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Most educators who learn to use Twitter effectively say they learn more from their personal learning network (PLN) on Twitter than any other forms of professional development or personal learning.

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Most educators who learn to use Twitter effectively say they learn more from their personal learning network (PLN) on Twitter than any other forms of professional development or personal learning.

Unfortunately, educators and other professionals often dismiss Twitter or fail to see its value when they're first introduced to this social networking service. If this sounds familiar, it's time to reconsider using Twitter and we're here to help!

The aim of this post is to provide all the information you need to learn how to use Twitter effectively as an educator or professional.

Click on a link below to go to the section you want to read:

1. Introduction to Twitter

2. Sign up for your account

3. Before you start following other people

4. Tips on who to follow

5. Tips for engaging in conversations

6. Twitter terminology 101

7. Interacting with tweets

8. Make your tweets stand out

9. Public Vs protected Twitter accounts

10. Getting more out of Twitter using Twitter Clients

11. Getting Started with TweetDeck

12. Using the Twitter app on your mobile device

13. About Twitter moments

14. How to post links

15. Connecting using hashtags

16. 10 tips for using hashtags

17. Participating in Twitter chats

18. Finding Twitter chats

19. Create and use Twitter lists

20. Scheduling tweets

21. How to embed tweets

22. Customizing your Twitter profile

23. What to do if your Twitter account is hacked

24. Keeping up with links shared on Twitter

25. Using Twitter with students

Introduction To Twitter

Twitter is a social networking, news, and microblogging service that allows you to send out short messages called tweets.

Along with text and links, tweets can also contain media (up to 4 photos, a video, or a GIF).

Tweets used to be limited to 140 characters but this increased to 280 characters by 2018.

Twitter is a place that you can just lurk, by reading others' tweets, or contribute, by sending out your own tweets. Obviously, the latter is what you work towards as the more you put in, the more you get out!

You can read tweets without having your own Twitter account (as long as the accounts you're following are public - and the majority are). To contribute, you will need an account which we will explain below.

Twitter is made up of tweets. We created this diagram to help you understand tweets better.

You're welcome to share it with others or display it on your blog.

One of the great things about Twitter is that it is accessible on your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. You can use the native Twitter website or app, or there are many other popular third-party apps that aim to improve functionality and accessibility.

Tweetdeck was once an independent app that has now been acquired by Twitter. Many users enjoy using it to organize their feed.

Twitter is used by people in nearly every country around the world. 83% of 193 UN member countries have a Twitter presence. For teachers, this means you have access to thousands of educators with rich backgrounds and experiences that can contribute to your professional growth.

In this three minute video, Alec Couros explains how Twitter is used effectively in education.

Sign Up For Your Account

The sign-up process is easy. Just follow these steps:

Go to http://twitter.com and click on the sign-up box, or go directly to https://twitter.com/signup.

You will be required to enter information such as your name and email address as you're guided through the sign-up process.

Once you sign up for an account, you can select a unique username. Try to avoid making your username too long and make it something that identifies you, like your name, rather than a complex nickname. But don't stress too much - your username can be changed anytime without affecting your Twitter account. You change your username by editing your profile information.

When you initially sign up for Twitter, it takes you through a series of steps where you can select people to follow. DON'T follow anyone when you first create your account. Set up your profile information and post a few tweets beforeyou follow anyone.

Before You Start Following Other People

Complete your bio so people know who you are. You have 160 characters for your bio. Educators often share the age group or subject they teach, and particular interests.

Add a profile photo. Real photos can be a better choice than a cartoon avatar or abstract image. It helps you to build your relationship with your PLN. Bios and photos can hold a lot of weight in virtual relationships.

You'll also be able to add a header photo. Popular header images for teachers include landscapes, a classroom photo, or a quote. Tip: You can make a personalized Twitter header image with Canva.

Don't start following people on Twitter until you've published some tweets! Most people won't follow a person who has never been active so you may miss your chance to make a connection.

This one minute video shows how to change your Twitter header and profile photo.

This eight-minute video demonstrates how to post a tweet.

Tips On Who To Follow

Following someone on Twitter means:

You are subscribing to their tweets and their updates will appear in your home timeline

That person is able to send you a private direct message if you're following each other

Following isn't necessarily a reciprocal relationship, like Facebook friendships. Someone can follow you without you following them back and vice versa. You don't need to wait for approval to follow someone either, as long as their account is public.
Our tips on getting started with following:

1. Choose about 100 people to follow initially. You can always add more as you go and this ensures you don't feel too overwhelmed when starting out.

2. Find people to follow who have similar interests or who write blogs you enjoy. You might also like to follow people who share great information and links, or who willingly engage in conversations.

3. Follow a few people you know and follow who they follow. Look at who they chat with or check their Following list on their profile page.

4. Find a Twitter mentor who will help and guide you. Get them to ask their followers to add you.

5. You can always ask me to help by sending a tweet to @suewaters. Make sure when people do start adding you that add them back quickly and thank them for adding you to their account!!!

6. Don't just follow anyone - follow those who have the same interests and who you like. Twitter also regularly shows you suggestions of people you might be interested in following.

7. Remember following does not have to be forever - you can regularly update/change who you follow to suit your needs.

8. Think about how you want to use Twitter: To follow the latest news? To follow other educators? To share what you know? To connect with others?

9. Participate or check out the different weekly hashtag conversations. They are a great way to find new people to follow (refer to hashtag information below).

10. Check out new followers before following. Look at their bio, how many people they are following, how many follow them and their latest tweets. This information helps you work out if they are the type of person you want to follow.

There are thousands of teachers around the world on Twitter, you just have to know where to find them!

No ideas?

Start with our Edublogs team like @edublogs @suewaters @ronnieburt @Edublogs_Eugene and @kathleen_morris

There are many educational thought leaders who thousands of people enjoy following such as:

Additionally, there are many popular sources for keeping up to date with the latest news, trends, and research in education, such as:

The examples listed above are only the tip of the iceberg and our lists are far from exhaustive!

Watch this 3-minute video to learn how to follow and connect with people on Twitter.

Tips for engaging in conversation

Twitter is very similar to a face to face conversation. Think of Twitter as a conversation with work colleagues in the lunch room. A mixture of small talk, relationship building, helping others, getting help and sharing is just as important on Twitter as it is in the lunch room.
Our tips for getting started with Twitter conversations:

1. Be patient. It takes time to build your Twitter network.

2. Use Twitter every day for four weeks, even if only for 5 minutes per day. Some people find that setting a goal of 15 minutes a day for the first few months helps.

3. Remember Twitter is a two-way conversation - you need to answer as much as you ask but most importantly share, share, share.

4. Participate and say something, anything. Don't always expect people to always answer. It does depend on how many you follow and what you're asking.

5. Get involved in the conversation. Don't be afraid to reply and if you don't get a response back, don't be offended. It happens - you'll soon see those that do/don't engage in conversations.

6. Learn the Twitter language and how to use it well i.e. @, DM, #, hashtags, RT (see below)

7. Some people find it easier to use a Twitter app like TweetDeck (we'll explain how to use this below).

8. Remember online is forever. If you didn't want it online don't say it in the first place.

9. It's extremely easy for others to misinterpret your written text. Remember this!

10. Think about how what you say reflects how people visualize you.

11. Educators love following people who share great links since it saves them time.

12. You don't have to keep up with everything that's happening on Twitter! Don't feel overwhelmed; this isn't the way Twitter works. The river of tweets just keeps flowing day and night... you just dip your toes in whenever it suits you.

Twitter Language 101

Let's break down the Twitter language. You'll get the hang of it in no time!

Handle

Your Twitter username.

@reply and mentions

A @reply is used when a person is having a conversation with another tweeter. An @reply starts with the @username of the person who the tweet is directed at.

You'll only see @replies between two people if you follow both people or you are looking at another person's tweet timeline.

You reply to a tweet by simply clicking on the Reply icon.

And then add your message!

Mentions are any Twitter update that contains "@username" anywhere in the body of a tweet.

For example, you use @username within a tweet when referring to specific Twitter users. All your Twitter followers are alerted to your tweets including @username provided the person who you mention isn't using a private Twitter account.

