating your bio. By default this will be blank, however you should include a little bit of information about yourself.

My original bio read "Physical Education Teacher at Boort District School". The next thing to consider is an update of your profile picture. Don't feel that you need to include a picture of yourself as you can easily include a photo of your favourite sports team or anything else you desire. This is how you will be recognised on Twitter and its an important step as it helps users discover you, recognise you and ultimately follow you and your tweets.

Click here to change your information now

Today you mission is to find and follow at least 25 PE Teachers from the following list. Check the video below for more information on how to complete this task.

Introduce yourself and remember to include where & what you teach. Make sure you finish your first tweet with the #pegeeks hashtag. See the picture below for an example.

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

Checkout the #pegeeks hashtag for a mashup of tweets from PE teachers the world over.

• Follow at least 10 new people you find interesting.
  
• Tweet at least 2 times
• Retweet something interesting

Download a twitter app to your phone or tablet. I highly recommend the following Twitter Apps available on both iPhone/iPad and Android devices below.

• Make your first mobile tweet that includes a photo of your gym or sports hall.

Find an article at a website your interested in and "Tweet a link to the article". Most modern day websites utilise these features allowing you to share interesting articles with your followers. See the example below.

• Respond to at least 3 tweets with your thoughts and opinions.
  
• Find and follow at least 20 PE Teachers from the following list.
  
• Tweet at least once

Make two new tweets that could include something great or a struggle from your teaching that day, a question for the day or something that displays your personality and interests.

Other missions for the day include

• Find 3 tweets of significant value and favourite them.
  
• Retweet something interesting

Download a Twitter client such as Tweetdeck to help you manage and organise your tweets while on your computer. Check the video of Tweetdeck in action below and get it at the following link

1. Make at least 3 new tweets across the course of the day.
2. Respond to at least 2 tweets
3. Retweet at least 2 tweets
4. Favourite something you could use in class

Participate in the next #pechat. A live discussion that occurs within Twitter using the #pechat hashtag. More information here. Checkout the video of #pechat in more detail. PE Chat occurs each and every monday, see the moderators and their respective timezones below.

Continue tweeting, sharing, learning and engaging. You will continue to experience superb ideas, brilliant resources and make connections with people who love to help.

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.

If you need any assistance please don't hesitate to get in touch with The PE Geek using the methods below. Keep Tweeting

Email: jarrod@thepegeek.com
Website: www.thepegeek.com
Twitter: @mrrobbo