Aclaro, M. (2008, December 23). I'm on twitter.. now what? [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.businesscasualblog.com/2008/12/im-on-twitter-now-what.html
Mel Aclaro dares to ask what we are all thinking, “I’m on Twitter... now what?” In an informative and comprehensive blog post, Aclaro bridges the gap between surviving and thriving on Twitter. He starts by providing external third-party sites that highlight specific characteristics of tweets (such as bit.ly, which shortens URLs to fit the 140 character tweet limit, or tweetworks.com, which threads conversations). These external sites are just as important as Twitter itself because they connect tweets and promote the networking aspect of this web tool.
Next, Aclaro outlines the best practices for new users. He recommends tweeting informative updates at least eight times per day. Why eight? No reason, other than that it gets your name out there. He also suggests retweeting others’ posts to maximize collaboration and information sharing. By retweeting, users essentially share a post with a new set of followers.
Aclaro offers readers an insider’s explanation of the Twitter terminology and common courtesies. For example, he defines a direct tweet (a private tweet viewable only to the recipient) and gives a scenario of when such a tweet is appropriate. He explains the custom of following your followers and contributing to networks that relate to personal interests. Many of these unspoken rules are intimidating for new users, and Aclaro successfully introduces them to neutralize Twitter anxiety.
This blog post unlocks many of the beginning aspects of Twitter. Aclaro clarifies how to move beyond creating an account and moves users toward effective and efficient networking.
Question 1: How can a school effectively implement Twitter with the teaching staff?
As Aclaro mentions, once you understand the basics of Twitter, you graduate from novice to networker. A school would need to provide Twitter 101 workshops to both ease the nerves and explain the benefits of a Twitter group. Once the basics are understood, teachers can then create groups for different purposes - grade levels, school-wide information, content areas - all housed under school coded hash tags. Thanks to widely used school community sites (such as Moodle or Blackboard), it would be simple to embed a Twitter box on the homepage of teachers’ private Moodle site. Displaying a live scroll of tweets would keep teachers connected to the Twitter groups. The more a school can explain and directly supply Twitter to teachers, the better chance it has of utilizing this web tool to enhance information sharing and collaboration on site.
Question 2: Would it be appropriate to involve students in Twitter use?
My hesitation in bringing Twitter directly into the classroom is that there is very little control of account settings. Students would have access to all Twitter users, even if teachers only told them about the class group. There are certainly benefits (collaboration, research, interests), but the risks outweigh the rewards. Ideally a student-safe version of Twitter will soon be developed so that students can enjoy the benefits of online networking.