Your @replies and mentions are located under Mentions on your Notification page.

DM (also known as Direct Message)

Direct messages are private messages sent from one Twitter user to another. They can't be seen by other users.

DMs are less restrictive than they use to be. As the BBC explained a few years ago,

Previously, direct messaging could only happen between two Twitter users who followed each other.

Users can now change the settings and opt to allow direct messages from any profile, including people or companies who don't follow them.

The user can then reply with a direct message to the sender, but people can still block other users if they start abusing them or sending spam.

Direct messages are accessed by clicking on the Messages icon in the navigation bar via the web or on the Twitter app on your mobile device.

# (Hashtags)

Any word starting with the "#" hash (pound) symbol is known as a hashtag. Hashtags make it easier to search and follow the Twitter conversations on specific topics.

We explain hashtags in more detail later in this guide.

RT (also known as a Retweet)

A Retweet is a re-posting of a tweet. It allows you to quickly share a tweet with all of your followers. Most people only Retweet tweets from someone else although you can Retweet your own tweets.

Sometimes people type "RT" at the beginning of a tweet to indicate that they are re-posting someone else's content or they just press the RT symbol (two arrows) under a tweet. This is the simplest way.

You can retweet a tweet without comment or add your own annotation like in the example below.

You won't always see "RT" at the start of a retweet as it does depend on what Twitter client you are using (e.g. the Twitter website or something like TweetDeck). Some clients automatically enclose the Tweet in quotes while other clients may add "via" and the original tweeter's username at the end of the tweet.

MT (also known as a modified tweet)

Any tweet starting with "MT" means someone is re-tweeting someone else's tweet but have modified the tweet. MT isn't as common as RT.

A Retweet might be modified to make the tweet fit, to focus on the key message from the tweet, or to add your extra thoughts to the conversation.

With increased functionality on Twitter and double the characters allowed in a tweet than in previous years, you're unlikely to see many MTs.

Like

Likes are represented by a heart icon on the tweet and are used when a Tweeter wants to save (refer) to a tweet later or show their appreciation of a tweet.

When you like a tweet, the original person who posted the tweet is usually notified that you liked their tweet. You access the tweets you have liked by clicking on Likes in the navigation bar via the web.

Search and trends

Learning how to search Twitter well is a key skill for getting the most out of Twitter. You can search for any person, keyword, hashtag etc. using the search box in the admin bar via the web or using the Twitter app.

In the Twitter app on a phone, it also lists Trends for you and what's happening when you click on Search. You'll see the same thing when you're using the web version of Twitter. These trends are customized based on your location and who you follow.

Try it out for yourself! Click on one of the items in your trending list and go through the most popular tweets.

Or, next time there's an important news story locally or globally, search for the name of the location or event and check out the latest tweets as it is being reported.

When there is a popular education conference happening, you'll often see the hashtag trending as well. This is a great way to get involved!

Notifications and Mentions

The Notifications page offers a simple way to see how others on Twitter are interacting with you.

An icon will show you when you have new notifications.

Click on Notifications in the navigation bar via the web or on the Twitter app on your mobile device and you'll see all tweets directed to you (@replies and mentions), new followers, your Tweets that have been liked by other users, and any Twitter lists you've been added to.

Click on the Mentions tab on the Notifications page if you only want to see your @replies and mentions.

If you click on your profile image on the web version of Twitter and go to settings > notifications, you can customize the notifications you want to be alerted to.

Interacting With Tweets

When you see a tweet, there are certain things you can click on:

The person's name to see their profile page. You can look at their bio and see all their tweets.

Follow to have the tweeter's future tweets show up on your homepage.

A link (if there is one) to open a website in your browser.

A hashtag to see other tweets that are categorized with the same hashtag (regardless of whether you follow the people using that hashtag)

Like (the heart) - this shows your appreciation, agreement, or acknowledgment of the tweet. Simply, tap/click the heart to like the tweet (tap/click again to undo). Some people use likes to save tweets to refer back to.

Retweet to share the tweet with your own followers. This demonstrates that you found the tweet interesting or shareworthy. You will also have the option to add a comment to the retweet.

Direct message - you can message someone privately or start a private group conversation. Depending on individual settings, you might only be able to direct message someone if you both follow each other.

Comments - this allows you to either read what other people have said in a public reply, or add your own reply.

You'll need to spend some time checking out the stream of tweets and getting the hang of tweeting, retweeting, direct messaging, and hashtags.

Some people say Twitter isn't as intuitive as other web tools but it doesn't take long for it to make sense. Give yourself a few weeks to try it. Whenever you have a few spare minutes, open Twitter, scroll through your feed, click on some links, watch how people are interacting with each other.

If the people you're following don't interest you, it's fine to unfollow them. Remember, you're in charge of building your own personal PLN.

When you've lurked for a while, jump and contribute! Like or retweet a few tweets, reply to tweets that resonated with you, and send tweets of your own. You could try contacting a few people via direct message too - ask them a question or introduce yourself.

It may take some time to get the hang of how Twitter works. We've made this cheat sheet to help. Feel free to share it with others or use it on your own blog.

Remember, the more you put in, the more you get out.

Don't be afraid to start replying to people, retweeting tweets, asking questions, and striking up conversations.

Many teachers on Twitter are very friendly and always happy to help newbies find their feet!

What To Tweet About

Still not sure what you could be tweeting about? How about:

A photo from a lesson (be careful using students' photos)

A link to something interesting you've read

A question about a topic you're interested in

A request for a resource

A link to something from your own blog or someone else's blog

A favorite online tool you like to use with students

Make Your Tweets Stand Out

Once you get the hang of the basics, you might want to start considering how you can get your tweets to stand out more.

You can just share a simple link but is this really going to be noticed in a busy stream of tweets?

Compare these two tweets about the same post and consider which one would stand out more...

Images, emojis, quotes, summaries of information, GIFs, videos etc. all help to make a tweet stand out and encourage others to read it, share it, engage with you, follow you, and/or click on the link to the post.

Examples Of Interesting Tweets From Educators On Twitter

Tony Vincent is well known for his graphics he creates for social media. These are always shared extensively.

🆒 Instantly turn a doodle into an illustration with Google's AutoDraw! It's a webapp that works on mobile and desktop. https://t.co/0TS3gYfPI3 pic.twitter.com/wlnlwcN2z7

- Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) July 20, 2018

💬 Students can create staged text message discussions and make a screenshot of the conversation using https://t.co/3TboPy8ExI. #2018utc https://t.co/3TboPy8ExI pic.twitter.com/8OZGNofoCo

- Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) July 10, 2018

Shannon McClintock Miller put together this Padlet with ideas of books to celebrate International Dot Day.

There are lots of special books that are super fun to pair with The Dot and #DotDay I have starting bringing them together on this @padlet What else should we add, friends. <3 https://t.co/3ZGvIzFm9d #futurereadylibs #kidlit #ISTElib #tlchat #inTLchat #edchat pic.twitter.com/xi5rxWj5JP

- Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) June 5, 2018

Jake Miller regularly makes GIFs to enhance his tweets which are well received by his followers. (Tip: Richard Byrne shares 7 ways to make animated GIFs here)

Need to type the Quadratic Formula into a @GoogleDoc? Just click Insert > Equation. #MiddleSchool #MathChat #HighSchool #BlendedLearning #STEM #STEMChat #SciChat https://t.co/jgyMWK9m6d pic.twitter.com/cvx2fUoFbW

- Jake Miller (@JakeMillerTech) July 24, 2018

Quotes are always popular additions to tweets. Check out our post on quotes if you want to learn how to make your own.

So much truth in this quote from @rushtonh The power of an authentic audience can't be underestimated.
(Thanks for sharing,@ericcurts) pic.twitter.com/j7cDd5oNnh

- edublogs (@edublogs) December 16, 2017

From Analog to Digital - How to Write for an Online Audience
This is a great resource from@cinehead https://t.co/mBbhiLORgr pic.twitter.com/Hdw9J7vbV5

- edublogs (@edublogs) July 16, 2018

Sketchnoting has taken the edtech world by storm over the last few years. Julie Woodard is well known for her excellent sketchnotes which are a great way to visualize and summarize content. Here's an example:

Growth happens when you cultivate it ... 💦💧💦💧💧 @DavidGeurin pic.twitter.com/FHnSXtitMJ

- Julie Woodard (@woodard_julie) July 9, 2018

BookSnaps are a popular choice for sharing snippets of professional reading. Tara Martin coined the term BookSnaps and you can read more about them on her website.

