Participating in a Twitter Chat

Twitter and Twitter chats have been transformational for me the past few years.  I want others to have the same amazing experiences that I have had.
I have many colleagues who have attempted to participate in Twitter chats and have felt overwhelmed.  I admit that depending on which chat you are joining some of them can be extremely overwhelming.  In an attempt to help my colleagues (and anyone else who may be reading this) feel less intimidated by the chats, I created some screencastify videos during one of my favorite chats, #msmathchat.

*Disclaimer: I did not script these videos (that will be clear when you watch them).  I thought about what should be included ahead of time, but I was also trying to participate in the chat which was more difficult than I thought.  Nonetheless, I think the videos will be helpful.

Preparing before the chat:
I like to have both Twitter and Tweetdeck open for chats.  This video explains more about my pre-chat rituals.

The start of the chat:
Chats typically start with introductions.  This helps you know who you are talking to.  If you find someone who teaches the same course as you it is a good person to follow on Twitter.

Participating in the chat:
Think of the chat as a social gathering.  They can range from small to extremely large gatherings.  It is not a whole group, wait your turn, type of discussion.  There are many side conversations.  You do not need to read everything that is a part of the chat.  You can jump into any side conversation at anytime.  Ask questions. Express agreement. Sometimes you will find that as you are typing someone posts exactly what you were thinking.  Don't let that stop you from posting.  It is ok to say the same thing.  That is what connects us as a group.

• Always include the hashtag so others see your tweet.
• Moderators will label questions with Q1, Q2, Q3...  You should label your responses A1, A2, A3...

Responding to Others

If you watched the video you understand the disclaimer above.  But here is the thing about about Twitter, blogging, and social media for teachers, if you wait until it's perfect it will never happen. It is an easy and informal way to share all of the great ideas and resources teachers have. No one is judging.

If you have any questions or there is something else you would like me to explain in a screencast, just use the comment section below to let me know.  I look forward to "seeing" you in a chat soon!

This site claims to have a complete list of Twitter chats for education.  I'm not sure if has them all but there is definitely something for everyone.