For many, Twitter is the way they actively engage in conversation with members of their Personal Learning Network.


Q. How can I bring more non-Twitter teachers to this micro-blogging tool?

A. I would suggest that sharing the wide variety of uses of Twitter might be a good starting point. The Why is the Fail Whale Smiling slideshow that can be helpful in this regard:




Q. How does Twitter act as a connector?

A. My Personal Learning Plan is all about connecting across age, gender, race, location and occupation in order to improve education. I was introduced to Twitter by a medical student in Portugal, soon after joining I met a doctor in England, a midwife in New Zealand and a school principal in Northern Saskatchewan. They in turn connected me to others. Each of these people has shared links, ideas and questions that have improved my understanding of teaching.


Q. What tools can I use to see who is in my Personal Learning Network?

A. There are many Twitter tools that you can use to Visualize Your Network. The table below can be used to reference tools used by the group. If you use a tool for this purpose, please feel free to add it below!

Tool	Description
Mailana	Who do you and your Tweetmates communicate with most regularly?
Resources for Teachers on Twitter	100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter http://onlinecollegedegree.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/
Friend feed	http://friendfeed.com
Tweet Grid	Helps me to look at/find people talking about topics of interest to me...or just track talk
Group Tools	http://mashable.com/2009/02/15/twitter-groups-3/