Here is an example of a simple BookSnap from Jennifer Tod.

You can't light a fire in the charred heart of a burnt out teacher. #tlap #booksnaps pic.twitter.com/Sec9fssw6n

- Jennifer Tod (@mrstodbooklove) July 19, 2018

Emojis can catch a reader's eye and make a nice addition to a summary for the time poor.

Four ways to teach happiness:
👍 Take time to notice the positives
😌 Help students to step out of 'panic mode'
🤸‍♂️Cut class short in favour of exercise
🙏 Promote random acts of kindness https://t.co/s9gVmWZ8xw @AdrianBethune @Helen_Amass @tes @PosEdNet

- Action for Happiness (@actionhappiness) June 29, 2018

🤳 What makes a good video response? @HollyClarkEdu 's 7th graders' list:

👀 Look into the camera
🚷 Don't move too much
🛑 Avoid ums, likes, and so
🗣 Practice before recording
💬 Use examples or quotes
👌 Be concise
👵🏻 Be direct & nice
😁 Smile
https://t.co/YL4bHsxHxi

- Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) July 5, 2018

Make Your Posts Look Better When Shared

If you are a blogger, it's important to add a Share option to your blog posts as Twitter is an essential way people now learn about posts worth reading.

Here are two different sharing options you could use:

You also want your posts to stand out when shared by other people. You achieve this by enabling Twitter cards on your blog.

Twitter cards are designed to optimize your content on Twitter by improving the way your content is displayed. This helps achieve more interaction, Retweets, likes, and increased visits to your site.
Here's what a tweet like without Twitter Card: Here's what a tweet looks with a Twitter Card:
Here are two different options you could use to enable Twitter Cards:

Public vs Protected Accounts

By default, when you sign up for Twitter your account is public and anyone can see your tweets.

Some Twitter users prefer to use protected Twitter accounts where their updates are kept private; only approved followers can see their tweets. You change your privacy options in Settings > Privacy and Safety.

There are people who won't follow someone who uses a protected Twitter account.

For those who won't follow protected Twitter accounts, it is important to understand there are numerous reasons why an educator use a protected account and it might not be related to concerns of posting an inappropriate tweet.

If you have a protected account, your followers won't be able to Retweet your tweets and if you reply to someone who isn't following you, they won't see your reply.

Read more about public and protected tweets.

Getting More Out Of Twitter Using Twitter Clients

Many people say using a Twitter client or app is a MUST as they provide instant notification of the latest updates and offer an easy way to respond to tweets.

Some people prefer to use the standard web version of Twitter, especially when starting out (to access this you just go to https://twitter.com/ in your web browser)

Which Twitter client you use is personal. There used to be a plethora of options but Twitter has cracked down on some third-party apps and prefers users to use the web version or TweetDeck (which they now own).
The most commonly used Twitter clients are:
TweetDeck and Hootsuite are popular because their ability to add extra columns makes it easy to filter and keep up with conversations. You can sign into TweetDeck and Hootsuite using your web browser.

I use TweetDeck on my computer and the Twitter app on my phone.

Getting Started With TweetDeck

Tweetdeck was once an independent app that has now been acquired by Twitter.

Many users enjoy using it to organize their feed since you can add extra columns to filter and organize conversations as well as manage multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts.
To get started with TweetDeck you just need to:
1. Go to https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/

2. Sign in with your Twitter account.

Use your personal Twitter account that isn't shared with other people (ie. if you have a work account that you share with others, don't use that). Once you have signed in, you can connect multiple Twitter accounts to your TweetDeck account.

3. Below is a summary of the main features of TweetDeck.

4. Click Compose a tweet icon to write your tweet.

5 Here's a quick overview of what each icon on a tweet does.

Clicking on the More icon reveals other options.

6. You can move a column, customize, change alerts, and delete columns by clicking on the down arrow on a column.

Getting Started With The Twitter App

The most commonly used apps on phones and tablets is Twitter's own Twitter app ( iOS | Android ).

About Twitter Moments

A Twitter moment is a collection of tweets that is curated together in an easy share format.

Twitter moments were originally used by Twitter to share curated content categorized into five areas - today, news, sport, entertainment, and fun. Twitter aimed to share the most engaging conversations on Twitter. The purpose was to make news events easier to find and follow.

Twitter moments are my main daily news source because moments are the fastest way of finding out the latest news as it is happening.

You check the latest trending moments by clicking on Moments in the navigation bar via the web or by tapping on Search in the Twitter app on your phone.

You read a moment by clicking on the title of the moment to scroll through the curated tweets.

Twitter now allows users to create their own moments.

Read Aaron Hogan's Capture the Moment: Using Twitter moments in Education to learn more or watch Richard Byrne's How to Create Twitter Moments.

How To Post Links

People often share links to all sorts of things: blog posts they've written or read, articles they've enjoyed, online tools they recommend and so on.

It's common to see links posted on Twitter appear as shortened links because it makes it easier to include a URL within the 280 character Twitter limit.

Previously, if you wanted a shortened link when writing a tweet on the Twitter.com web interface you had to use a URL shortening services, such as tinyurl.com and bit.ly, and then paste the shortened link into the tweet box on Twitter.com.

Twitter has now introduced automatic link shortening which means you no longer need to use a third-party service to shorten your links. All links posted into the compose box on Twitter.com, TweetDeck, and the mobile Twitter app are automatically shortened.

Some Twitter clients automatically shorten links for you using services such as bit.ly.

While you can continue to use another URL shortening service, the benefits of using Twitter's automatic link shortening include:

1. It's quicker.

2. Unlike other URL shorteners, Twitter's shortener, t.co, creates a link that is a shortened version of the original link and includes the full domain name so your followers will know the site they are going to when they click the link.

3. Shortened links are a common method used to hacked Twitter accounts. URLs converted by Twitter's link service are checked against potentially dangerous sites - this is designed to help protect users from malicious, phishing and offensive links.

Connecting Using Hashtags

A hashtag is written with the "#" hash (pound) sign and is used to index keywords or topics on Twitter.

Putting a hashtag symbol (#) in front of a relevant keyword or phrase helps to categorize the tweet and make it easier for people to find.

A hashtag is any word on Twitter that starts with the "#" hash (pound) sign.

Hashtags make it easier to search and follow the Twitter conversations on specific topics.

There are now nearly 1300 students and 130 classes taking part in the Student Blogging Challenge. They represent 25 countries on 6 continents! 🌏

It's not too late to join us!
Find the registration forms on the right sidebars ⬇ https://t.co/GJwhRLXO6Y#STUBC #edtech #globaled pic.twitter.com/oAXoPAKIcw

- edublogs (@edublogs) October 9, 2018

When you click on the hashtagged word or phrase, such as #STUBC in the tweet we've embedded above, a new page will load with tweets from everyone who is tweeting about STUBC- whether or not you follow those people.

Hashtags can't have any spaces so math chat becomes #mathchat.

Hashtags are also commonly used at conferences to share thoughts on presentations, organize meetups, and coordinate after-parties.

What Hashtag Should I Use?

You can use any hashtag you like, however, if it's not being used by others then people won't be following it or searching for it. So to get the most out of hashtags, you should usually use ones that others are using.

Note that hashtags are not created by Twitter, but by Twitter users. Often if there is an event going on, the organizers will publish the official hashtag on the conference materials and social media.

For example, when ISTE 2018 (edtech conference) was happening, ISTE tweeted out the official hashtag:

Are you following the official hashtag for #ISTE18? Watch for behind the scenes content, tag your posts to share YOUR learning journey and find new connections! pic.twitter.com/V8UnYN2Wsu

- ISTE (@iste) June 22, 2018

For more hashtags used in education refer to:
Find the original image here.

