[Since doing this presentation, I have created a much clearer introduction to Twitter, and done a 10-minute introduction to ten of my favourite blogs.]
On Saturday February 19th 2011, I presented this session on online professional development, with a focus on blogs and Twitter.
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, feel free to comment on this post or contact me on Twitter @sandymillin. I look forward to seeing you again in my PLN!
Don’t end up like this!
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
I have also included some more links related to Twitter and blogs to help you out.
- An introduction to Twitter (screencast – a kind of video teaching you how to do things)
- Twitter for Teachers: A Guide for Beginners (blog)
- How to sign up for Twitter – a step-by-step guide (Powerpoint via blog)
- Twitter at a glance (infographic – similar to a poster, with lots of useful information)
- Why you should start Tweeting by EnglishRaven / Jason Renshaw (blog)
- Anatomy of a Tweet by Nik Peachey
- Expanding your PLN on Twitter (PLN = Personal Learning Network) (blog)
- How to use Tweetdeck (screencast) – Tweetdeck is an excellent piece of software which makes Twitter easier
- #eltchat explained (blog) – #eltchat is a conversation between ELT teachers from around the world. It is a fascinating thing to take part in.
- And a fun video to make you laugh: ‘Twitter madness‘ from Grey’s Anatomy
Blogs
- Why do I blog? (blog)
- What a good idea? (blog)
- How to use wordpress (screencast) – the blog you’re reading right now was created on wordpress, one of the most popular blogging platforms
- How to use blogger (screencast) – an alternative platform
- 7 silly things you really shouldn’t forget to include in your blog
- Blogging and social media: advice for educators
- A list of ELT blogs to follow
- Google Reader tutorial – an easy way to view all of the blogs you’re interested in in one go, without having to remember all of the addresses
Other posts on my blog which you might be interested in
- The Online Professional Development Survey
- What I learnt on #eltchat today – my first #eltchat summaries (I have done a few more since then)
- My first play with Overstream (this was the video you saw during the presentation)
Final thoughts
- A beginner’s guide to building a PLN – a series of steps broken down into breakfast, lunch and dinner
- I love my PLN – how it has transformed my learning – by Russell Stannard, author of the screencasts you may have watched above (audioboo – a sound file online)
Updates
These links have been added since the conference:
- The journey of a Twitter Newbie
- A very indepth set of screencasts introducing you to every aspect of Twitter you might need to know (with bookmarks for quick navigating)
- Twitter teaching and learning – a reflection on what Twitter has offered to one teacher
- Nine reasons why teachers should use Twitter
- Quick start tips for new Tweeters
- A video showing you how to make the most of #eltchat
- Breaking down the four walls of the language classroom using Twitter and Skype
- The Who, Why and How of Twitter (infographic)
- A first experience of #eltchat - one quick paragraph to get you interested
Blogs
- Writing quality blog comments – an amazing video by 3rd graders!
- Ways to take advantage of being a blogging no-one
- 11 tips for teachers who start blogs
PLNs and Continuing Professional Development
- What’s a PLN, why build one and how? (Part 1) by Nik Peachey
- Building a PLN through Twitter (a pdf document)
- Prezi on building a PLN (focus on blogs and social networking)
- Continuing professional development – a presentation
- Challenges, PLN and where they have taken me - a blogpost by Cecilia Lemos
Comments on: "A Whole New World of ELT (IH Brno Conference 2011)" (10)
[...] came from Twitter, which I would highly recommend joining if you’re not on there yet (see this post for more [...]
[...] Twitter and Blogs for teachers: a prezi [...]
[...] Twitter has opened so many doors since I started using it in October 2010. It’s a micro-blogging site, where you send messages 140-characters long out into the world. For teachers, this means an international community full of support, inspiration and ideas. To find out more about what it’s about and how to get started, take a look at this conference presentation I did about blogs and Twitter for teachers. [...]
Thank you Sandy for ”pingbacking” some of my posts! Excellent set of links! Thanks for sharing!
This rocks, and it’ll be my #blogmust 2morrow !!!! Thanks Sandy
Thank you very much! What a wealth of information for a newbie.
Hope you find it useful! If you need any help, please let me know (or ask any of the #eltchat guys on Twitter by including ‘#eltchat’ in your message – we’re a nice bunch)
Good luck!
Sandy
[...] A Whole New World of ELT – for lots more useful links for Twitter and blogs [...]
[...] I am happiest with. The previous posts I did contained the presentations I showed the attendees (1,2), whereas this one is (hopefully!) a step-by-step guide for anyone wanting to take advantage of [...]
[...] A Whole New World of ELT – my first ever post about Twitter and blogs, based around a prezi presentation which includes links to various interesting blogs to follow [...]