Dr.Camille Rutherford: September 2014

1. Don't be an Egghead: No one wants to follow an egghead.

Be sure to complete the Twitter profile with a picture and a brief description about who you are and what you do. Include a link to your blog or website so potential followers can find out more about you. Here is a great example:

2. Share Information and Retweet: Don't just lurk or promote yourself, share ideas and links to resources. Retweet the information that you find valuable. Make sure you have a good ratio of tweets and retweets. Nobody wants to follow your never ending monologue. Just like in kindergarten, you need to listen and share if you want to make friends.

3. Know your Audience: If you want to use Twitter as a professional learning network, only post information that is relevant to your professional life. The occasional goofy picture is fine, but create a personal account if you have the urge to share your beer can collection or LOL cat fascination. Sharing relevant professional information that highlights your professional interest or expertise will facilitate the development of an active learning community that will support your professional growth.

4. Use #Hashtags to Avoid Being Overwhelmed: Your Twitter page can look like a fast moving springtime creek once you start following more than a hundred people. Searching by #hashtags can make it easier to find the information you want. A Twitter list is a curated list of Twitter users that you can create or subscribe to. Once the list has been created you can view the Tweets just from the people on the list. This is a great way to follow the Tweets of people from your school, district, or educational speciality.

#BrockTechies = Brock Teacher Candidates
#Newteacher = New Teachers
#NTchat - New Teacher chat
#OntEd = Ontario Education
#CanEd = Canadian Education
#EdChat = Education Twitter Chat
#EdTech = Educational technology

#Hashtags enable you to search the Twitterverse to find Tweets related to a specific topic. Searching by #hashtags is the most efficient way to find educational resources. Use the guides listed below to find the #hashtag for what you are looking for.

5. Follow the Teachers, School Leaders or School Districts You Would Like to Work With: The quality of your Twitter experience will depend on who you follow. Be sure to follow the school district you would like to work for or where you will complete your practicum. This will ensure that you are informed about current district initiatives.
Reviewing the people the district account follows is a quick way to find the Twitter accounts for teachers, principals, schools and school leaders that work within the district. They may even have a Twitter list that makes it even easier to find district schools or employees.

In addition to following your colleagues and the organization you work for be sure to follow some of the most active Canadian educators on Twitter. The large number of followers these educators have amassed is a result of their exemplary use of Twitter. Following these leading Tweeters will give you a diverse offering of perspectives and resources. Following just people you already know will result in a echo chamber that fails to provide you with new ideas or opinions.