10 Tips For Using Hashtags

1. Do not place hashtags in front of keywords in your tweet for no real reason.

2. Excessive overuse of hashtags can make you look like a Twitter spammer.

3. People often use one or two hashtags in a tweet. If you're used to using Instagram you'll notice that hashtags on tweets are used more sparingly than on Instagram.

4. Hashtag are for referencing events, news, software, or memes, not for random words.

5. Commonly used hashtags such as #edchat or #edtech are great for finding new people and conversations you would never have discovered otherwise.

6. If you use hashtags well, people who are not following you may see your tweets and follow you.

7. Always check the hashtag you're planning to use by searching Twitter Search or use a free tool like hashtagify.me to make sure it isn't already being used for another purpose.

8. Set up a search for hashtags using your Twitter client to make it easier to engage in the conversations (see video below).

9. Some people like to use hashtags in a humorous way like #ILoveHolidays or #SendEarplugs. This can be fun occasionally but don't go overboard! These examples aren't hashtags that anyone would follow or search, they're just used light-heartedly to add a humorous effect. Less is more.

10. You don't have to keep running the same search for hashtags you want to follow regularly. See below.

Learning how to use hashtags well, and who you follow, are key skills for getting the most out of Twitter.

You can type a hashtagged keyword in the search bar on Twitter to discover tweets and accounts based on your interests. There are easier ways to follow hashtags so you don't have to keep running the same search.

TweetDeck is commonly used to follow hashtags that you want to keep track of regularly (the Twitter search bar is fine if you just want to do one-off searches).

Check out this six-minute video by Jennifer Fox to find out how to set up TweetDeck to follow hashtags.

Participating In Twitter Chats

Twitter chats are where educators meet at a set 'meeting time' to engage in conversations by sending out tweets on a topic using a designated hashtag.

The hashtag is the glue that brings the chat together. It's essential. Otherwise, people would be tweeting out responses that might not be seen by any of the participants.

Most Twitter chats last for an hour and they're run at the same time each week or month.

During the Twitter chat, you'll see educators tweet their responses in real time. The best way to participate in a Twitter chat is to set up a search for the hashtag in TweetDeck, Hootsuite, or in the Twitter app on your mobile device. Some people also use tchat.

Note: Twitter chats are popular with the teaching community but the concept isn't exclusive to education. There are Twitter chats for other niches like marketing, fitness, writing, parenting etc.

If you'd prefer to watch a video to learn, this is a great short overview of Twitter chats by The University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Twitter chats normally have a moderator (or several) who guide the conversation during the chat using a Question and Answer format.

Prior to the Twitter chat, the moderators decide on the topic of the chat and organize a series of 5-10 questions to ask during the chat.

The chat normally starts by introducing the topic and asking participants to introduce themselves.

Check out Laura Moore's video below which explains how to take part in a Twitter chat using TweetDeck.

Note: The video goes for 25 minutes because Laura has recorded herself participating in an actual chat. You can just watch the first few minutes if you just want to learn how to get set up for a chat.

Finding Twitter Chats

Now you know about Twitter chats it's time to find one and take part!

There are many places to find chats that interest you and work with your schedule.

Examples Of Twitter Chats

Here are a few examples of popular Twitter Chats to help you get started:

All the times listed below are in Eastern Standard Time (USA).

Use this time zone converter to help figure out what time this will be for you.

Double check the time by clicking on the links as things can change with daylight savings etc!

Please leave a comment and let us know if we have any of the information below incorrect.

The "original" education chat. This one is very busy and fast paced. Takes place on Tuesdays 12 PM and 7 PM EST. Learn more here.

This chat focuses on educational technology and is held every Monday at 7 PM EST. Find out more here.

NT2T stands for "New Teachers to Twitter". Held Saturdays at 8 AM. For more information, click here. Tip: There is also a Twitter mentor program for newbies.

Educators discuss shaping the future of school. Takes place Thursdays at 7 PM. Find out more here.

A chat for those working with younger children. Held on Mondays 2:30 PM and 8 PM EST. Learn more here.

For special education (see more here). Takes place on Tuesdays from 9 PM EST.

Created by Ditch That Textbook author Matt Miller. The chat focuses on innovative teaching ideas. Takes place on Tuesdays from 9 PM EST. Find out more.

I Can't Keep Up With A Twitter Chat

Tweets can fly fast in a Twitter chat! Don't worry if you can't keep up.

Here are some tips to help:

Archives: Moderators often archive or curate the information and resources shared during the chat session. This used to be through tools like Storify but this service has closed. Sometimes a tool like Wakelet is now used or there will be a specific website or blog for a Twitter chat.

Be prepared: Moderators often publish the questions that will be asked in advance so you can think ahead. You can also get your Tweetdeck (or other app) set up before a chat so you're ready to go.

Be selective: You don't need to answer every question. Twitter chats are very flexible. They often go for an hour but no one minds how long you stay or how involved you are.

Follow up: If you were interested in what someone had to say but you found the tweets were flying too fast, don't worry. You can resume the conversation with people at any time.

Bookmark: A relatively new feature of Twitter for mobile is Bookmarks (it's rolling out on the web version too). You can bookmark Tweets you'd like to refer to later. Tap the share icon next to a tweet and select Add Tweet to Bookmarks. Tap Bookmarks from your profile icon menu to access your saved tweets.

Like: If you like a tweet by pressing on the heart, you can go back and look at these later. Just click on the Likes from your profile icon menu.

Lurk: It's fine to just watch a few chats before you decide to contribute. The first question is generally an introduction so don't be afraid to say it's your first time participating either.

You'll also notice that Twitter chat hashtags are often used outside of the designated time frame to share resources, ask questions and help each other. The hashtag becomes a community!

Here's an example of questions being posted in advance for #NT2t chat.

Getting "resourceful" during #NT2t today at 8amCDT (global times on pic). Stop by, invite a friend, and show how resourceful you are! #edchat #edchatie #edchatDE #satchat #satchatwc pic.twitter.com/3GmYKvN1HX

- Julie Szaj (@shyj) October 6, 2018

Create And Use Twitter Lists

A great aspect of Twitter is you can organize other Twitter users into groups called 'lists'. When you view a list, you'll see a Twitter stream of all the users that are included in that group.

The benefits of Twitter lists are twofold:
1. They help you organize who you're following
Lists let you organize your followers into different groups of people and/or areas of interest. Instead of trying to listen to what all your Twitter followers are saying, you can focus on the key conversations by the main people whose tweets you want to read.

This reduces the noise created when you're following lots of users. It saves you time and lets you quickly connect with those you most want to interact with.

Twitter clients and the Twitter.com web interface are designed to let you quickly check your Twitter lists.
2. They help other Twitter users
Twitter lists can be public or private. A public Twitter list can be viewed by anyone and other Twitter users can quickly follow your list or choose people from your list to follow.

A private list and the list members can only be viewed by you.

Public list also highlight who other Twitter users recommend as worth following. If you look at a user's profile in TweetDeck it displays the number of lists a user has been added to.

Twitter lists are handy if you're running a workshop on using Twitter, or want to encourage your students to follow specific Twitter users. It's as simple as creating the list and then getting them to either follow the list or the users on the list.

Tips:

You don't need to be following someone to add them to a list.

Subscribing to someone's list doesn't mean you're now following all users on that list. You'll just see the tweets from users when you view that list. You need to click follow next a user if you want to follow them and have their tweets appear in your Twitter timeline.

Watch this two-minute video to learn how to create Twitter Lists.

Scheduling Tweets

There is a range of tools that can be used to schedule your tweets to be posted at specific times and date.

This is handy for:

Promoting events or sharing details on conference sessions - especially when you might be busy at the event.

Sharing information with Twitter followers in different time zones.

Sharing links and information while you're away.

Situations where you might forget or can't post but want to make sure the information is shared.

Schedule tweets with caution. For example: If you schedule a tweet on the hour every hour, even when you're sleeping, you might look like a robot!

Examples of tools you can use to schedule tweets include:

TweetDeck makes it really easy! Click on the Schedule Tweet button after composing your tweet.

Set the time and date then click on the Tweet at button.

How To Embed Tweets

You may notice we've embedded a few tweets throughout this blog post.

