Caved in and joined Twitter
Decided to accept Betty’s challenge to try Twitter for one month. So now I am following 16 people (who I sniped from Betty and Claire), 3 are following me and I’m still trying to figure out what I am doing! I still do not understand why I want to do this. It is suppose to be a great way to develop a PLE (personal learning environment), but I’m still lost in the fog! Nothing new there: think at glacial speed and all. It seems I am a new “twit”! HA! The truth is out! I should probably figure this out in a month or more and have no followers!
Well, well, I managed to add Twitter to this blog! It’s getting rather cluttered on those sidebars as I learn about and add new widgets! Impressive! Hmm, I guess I will have to keep posting about this new little side journey as well as the TLITE journey. Hop on and join me if you wish! 
November 18th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Welcome to Twitter! It takes a while to build a network and see the value. Here is a great post from Sue Waters to get you started: http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/2008/04/02/are-you-twittering-heres-how-i-use-twitter/ Sue lives half way around the world from us and yet she is an important person in my network… all thanks to Twitter.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Welcome aboard!
A month may or may not be enough to get your head around how this tool works. I recently posted something on the types of ‘tweets’ that may help you know what types of communication takes place in Twitter.
http://thecleversheep.blogspot.com/2008/11/top-ten-types-of-tweets.html
You may also be interested in reading what a number of other educators have said about Twitter as a tool for enriching your professional learning network:
http://thecleversheep.blogspot.com/2008/07/to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet.html
November 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Hi Cindy,
Glad to see you on Twitter! Some people have described it as a river of conversations flowing past; you can dip your toe in when you feel like it, or let it all flow past. Getting a good Twitter client is critical. I use the Flock browser which has a built in Twitter client (and a built in Facebook client for updates). I know other folks who like Snitter, Twhirl or Twitbin. If you do a search for Twitter clients you’ll find a pretty good list.
Best of luck on your Twitter adventure!
November 18th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Thanks, David. I added Twhirl from Sue’s link. Having fun playing around with things, but still working on the “getting it” part of Twitter.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
@Rodd – Thanks so much for the links. I will check them out tomorrow and can’t wait. Have to write the pop quiz needed for my data for TLITE tonight. Desperately short on time as the crunch to the final write up is crashing on my head.
@Claire – Betty uses Flock too. I used Twhirl, but at present that is as big a mystery as the whole Twitter thing is!
November 18th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Hi Cindy,
I’ve always been interested in Twitter, and now you’ve peaked my curiosity even more! I’m not on yet because I’ve just started blogging – one step at a time! Maybe over the Christmas break…!
How do you find the time to play with new technology in the middle of a field study? Wow! As I recall, life came to a screeching halt about this time for me last year (when I was in my 2nd year of TLITE)! Good luck with the field study final report!
November 18th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
@ Errin It is easier without a regular classroom. I have a full-time teacher-library position with 4 blocks of prep relief. I have less marking and I work like hell while I am at school as I cannot pack my library into the trunk of my car and take it home! lol
Oh, I am going to pay dearly for this. I have kept up the journals – this blog is part of it, and the portfolio, and a data base, but I am pasted to the wall on the final data for the field study and getting some of the final projects finished to have as artifacts. I have had great support from the two gr 6/7 teachers who I do prep for. One is a former TLITER and the other has her Masters. They’ve both been here before. I did finish the research reading summary! Miracle!
Twitter has been a hoot. Do give it a try and way to go on the blogging. Couldn’t survive without blogging.