For this article on Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), we will be exploring one of the more popular online social media available for your PLN. We will look at a still-to-be-tapped medium for many teachers: Twitter. Let's look at how you can use it to build and expand your online personal learning network. Read on to know more. Then try it afterwards!

Twitter is a microblogging site — 140 characters and that is it! — which means there isn’t really much space for long lectures or long exchanges. People have been using it to update each other about what they’re doing or thinking in a matter of seconds. For something that seems to be made for temporary outbursts or, in social networking site terms, shoutouts or status updates, Twitter has actually gained popularity as a venue for meaningful interaction.

First off, you need to register at www.twitter.com. Once you have a Twitter account, customize your profile by adding your name, location and a brief description. Of course, you have to mention that you are an educator!

Your Twitter homepage will have three main parts. The first one is marked “What’s happening?” That is where you type in your thoughts, questions, activities, and so on, a.k.a. your Tweet. The second part is the feed, which is constantly updating. It will display the most recent Tweets from your connections or people you are following. Then you have a sidebar which displays your info, including who you are following and who are following you, what are the latest hot topics, and the Search bar.

There’s so much more to learn about Twitter. Visit www.twitterforteachers.wetpaint.com for everything else you need to know about Twitter. The website has a Twitter dictionary where you can find terms used in Twitter, as well as tools you can use with Twitter. It also has a discussion on how you can connect with teachers around the world through Twitter.

Richard Byrne of the website www.freetech4teachers.com gives these three simple steps on how you can connect with other teachers via social media like Twitter:

• Search. That Search bar on your sidebar will be your gateway to finding people and topics to follow. If there are any professors or teachers you idolize, type their names in the Search bar and see if they have Twitter accounts. This might be a shot in the dark, but try nonetheless. You can also type in a topic, such as “education” or “teaching” to see who are Tweeting about your field.

• Look who’s talking. When you search for Tweets about a topic, you will see a feed of Tweets from various people. Read what they have to say and check their profiles. If you think you’ll learn something from that person, then click “Follow!”

• Follow fellow followers or those being followed by people you follow. Or, see who your connections are also following. Even the experts in the field follow other teachers, not necessarily popular ones but also simple classroom teachers. See for yourself whose thoughts and advice are also worth hearing, err, reading.

Aside from following other teachers and reading their Tweets about classroom issues, education events, education news, and whatnot, you can also do other things through Twitter.

• Share! Found something interesting online? You can easily share materials you stumble on through Twitter. Most websites already have sharing functions. All you gotta do is click Share, choose Twitter and the page is automatically Tweeted!

• Why not @? Thanks to the “@” or “at sign,” you can have a conversation using Twitter! Directly address someone by typing “@” then the person’s Twitter name. For example, type @dinaocampo. This will directly appear on the person’s feed. Ask a question or reply to a Tweet through this.

• You can’t shush the hashtag! Hash what? The hash symbol or “#” is used as a way to collect all Tweets that are related to one topic or community of Tweeters. The hash symbol plus a topic or code phrase make up a hashtag. Imagine it as accessing an immense chatroom where you can simultaneously talk to anyone and everyone at the same time. In the Search bar, type “#” then the code phrase for the topic or community. For example, type #educhat. You will see every Tweet addressed to that topic on your feed. Try using generic topics like #teachers or #education. If you want to join an already established community, try #educhat, #edchat, #edtechchat, #edconference of the day and #teachertuesday. For some of the hashtags, teachers from around the world log on at a specific day and interact real time.

• Ask a poll question! You can use the hashtags you know to ask a poll question. Ask about a specific concern about your class, like what’s the best way to teach Physics. In just one go, you already get a variety of views and advice.

• Attend a conference. Well, not exactly attend. Some education conferences or events do livetwitting. That is, they constantly Tweet about activities and insights throughout the conference.

These are just a few of the things you can do with Twitter. I suggest you go out there and try it for yourself!