You can easily embed tweets into your blog posts as follows:

1. Click on the dropdown arrow on the tweet you want to embed and click on Copy link to Tweet.

2. Go to Posts > Add New or Pages > Add New.

3. Paste the URL on a line by itself in your post/page editor.

Below is what an embedded tweet looks like:

Do You Teach Social Studies To ELLs & Want To Write A Guest Post About It? https://t.co/K7ohrYYf2W

- Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) October 12, 2018

Customizing your Twitter profile

You can customize your profile by selecting unique profile and header images, adding a name, bio, location, website, and theme color.

You can also pin a Tweet that other people will see when they visit your profile. For bloggers, this is often a tweet about a recent or popular blog post. Some people pin a tweet that particularly resonates with them or demonstrates their teaching philosophy.

Click on the dropdown arrow on the tweet you want to pin and select Pin to your profile page.
You edit your profile as follows:
1. Go to your profile (click on your avatar and then tap on Profile)

2. Click on Edit Profile.

3. Click the camera icon on your header image to change your header photo.

The recommended dimensions for a header photo is 1500 x 500 pixels.

The header is visible when someone visits your profile from any device, and changes with the screen size.

The header has visible and invisible areas that change depending on if your profile is viewed on a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. Refer to this header template to learn more.

Popular header images for teachers include landscapes, a classroom photo, or a quote. You can make a personalized Twitter header image with tools like Canva.

3. Click the camera icon on your profile image to change it.

The recommended dimensions for your profile photo is 400 x 400 pixels.

4. Edit your name, bio (maximum of 160 characters), location, website, and theme color.

5. Click Save Changes.

What To Do If Your Twitter Account Is Hacked

There are Twitter worms that work by hacking user accounts by stealing their account credentials when the user clicks on a link.

Unexpected tweets or sudden unintended DMs being sent from your account are indicators your account might have been compromised.

Here's what you need to do if your account has been compromised.

Keeping Up With Links Shared On Twitter

A Twitter network is a rich source of great links to read and it's handy to grab these links using Twitter tools so you can check them out at your leisure.

Here's some options:

Flipboard - collects the content of social networks and websites and then presents them in a magazine format on a mobile device. Learn more about using Flipboard here.

Shiftlinks - creates an RSS feed of your links posted by your Twitter followers which you can subscribe to using an feed reader such as Feedly. This works works well when following a small number of people.

Paper.li - creates a daily newspaper based on the top links shared by your Twitter follower. Here's my personalised Paper.li.

Paper-li can be set up to send an automatic tweet of your daily newspaper and identify the source of your top stories of the day based on RTs, Favorites etc. A similar popular tool if you want a daily email digest of the most popular tweets in your network is Nuzzel.

Flipboard is popular for anyone using a mobile device because it allows you to easily read, share, bookmark, and retweet links from within the Flipboard app. Learn more about using Flipboard here.

This 5-minute video goes through how I use Flipboard to keep up with links shared on Twitter.

Using Twitter With Students

Educators aren't just using Twitter for their personal learning; they are also using it in innovative ways in their classrooms. We've seen a significant increase in the number of class and school Twitter accounts over recent years.

You'll find a list of Twitter class accounts here.
Here are some tips for using Twitter with students:

1. Set up a classroom Twitter account separate from your personal Twitter account. Some teachers allow their students to log in to the class Twitter account during class to compose tweets but the tweets aren't allowed to be sent until checked by the teacher or an adult.

2. If you decide to use a hashtag specific to your school or classroom community make sure it isn't being used by others. (Search on Twitter or on hastagify.me)

3. Carefully select who you follow as students will see all tweets by any account you are following. Drew Frank's Classroom Twitter list can be used to find other class Twitter accounts to follow.

4. Make sure parents are aware you are using Twitter in class and check your school's policies to find out if parent's need to sign a permission form.

5. Carefully consider whether you want to use images of students on Twitter and ensure you have permission. Read more about using images of students online here.

Find out more about using Twitter in your Classroom:
Over To You

Effective teaching and learning does not occur in a vacuum. To be the best teacher you can be, you need a diverse and innovative network.

With Twitter, the barriers of distance and access are broken down and the world is at your fingertips!

Twitter might feel overwhelming but if you give it a chance for a few weeks it will really start to make sense and you will see how it's so popular with educators.
Have we missed any important tips or resources? Let us know in the comments below. Scroll down to find the comment box.
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Want to learn more about becoming a connected educator, building a PLN, or blogging? Check out our range of free, self-paced courses for teachers and students.

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Want to learn how to get started or get more out of Twitter? This up-to-date ultimate guide to Twitter explains everything you need to know. Whether you're a teacher or other professional, you can fuel your professional growth and make global connections in your industry.

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A technology curriculum for practical problem solving with digital tools.

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Teach & Learn Practical Digital Skills - Applied Digital Skills

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Thousands of teachers and students are using Applied Digital Skills to improve digital literacy, and we're adding new lessons regularly. Join us and start learning or teaching digital skills today.

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A Pinterest board on technology ideas for the adult ed classroom from the fabulous Nell Eckersley.

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Discover recipes, home ideas, style inspiration and other ideas to try.

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Provides free programs to assist teachers or anyone else looking for fun materials for review, training, or classroom management.

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SuperTeacherTools provides free programs to assist teachers or anyone else looking for fun review/training/classroom management materials.

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Provides technology resources and professional development to enhance the teaching-learning process.. Click here for free digital toolkits.

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Contact US Digital Literacy Today

Our message:

Thank you for visiting
US Digital Literacy. Digital Literacy is important in education, the work force and generally for every internet user. While this site focuses on the educational side of Digital Literacy , it also provides many resources in an all in one website to help you tap into the exponential amount of resources available via the internet. At the bottom of each page you will find a slider of corresponding links to our favorite sites categorized by each page. We put our favorite top 20 sites at the bottom of this HOME page, so scroll through them at the bottom to bookmark your favorites too! Most of all, you should know that this website is a work in progress. We are adding to and modifying it every day. If you would like to subscribe for free to our blog posts and updates click this link now. Thanks again for supporting this site by sharing it with your friends! Digital Literacy and Media Literacy for Today's Learners
The definition of literacy has evolved in the 21st century. The basic definition of literacy means to be able to read and write. To be successful in today's digital world, literacy goes far beyond being able to read and write. What it means to be digitally literate has reflected the change in how information is processed, delivered, and received in today's highly connected world. The University Library of The University of Illinois defines digital literacy as:

The ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information.¹
The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers. ²
A person's ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment... Literacy includes the ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments. ³

US Digital Literacy believes in supporting Instructional Technologists in every school to facilitate digital and media literacy instruction for all children and all teachers and staff. School systems should make provisions for a certified Instructional Technologist in every school to truly embrace 21st century education in their schools. All districts need to look forward to what will continue to transform education and what has only been a taste of the evolution of technology in the lives of our children.

While in her blog article "14 things that are obsolete in 21st Century Schools", Ingvi Hrannar Ómarsson states "The idea of taking a whole class to a computer room with outdated equipment, once a week to practice their typewriting skills and sending them back to the classroom 40 minutes later, is obsolete. Computers or technology should not just be a specific subject, that's not sufficient anymore but rather it should be an integral part of all the subjects and built into the curriculum." But be careful in your plans for that old computer lab, it does NOT have to be removed from the building, it simply needs a visionary at your school to help repurpose it. Regenerating a computer lab into a Maker Space, Reading Lab with devices, a SMART lab or other 21st Century space will help teachers understand the need to step out of dated practice.

"Technology must be like oxygen: ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible."

-Chris Lehmann, Principal of Science Leadership Academy

US Digital Literacy is dedicated to providing many resources for learners, teachers, principals, parents, and ALL education stakeholders to become better equipped in today's digital world. Please check back often for updates and new information about digital literacy.

Commitment to providing digital tools must come with a commitment to providing fidelity in instructional practice. US Digital Literacy focuses on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). TPACK is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective technology integration in their teaching. Guests of US Digital Literacy will find significant digital resources in addition to resources for pedagogy and content throughout this site. This video is a quick introduction to the dynamic framework, TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). For more specific information on TPACK, please visit http://tpack.org/. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x.

