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I think it's fair to say that can no longer be dismissed as a trivial passing fad. Though I had dabbled with a personal account, my entire opinion changed when I started my account and dove into the conversations educators were engaged in. While some people certainly do tweet about what they're having for breakfast, teachers, administrators, and educational organizations use Twitter in a whole different way—making smart use of those 140 characters to share resources, wisdom, and inspiration.

With the wealth of information out there, you have to cut through the noise a little to figure out how it will work best for you. PLN-building? Classroom discussions? Home-to-school communications? Keeping abreast of trends? All of the above? The videos in the playlist below will give you a primer on how to use some of the features on Twitter, and then a few ideas of the possibilities for teaching and learning.

Video Playlist: Twitter for Teachers

Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on .

1. (07:10)

   If you only have five minutes to spare, this is the one to watch. Educator makes the case for Twitter in education, while keeping it light and fun. I highly recommend it, and not just because is mentioned ;-).

2. (03:38)

   I'm a big fan of 's paper-cut animation explainer videos, which make complex topics understandable. They have a great video called "" that goes over the basics, but I thought this one that delves into search was useful for intermediate users.

3. (03:17)

   Coming up with good and useful tweets can be intimidating for beginners. This video is an excerpt from EDBuzz's paid PD program, Twitter for Teachers in 15 Minutes, and gives you some insight on the different kinds of content you can post.

4. (03:51)

   Let's say you're already a believer and you use Twitter with your students, but you want to explore additional tools. This video briefly goes over four apps: , , and . There's an .

5. (05:30)

   A social studies teacher from Wisconsin describes how he has re-invigorated his passion for knowledge by using Twitter to grow his personal learning network, or PLN. He connects with educators around the world to share resources and best practices.

6. (03:39)

   The background jazz is a little loud, but this video is still useful -- a teacher explains how he uses Twitter to streamline communications with his students, parents, and colleagues. They simply follow what's happening in his class from a feed to their mobile phones.

7. (05:38)

   is a professor who researches how social media use affects college students. While his work is not specific to K-12, there's much to be gleaned from his study on how Twitter can affect engagement and grades (PDF). This video gives an overview of his findings.

8. (02:32)

   In this clip from CNN, urban educator talks about how the micro-blogging site helps his disadvantaged students find their voice. He has a BYOT (bring your own technology) policy but also offers classroom computers for those who need it.

9. (01:56)

   With help from the , Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis has been incorporating digital tools into its classrooms to teach kids 21st-century communications skills. Hear from teachers and students about how the way they work is changing.

10. (04:30)

    teacher and organizer describes how Twitter has allowed him to take back his professional development and transform his teaching and learning practice. Spot the cameo appearances by Â鶹´«Ã½Èë¿Ú's and several Â鶹´«Ã½Èë¿Ú bloggers!

11. (10:40)

    EdTech blogger created this nuts and bolts overview of Twitter, including a useful primer on education chats like and , a good explanation of hashtags, and a brief intro to , which, like , is a great free management platform for power users.

12. (03:44)

    If you're still with me, you deserve a laugh after watching all those screencasts. This mockumentary about the new nano-blogging site Flutter -- for people who don't have enough time for Twitter -- cracked me up.

More Resources for Twitter in Education

I could go way overboard here with resources about Twitter for educators -- will lead you to thousands of articles, infographics, and blog posts. But excellent education curator has already compiled a great list of links; see my first bullet below. So I've kept it to just a few of my favorites. If you're already on Twitter, leave a link to your handle in the comments -- I'd love to follow you. Or join up and follow me at , and I'll see you in the Twitterverse!

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