Twitter “Chats”

For some time, there has been a phenomenon referred to as the TwitterChat. A Twitter chat is basically a time where people with a common interest use Twitter to discuss a topic, or a series of topics.  Users keep track of the discussion by using and following a certain hashtag, for example, #edtechchat.

For people who are new to TwitterChats, they can seem daunting. Trying to follow a discussion on the phone app might prove difficult, if not impossible, depending on the chat you are following. Spend some time watching the chat roll by, and don’t feel like you have to catch everything that is said… catch what you can.

Many people (myself included) find that using a program such as Tweetdeck (my choice), Tweetchat, or Hootsuite helps a great deal. The key is to learn your program, and how to set it up.

TwitterChats have certain formats that they follow for questions/topics, so take a minute or ten to familiarize yourself with the working of the TwitterChat you wish to jump into.

Be sure mention the hashtag in each post that is a part of the TwitterChat, otherwise, people following the chat will likely never see your moment of profound wisdom!

Spend a little time on Google, Bing, or your search engine of choice looking for topics that interest you.  My current favorite is below, take a look. If you find any cool ones you are willing to share, please, let everyone know.

#edtechchat: is all about Education Technology, it takes place Mondays from 8 to 9 pm Eastern Time. If EdTech is your thing, as it is mine, this one is for you. It moves fast, so be ready. They archive the chat at edtechchat.wikispaces.com