TWITTERCHATS

LEARNING REBELSTRAVEL GUIDE TO

MAKING THE ROAD LESS BUMPY!

WHAT IS ATWITTER CHAT?

A group of people who meeton twitter at apredetermined time using aspecific hashtag* (#). Thehost will have a set ofquestions which will betweeted out to the group atregular intervals. Creating avirtual conversation. Picturea network party with waymore comfortable clothes.

*Need to know a little moreabout hashtags? Click here

FORMAL TWITTER CHAT

Formal twitter chats have aregular schedule andtimeframe (usually 60minutes) with an assignedhashtag*. Prior to the chatthe host may send out some"pre-chat" reading in theform of a blog post or articlelink. This gives peoplefurther knowledge aboutthe discussion topic.

*Need to know a little moreabout hashtags? Click here

INFORMAL TWITTER CHAT

Informal chats may or mayhappen at a designated time.Usually the topic is driven by theneed of the moment. You usuallysee a hashtag like#XYZFlashchat.

People use a flashchat for whenthere is a need to crowdsourcehelp for a topic (or just want tohave a fun discussion). *Need to know a little more

about hashtags? Click here

WHY SHOULD IPARTICIPATE?

1) A chance to talk with people whohave similar interests or work in yourfield. Learning from each other.

2) Grow your network. There are 304million active users, there's bound tobe someone interesting.

3) You never know what kind fun tool,interesting information or usefultidbit you will pick up.

4) Get to know other people fromaround the world! (How fun is THAT!)

EXAMPLE:LET THE DISCUSSIONBEGIN!

A new group of teachers, who are alsonew to twitter, may find the chat#NT2T (New Teachers to Twitter)interesting. (Saturdays, 8am Central)

[Host tweets] Q1) How would teachersuse twitter in the classroom? #NT2T

[You Answer] A1) To remind Studentsof homework #NT2T

[Someone else answers] A1) Toencourage book report discussion.#NT2T Let the ideas fly!

Don't forget the

Hashtag #

HOW DO I FIND THERIGHT CHAT FOR ME?

There are a number of twitter chatlists out there but Twubs.com has anup to the minute chat schedule view.

Next, start following on twitter,@ChatSalad they send out up to theminute tweet announcements forupcoming chats.

Find a chat and hop in. If you connectwith the topic, hang around. If not,don't. No one's feelings will be hurtand the chat police will not hunt youdown.

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HOW DO I JUMP IN?

Find a chat, and start tweeting. It'sreally that simple.

There are synchronous tools that helpyou keep eyes on the chat while it isin progress. Just starting out? Go withtweetchat.

???

Tweetchat.com

Tweetdeck.com Hootsuite.com

Twubs.com

HOW DO I JUMP IN?

To find what happened in a chat afterthe fact. It takes a little set-up effort,but there are asynchronous tools thatwill pull the chat discussion into areadable format for you check outlater.

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Flipboard.com Tagboard.com

Storify.com

For a quick view - within twitter, justsearch for the hashtag.

HELPFUL TIPS

Give your followers fair warning aboutthe twitter storm headed their way.Encourage them to play along andchat too.

It's okay to be late and leaveearly. Just like any party.

It's okay to "Lurk" or observebefore jumping in to watchthe flow and general style ofthe chat.

But eventually jump in! Thewater's nice. Interactionmakes it fun!

Always include the chathashtag in your responses.You don't want your brilliantanswer lost.

Selling product is a no-no (unlessyou are given permission) Allow for

differentopinions

Have fu

n!

Introduce yourself to the group(you may find someone close)

WHAT IF I WANT TOHOST A CHAT?

Anyone can host a twitter chat. Thereare a few things to keep in mind forbeing successful (but that's a topic fora different day).

Know this...You do not need to register a hashtag*to host a chat.

You do not need to have a paid "chat"application either.

You do not need super secret specialtools, but I do recommend becomingfamiliar with how chats operate first.

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Read all about hashtags -click here

TA-DA! NOW YOU'REALL READY TO CHATIT UP!

Now you know:

What a twitter chat is (fun for everygirl and boy)!

What's in it for you!

Tools to use to make participationeasier.

How to find one that is interestingand appeals to you.

How to access chats after the fact.

A few tips and helpful hints

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