US DIGITAL LITERACY is today's INTERNET resource for 21st Century Education

You can check out what is TRENDING today in Digital Literacy, 21st Century Skills, Bring Your Own Device, and Common Core by checking out the news links below. US Digital Literacy is your one stop web based network for all things trending in digital literacies. Add us to your list of favorites!

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J. H. Grigg, Ed.D.Texas Learning

We are extremely happy with this site for teachers. We now have one place to go to help teachers integrate technology into their learning. Thank you and best wishes from Texas Learning Consultants.

Kari Curran, Literacy CoachGovernor's Teachers Network at NCDPI

US Digital Literacy is my number one resource for best practices in classroom instruction and assessment! A phenomenal resource for teachers to select from a menu of web apps for their teaching practice. Partnering with lynda.com for just in time professional growth needs for teachers. This site was created by a teacher for other teachers.

Your Digital Footprint

We live in a digital age with an Internet economy that is growing exponentially. Close to 75% of Americans use the Internet as part of their daily jobs and careers. Our goal is to help educators teach students best and safe practices as they use the Internet and record their digital footprint. What you do on the Internet and think may have been deleted is still embedded in the social network DNA, so Internet users must think before they click! The best policy for protecting yourself is PRIVACY. Protecting your digital footprint is the most important thing you will learn using technology. THANK YOU again for visiting our site. Be safe and be smart!

Digital & Media Literacy

Technology in our daily lives

Most challenging in this millennium is our students know a lot more about technology than we do, and it is almost impossible to keep up with them! We are serving a new generation of students, often referred to as Digital Natives. They have grown up with technology and have been immersed in media rich resources. They are masters of multitasking. Today's students have revolutionized expectations in the classroom.

Digital Immigrants & Digital Natives

Digital Immigrants, that would be most of the teachers (but not all) do things like print our email, while the Digital Natives do not even use email any more! They use text AND Snapchat! We still get our news from the newspaper, and think a podcast is some kind of science fair project! Only a handful of teachers understand how technology is a not a subject to teach but rather a tool to use with a Digital Native to let them power up and apply real world problem solving to their curriculum. These teachers are often referred to as Digital Transients. Teachers must meet students where they are, they must aspire to use the language of technology to engage their digitized learner in our globally collaborative world. In doing so, teachers must help students become responsible digital citizens. Mike Ribble has two great books about this topic. Check out Raising a Digital Child and Digital Citizenship in Schools to learn more, both available at Amazon.com.

Media Literacy

According to The National Association for Media Literacy Education, media literacy is seen to consist of a series of communication competencies, including the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, and COMMUNICATE information in a variety of forms, including print and non-print messages. Media literacy empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound. It is the skillful application of literacy skills to media and technology messages.

Today's Students

Today's students must do more than memorize facts. Students must understand how to use digital tools to gather facts, interpret, analyze and create meaning, even create new meaning from the information they gather. Becoming truly literate means embracing a new framework of learning that layers core content into a world rich in digital and media literacies that will help students become future ready graduates in a globally collaborative world.

Highly Qualified Teacher Leaders

While using the digital tools is innate for most students, digital citizenship requires leadership and facilitation in our schools by highly qualified teachers. Unfortunately, many districts are resorting to untrained faculty, part-time assistants, and sometimes even no one to lead digital literacy at their schools. Schools must not turn their back on highly qualified teachers who are based in schools that are leading the digital transformation in education. Schools who use budget cuts as an excuse to cut these positions from their schools are doing a huge disservice to their students. Many systems have a team of highly qualified teachers in central office positions rather than working directly with students. This too is a disservice to our children. Educators qualified in Instructional Technology should be providing direct services in classrooms.

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Contact US Digital Literacy Today Our message: Thank you for visiting US Digital Literacy. Digital Literacy is important in education, the work force and generally for every internet user. While this site focuses on the educational side of Digital Literacy , it also provides many resources in an all in one website to help you tap into the exponential amount of resources available via the internet.

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LINCS Integrating Digital Language into English Language Instruction

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LINCS Integrating Digital Language into English Language Instruction

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Includes an online module & a companion learning resource.

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LINCS | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education

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What Educators Say

"The brief gives teachers... ways to use technology in authentic situations for teaching students to read, write, listen, and speak in their second language."

"Many of the supporting articles [in the Professional Development module] had a lot of good information, and they served as refreshers for the way that I teach vocabulary in my Low Beginning class."

Digital literacy and related technology skills are essential for English language learners in the 21st century. This resource suite offers information on how these skills are used and ways to integrate them into instruction.

Issue Brief

This brief highlights research-based ways to integrate technology, extend learning opportunities, and increase digital literacy in English language learning environments.

PD Module

This interactive, self-paced online module explains how to incorporate digital literacy skills into learning activities for ELL students. Learn the following:

Why we should incorporate digital literacy skill development into programming for adult ELLs

How to expand language learning opportunities using digital technologies

How to help students identify appropriate technology tools for learning

How to solve problems in today's technology-rich environments

Companion Learning Resource

This practice-oriented resource shows how instructional strategies, resources, and activities can cohesively integrate language development, information literacy, and digital technologies.

Resources

Learn about Open Educational Resources (OER), how they can be used in instruction, and how they can enhance student learning.

Study Circle Resources

Study circle resources for Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction are designed for use by professional trainers to enhance participants' ESL instructional skills. This study circle's resources include the Facilitators Guide, four assignments ( 1, 2, 3, 4), and one optional assignment.

Review the Other LINCS ESL Pro Resources Suites

Back to LINCS ESL Pro Main Page

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Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction

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"The brief gives teachers... ways to use technology in authentic situations for teaching students to read, write, listen, and speak in their second language." "Many of the supporting articles [in the Professional Development module] had a lot of good information, and they served as refreshers for the way that I teach vocabulary in my Low Beginning class."

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A range of video and written guides to help people to get connected and develop the online skills to make the most of their mobile, tablet, computer or interactive television.

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From the Minnesota Literacy Council. a blog that discusses both tech & literacy issues in adult basic education.

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Looking for a blog that discusses both Tech & Literacy Issues in Adult Basic Education?

Are you new to teaching computer literacy / digital literacy?

A helpful resource for teachers and volunteers who are new to this field is the Effective Computer Education Strategies manual prepared by members of Minnesota's CTEP (Community Technology Empowerment Project). It can be found at http://ecesmanual.wordpress.com/. (Click the Download tab to locate and download the PDF manual.)

Also the site at www.digitalliteracy.gov has an excellent selection of resources for teachers.

Do you need standards and assessment tools for your students' computer literacy?

The Northstar Digital Literacy Project outlines computer skills standards for basic skills, the world wide web, Windows, Mac OS X, email and Microsoft Word. There are also free online assessment modules for each of these six areas. Students can receive a Northstar Digital Literacy Certificate when they pass all tests at an approved site. Libraries, ABE sites, workforce centers, nonprofits or other related organizations can become sponsoring sites.

Are you looking for curriculum materials or lesson plans for a basic computer skills class for adult learners?

The Twin Cities-based Technology Literacy Collaborative hosts an extensive list of materials on their website at http://tlc-mn.org. Click "Curriculum and Digital Inclusion Aids," then browse or search the resources available.

Additionally, Adult Basic Education staff in the Cambridge-Isanti program created the following instructional materials for their computer basics class:

Do you need to learn more about Microsoft Office?

Try these printable PDF tutorials for teachers by Bernard John Poole:

What other teaching and learning resources are available in the area of computer literacy?

When you are planning a basic computer skills class, it is a smart idea to survey your learners to gauge what they know, don't know, and want to learn. Click here to view a sample needs assessment form.

GCF Learn Free ( www.gcflearnfree.org) offers free online tutorials and instructor-supported classes on a variety of computer topics, including computer basics and Microsoft Office products, at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer.

Microsoft has an excellent (and free!) online Digital Literacy curriculum with modules for Computer Basics, Internet, Productivity software (e.g. Word, Excel), Computer Security and Privacy, and more. A test at the end of the lessons allows learners with passing scores to print a certificate.

Two new web resources for new computer/Internet users are www.everyoneon.org and http://digitallearn.org/learn. Both have instructional materials for adult beginners.

inPics.net is a website that offers simple computer skills lessons using pictures (and minimal text) for instruction.

