INTRODUCTION

Microblogs are a new form of blogging and is rising in popularity. If you watched the news during the 2008 Hurricane Ike or followed the almost two year run for the presidency, chances are you encountered microblogging. If this is new to you, perhaps the name Twitter will be familiar. Twitter is one of the more popular microblog tools.

The adventures provided below will introduce you to the world of microblogging through Twitter. You will have a chance to see how microblogging is changing the world of politics and news reporting. You can set up a Twitter account or explore some of the third-party tools that are extending the possibilities of microblogging.

Adventure 1: Watch short 2 minute video introducing you to the world of Twitter
Adventure 2: Explore how socializing communication with the masses changes business.
Adventure 3: Set up your own personal microblog site
Adventure 4: Explore other tools that build on Twitter
Adventure 5: Explore the use of Twitter with your cell phone

ADVENTURE 1

Objective: You will learn about the world of Twitter and microblogging through “Twitter in Plain English” a short video by CommonCraft.

 

DIRECTIONS

Watch Twitter in Plain English. This short video will introduce you to the world of Twitter. At first, you may have difficulties seeing how this can relate to teaching and learning. As you watch this 2 minute clip, consider ways that students can capture personal reflections as they experience rich learning environments. Since there are many ways that Twitter can be linked to a cell phone or Blackberry, these reflections can be captured when they are in the field and away from a computer. Enjoy the video.

 

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ADVENTURE 2

Objective: Learn how Twitter and microblogging is changing the process of communication, news and politics. Consider how it can change education?

 

DIRECTIONS

The links below will show you several examples of how Twitter and miroblogging, as a new form of communication, is changing the way people communicate with the masses. Below, you will find links to blogs, news stories and videos that demonstrate some of the ways business is changing because of the socialization of communication.

Twitter Hurricane Ike

“Just before 2 p.m. Sept. 12, in Morgan's Point, Texas, CNN correspondent Rick Sanchez received a message while he was doing a live update on the approach of Hurricane Ike.” To Read More…

http://blogs.eweek.com/first_read/content/messaging_collaboration/twittering_hurricane_ike.html

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ADVENTURE 3

Objective:You will set up your own personal microblog through Twitter.

   

DIRECTIONS

Setting up a microblog is very simple. We will be using Twitter for this adventure. There are other microblog tools, some of which are fully integrated in other web tools such as Facebook. However, Twitter is currently the most popular microblog tool available. Simply follow the directions below and you will be microblogging before you know it…

  1. Go to http://twitter.com/
  2. Click on JOIN THE CONVERSATION
  3. Fill out the form and click to CONTINUE
  4. Click SKIP THIS STEP again (you can come back to find friends on Twitter later if you want)
  5. Click FINISH
  6. CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a twitter account.
  7. Go ahead and make your first “tweet”. Perhaps simply say where you are and that this is your first tweet.
  8. Now you want to find followers and have people follow you. Here are a few people to follow. They will in turn, follow you (if you let them).
    1. NAIS CoF Tweets: naiscof
    2. Chris Bigenho Tweets: bigenhoc
    3. Guy Kawasaki (you will get a lot of tweets from Guy): guykawasaki

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ADVENTURE 4

Objective: Explore some of the third party tools related to Twitter

DIRECTIONS

There are numerous tools that have been and are being developed around the microblogging tool called Twitter. Here you will have a chance to explore a few of these tools. Simply click on the tool that sounds interesting to you and see what you can learn about ways Twitter is being used.

Tweet News:http://tweetnews.appspot.com/fresh?q

This tools simply searches the latest news posts on Yahoo which are unranked and compares them with relevant tweets that reference the stories. You can search for any news story. The results will produce stories related to your search as well as the referenced tweets. Use this tool today to find out what President Obama is up to or the latest posts related to education. Simply search on Obama or Education. Go ahead and try your own searches?

Twitturly:http://twitturly.com/

This tool allows you to track the most frequently posted url’s on Twitter. This way you can get a sense of what people are finding interesting. This tool is very simple to use. Just click on the link above and start exploring what the world finds interesting.

Twitter Friends Network Browser: http://www.neuroproductions.be/twitter_friends_network_browser/

This is a fascinating tool. Click on the link above then enter a Twitter user name. You can use any that you know or pick from the samples below. Once you have found a user network, start to explore its structure by clicking on members of the friends network. You will also see their latest tweets. If nothing else, this is mesmerizing. Here are a few names to try: bigenhoc, mmriel, garystager

Twitpic:http://twitpic.com/

 

This tool allows you to easily upload photos and link them to your Twitter account. It is also possible to use this tool with you phone so that pictures taken with your cell phone can be uploaded to your Twitpic account and posted as a tweet on your Twitter account. Go ahead, set up an account and post an image and tweet from the conference.

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ADVENTURE 5

Objective: Explore the use of Twitter with your cell phone

DIRECTIONS

This adventure continues in the Crows Nest. Check out the station exploring the use of cell phones in education.

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