The BBC's excellent Web Wise site offers tutorials and articles on a vast array of technology topics, from beginner to advanced.

Also from the UK, Digital Unite offers a series of user guides with topics such as Computer Basics, Using Microsoft Word, Skype and Email, and even Smartphones. Find them at http://digitalunite.com/guides.

The Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning in St. Paul has compiled information for GED teachers on the computer skills that will be needed to pass the computer-based GED 2014.

The Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities project created a series of self-paced online tutorials for adult beginning computer users. It can now be accessed at: www.mydigitalliteracy.us.

YouTube has a wealth of instructional content. A quick search will yield dozens of videos and tutorials. GCFLearnFree.org has an excellent YouTube channel. Another good channel to check out is Computer Tutorials.

ACTION (Active Citizens Technology In Our Neighborhoods) Computer Lessons is a set of downloadable PDF documents written in simple English that teach concepts from basic computer hardware to more complex tasks such as making a budget or writing a resume. Registration with an email account is required.

Kansas Adult Education Technology Competencies and Curriculum: ABE competencies, and lessons for basic word processing, Internet, email and PowerPoint.

SPCLC Basic Computer Skills Curriculum: click on computer_training.zip. This is downloadable curriculum, with Word, Excel and PowerPoint activities for beginning, intermediate and advanced level ESL learners. Activities start from very basic (turning on the computer) to higher-level office software activities.

Alison.com offers free online courses in topics such as: Microsoft Office products, using Gmail, touch typing, and protecting yourself from identify theft.

Internet 101 is a free tutorial explaining what the Internet is, how it works, and the basics of what you can do on the Internet (free email, search, etc.). It does include some ads and requires a relatively high reading level. Probably most appropriate for American-born adult learners.

The website www.esolcourses.com has a selection of vocabulary activities for learning computer terms.

Minneapolis ABE has developed an online touch typing curriculum that is free for all users.

Free touch typing lessons can also be found at: www.nimblefingers.com, www.learn2type.com and www.sense-lang.org/typing (the last two also include 10-key practice exercises).

This library user tutorial explains how to use the mouse to click, scroll, and navigate in Windows: http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/.

Mousarobics: this is an online activity that helps your learners practice basic mouse skills

Mouse skills: very basic click, drop and drag

Forms practice: online practice filling out very easy to complex forms.

Computers in Action: lesson plans and activities for using computers with students.

eFolio: an online portfolio creation website available to MN residents.

Claire Siskin Bradin's Word Processing Activities : this is a range of fun word processing activities for ESL learners.

Susan Gaer's Computer Class Activities: this is an excellent class website which can be used as a resource to use for online reading/writing activities or to get ideas for lessons to use with your learners.

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Are you new to teaching computer literacy / digital literacy? A helpful resource for teachers and volunteers who are new to this field is the Effective Computer Education Strategies manual prepared by members of Minnesota's CTEP (Community Technology Empowerment Project). It can be found at http://ecesmanual.wordpress.com/.

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Develops national educational technology policy and establishes the vision for how technology can be used to transform teaching and learning. Offers tech resources for teachers.

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Learn about the vision and history of the Office of Educational Technology, working to transform teaching and learning in collaboration with other Department of Education offices.

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Develops national educational technology policy and establishes the vision for how technology can be used to transform teaching and learning

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Practice for the skills needed to do the online version of the TASC & TASC Readiness.

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LAC Technology for Classroom & Group Management

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LAC Technology for Classroom & Group Management

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The Literacy Assistance Center recommends online tools for assessment, differentiation, learning management systems, student response systems & engagement tools, & much more.

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Technology for Classroom and Group Management

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Assessment Google Forms - Make multiple choice short and long answer assessments that can be completed on mobile devices EdPuzzle - Allows you to insert quiz questions in to YouTube videos...

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Tips to make technology more accessible.

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Tips and tricks you didn't know you could do with Google for on the go, at work and having fun.

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Digital strategy for adult learning, seeks to meet the evolving education and training needs of under-educated adults and youth through high-quality, innovative services aimed at increasing local staff skills and program capacity.

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The EdTech Center @ World Education works to advance digital equity and enable everyone to thrive as learners, workers, and family and community members in the digital world. We support organizations to leverage technology to increase the reach and impact of education and social impact initiatives.

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Vance Stevens Learning Language Techniques

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Vance Stevens Learning Language Techniques

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Grammar-based exercise templates for becoming proficient with word processing.

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Introducing Vance Stevens | Return to CALL resources page | Index
Grammar-based exercise templates for becoming proficient with Word Processing
Here are some ideas for teaching grammar and word processing at the same time. The idea is to teach word processing "on the side" while teaching grammar "up front". Each exercise forces students to use a different word processing skill. (The following exercises are the creation of Vance Stevens, from an idea spawned by Tom Cobb.)
Purpose: Position cursor, insert text
Directions: Find where the word is missing and write it in. Use "is" or "are"

1. There a book on the table.

2. My friend's car blue.

3. Who you?

Directions: The ending has been left off of each of the verbs in these sentences. Place the cursor after the verb with the mistake and add the correct ending.

1. Col. Ahmad know how to fly an airplane.

2. Why is our teacher shout at us?

3. I call you yesterday but you weren't in your office.

Purpose: Position cursor, make capital with shift key
Directions: Change the lower case letters to capitals where necessary.

1. mr. martin, our teacher, works at the mli.

2. people in the united arab emirates should try to learn some english.

3. major hamid and i will meet captain obeid at the hilton.

Purpose: Double click a word, cut and paste it to a new position
Directions: One word in each sentence is out of order. Double click on it, cut it, and paste it in its correct position.

1. Where you will go tonight?

2. What he is doing with my car keys?

3. Why they are looking at their books? This is a test!

Purpose: Use of search and replace
Directions: The following message was written by someone you think is a spy. The spy has changed all the vowels to other letters to keep you from reading the secret document. Use Search and Replace to change the incorrect letters back to the 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, and u) so that you can read the message.

Thvs vs fjr my frvznds vn thz zmbxssy. Xs yjq knjw, V xm x spy vn thvs cjqntry. V hxvz dvscjvzrzd sjmz vzry tjp szcrzt vnfjrmxtvjn. V xm pxssvng vt jn tj yjq vn thvs mzssxgz. V hxvz chxngzd sjmz jf thz lzttzrs vn thz mzssxgz sj thxt nj jnz wvll knjw thxt V xm x spy. Vn thvs wxy, thzy wvll njt bz xblz tj rzxd my szcrzt mzssxgz. V xm sqrz thxt thzrz vs nj jnz clzvzr znjqgh tj bz xblz tj rzxd thvs szcrzt mzssxgz.
Purpose: To use cut and paste
Directions: Here is a conversation. Two of the sentences have been swapped. Use cut and paste twice to return the sentences to their correct position.

Laura Enders Jim Blake! What a surprise!
Jim Blake I don't believe it. What are you doing here in Seattle?
Laura Oh, I just spent a few days with my parents. Now I'm on my way back to Chicago.
Jim How did you know?
Laura It sure has. Say, I hear you started your own computer business.
Jim Gee, it's been a long time.
Laura My mother. She keeps track of all my old friends.
Low-tech and Medium-Tech Activities with Word Processing
The following uses of word processing in CALL are provided by Claire Bradin, in her words: http://pilot.msu.edu/user/bradincl

Note: Several of the low-tech activities are described in a very useful book: Hardisty, David, and Scott Windeatt. (1989). CALL. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Low-Tech Activities:
Editing: Provide text (possibly with students' own errors); students work in groups to revise

Sentence completion: Give students open-ended sentences or cloze exercise to complete

Picture identification (Low level): Paste in a picture with numbers on various objects; students type in names of objects which corrrespond to the numbers
Description of a picture:

Students copy and paste in a picture; write a paragraph describing it

Model paragraph: Group changes the details so that the description matches someone in the class.

Delete name: Give the text a code; distribute the text among the students. Have them guess who the descriptions are of.

" Famous People": Have text with biography of a famous person

Prewriting: Write name -- give a minute to write a response. Discuss responses. Give each pair or group of students a part of the biography.

Students compose a short summary; they type it into the computer

Students record summaries into a tape recorder in chronological order

Tape serves as a radio program

" Cross class Interviews" (Mixed level);

Lower level: write basic interview questions; Practice asking one another

Visit advanced class

Pairs: Lower level students interview upper level

Lower level students go to computer lab; write profile of advanced students

Class discussion: write general description of other class

Advanced class reads -- extends the description & revises it; lower level reads

Narrative and descriptive writing

Teacher dictates the first part of a story

Students finish it

Each group -- looks at text of the other groups

Each group has a different task: accuracy, organization, interest, vocabulary

Letter

One text: mixture of formal and informal expressions

1/2 class changes to formal style

1/2 class changes to informal

Compare the 2 letters

Make a list of the features of each

Application Letter

One team applies for a job;

other team: discusses, accepts or rejects,

writes letter of reply

Letter of complaint

One team: Letter of complaint --

Other team: Letter of apology in response

Dialog (Elementary level)

Give text of a dialog; groups use cut-and-paste to put sentences in the right order

Each group acts out its version of the dialog;

Class can compare; decide on the best one

If time: write continuation of the dialog

Student newsletter: Students do interviews, surveys; submit ariticles, drawings, etc.
Medium-Tech Activities:
It is possible to record sounds and paste Quicktime movies into a document created with a fairly recent word processor (for example, Microsoft Word 5.1a on a Macintosh or its equivalent on DOS/Windows). For DOS/Windows computers, it is necessary to have a sound card. For the recording exercise, a microphone is necessary.

Listen and type: Teacher records questions; students listen and type their answers

Listen and record: Teacher records questions; students listen and record answers

Listening comprehension: Teacher records questions; students listen, choose answers, and discuss their answers

Oral interviews: Students record questions into a file and exchange files. The next student records the answers.

Describe a movie: Teacher pastes a QuickTime movie into a word processed document. Students watch and type a description

Watch movie -- Answer questions: Teacher prepares file with pre-viewiing questions, followed by a Quicktime movie. Students watch and answer the questions.

Watch movie and discuss: Same as above, except that students watch the movie as a group and discuss their answers.
A reader reacts -
I've been experimenting with some of your very useful exercises using a word processor to teach EFL writing. I find that there is a problem at the input stage - for me anyway! For example, if teachers give the students a handout requiring them to type in jumbled sentences, then reorder them using Cut and Paste, the more able students will reorder as they type, and avoid the Cut and Paste stage.

This can be overcome if the teacher copies the exercise onto the students' disks before the lesson. It sounds time consuming, but with Windows Explorer it takes less than a minute to copy 20 files. A different technique could be to give the students the hand out and actually require them to reorder as they type, then give them another exercise requiring Cut and Paste, just what I'm not sure!

I have managed to introduce a greater amount of variety can be introduced by having students Cut and Paste (plus other operations) using a different method each time, i.e. from the Menu. from the icons, using the Alt keys to access the Menu, and lastly using the Shortcut Ctrl key. So really we have Cut and Paste X 4.
"Mr. Mike", from Batelco in Bahrain, Dec. 1999 Fernanda from Webheads in Action writes, July 2003
If you perform a search in google with for example 'class activities +word processor' you'll find some sites where you can select some interesting activities.

for example: http://edvista.com/claire/wp.html

I can think of some basic activities like inserting punctuation and layout in a letter; adding adjectives and adverbs to a text to make a description or narrative richer (you can even add instructions or clues, like: the man entered the room [what was the man like?])

You can ask them to use the thesaurus and replace words... .... create an outline...

Use the navigation at the top of this page or your browser's BACK button to return to a previous page

For comments, suggestions, or further information on this page
contact Vance Stevens, page webmaster.

Last updated: July 13, 2003 in Hot Metal Pro 6.0

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Introducing Vance Stevens | Return to CALL resources page | Index Grammar-based exercise templates for becoming proficient with Word Processing Here are some ideas for teaching grammar and word processing at the same time. The idea is to teach word processing "on the side" while teaching grammar "up front".

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Northstar Basic Computer Skills Assessment

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Northstar Basic Computer Skills Assessment

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Assess what your students know and do not know. The Northstar Digital Literacy Project defines basic skills needed to perform tasks on computers and online. The ability of adults to perform these tasks can be assessed through online, self-guided modules. A direct link to each module is available on this website, on the Computer & Technology Skills page under Student Resources. Read more about this resource here.​

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Want to test what you know? Complete any of the following online assessments.

If you want to save your results to a Northstar location,

If you are not part of a Northstar location yet, but would like to earn a certificate for passing the assessments, find a Northstar location near you.

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Improve your computer skills and prep for your future!

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This is a curriculum for teaching basic computer skills. It includes handouts, vocabulary lists, & activities which may be useful in adult education classroom.

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Saint Paul Community Literacy Consortium

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On this site you will find lesson modules covering basic computer skills developed by computer teachers* from Adult Basic Education programs in the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium.

You will find Lessons (handouts), Teacher Guides, Vocabulary Lists and Activities. Some computer skills may have several lessons associated with them and some lessons may cover several computer skills.

The lessons are grouped by computer task and skill. Rather than rigidly defining a day-by-day curriculum, teachers can pick and choose lessons and activities that suit their classroom needs and student's pace.

The teachers on this project highly recommend incorporating keyboarding practice into your curriculum. Using a keyboarding program such as Mavis Beacon every day will help your students feel comfortable on the keyboard. There are also some good resources Learn to Type Efficiently and at Online Keyboarding Education.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. These materials are free for others to use non-commerciually. Please credit the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium when using.

Note: All files are PDF format unless noted.

New MSWord Additions

Updated exercises, project ideas, and course outlines in Microsoft Word are now available in a single (27 Megabyte) download. Simply right-click the " Computer_training.zip" zip file and choose "Save Target As" to download to your computer. Then use your favorite zip program to unzip the entire curriculum.

Table of Contents:

Very Basic Computer Skills

Visuals for teaching very basic computer skills: using a mouse and turning a computer on and off. These are suited for low NRS levels or for students with little to no computer experience. Two good websites for practicing mouse skills are Mousarobics and Mouse Exercises.

Computer Vocabulary

Handouts and activities to teach everyday computer vocabulary (computer parts, toolbar, font, highlight, etc.). These are suited for low NRS levels or for students with little to no computer experience.

Opening and Saving Files

Navigating windows to open and save files. These are suited for low NRS levels or for students with little to no computer experience.

Skills and Activities Practice

Activities created to help students practice skills such as font attributes (bold, italics), spacing, cut-and-paste, and tables. All documents are zipped together. Each lesson includes a Teacher's Guide and several activities (MS Word Documents). These are suited for low NRS levels or for students with little to no computer experience.

MS Word Exercises

Step-by-step instructions with graphics designed to introduce learners to various aspects of MS Word. NRS levels range from Low Intermediate and High Intermediate Basic Education to Low Adult Secondary.

Excel Exercises

Step-by-step instructions with graphics designed to introduce learners to various aspects of MS Excel. These lessons are suitable for NRS level Low Adult Secondary.

Internet

Lessons and activities on using the internet. These lessons refer to Internet Explorer as the browser. Many activities can be completed regardless of the browser.

PowerPoint

Step-by-step instructions with graphics designed to walk students through the creation of a PowerPoint presentation.
Credits
* This project was funded by America Connects Consortium with the goal of creating lessons for common basic computer skills that teachers in the Adult Basic Education field could download and incorporate into their classroom at no cost.

Curriculum developed by:

Jessica Schachterle from Minnesota Literacy Council

Daniel Hoisington from Lao Family Community

Deb Woodburn, volunteer with Chicanos Latinos Unidos En Servicio working with Minnesota Literacy Council

Thanks to the Minnesota Literacy Council and teacher, Jessica Grace Jones, for the new additions. For feedback or questions regarding the curriculum, contact Jessica at jjones@themlc.org.

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On this site you will find lesson modules covering basic computer skills developed by computer teachers* from Adult Basic Education programs in the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium. You will find Lessons (handouts), Teacher Guides, Vocabulary Lists and Activities. Some computer skills may have several lessons associated with them and some lessons may cover several computer skills.