What Is Twitter and what does It Have To Do with the AFT?

Twitter (www.twitter.com) is a widely used online social networking and micro-blogging service. In English, this means that it is an interactive Web site where, after creating a free account, you are able to easily communicate with other people and organizations that also have accounts. It enables its users to send and read other users' updates, which are known as tweets. These tweets are short limited to 140 characters in length. Think of them as responses to a perpetual question of, "What's going on?"

As a member of the Twitter community, you will be able to both follow other account holders and be followed by other account holders. When following other account holders (like the AFT), their tweets will show up on your screen when you log in to Twitter. For example, if you are following the AFT, and we tweet, "QuEST workshops to include technology and classroom management," this would show up on your page when you sign in. In this scenario, the AFT is being followed by you. It's that simple.

How do I set up an account and follow the AFT?

1. Go to www.twitter.com. 
2. Click "Get Started - Join."
3. Fill out page with all required information.
4. The next two pages are not necessary. Click "skip this step" on the bottom of the page that opens, as well as the subsequent page that opens.
5. Welcome to your home page! This is where you will be taken when you log in, and where all the AFT updates will appear.
6. To follow the AFT, click the "find people" link in the top right portion of the screen.
7. Enter "AFTQuEST09" in the search bar, and click "search." Once your search results appear, select "follow."
8. Congratulations! You are now following the AFT on Twitter!
9. Log on to Twitter to check for updates, or adjust your personal settings so that Twitter sends you e-mails when the AFT tweets. Details pertaining to slightly more advanced Twitter features like these are available under the site's help section.

What else Is Twitter good for?

We encourage you to use Twitter for more than just AFT updates. You can follow celebrities and officials, from President Obama to Shaquille O'Neal. You can also follow friends and family that you may not see as often as you like.

Perhaps more pertinently, Twitter is a groundbreaking way to hold a professional dialogue with your peers. As a national teachers union, we encourage you to tweet with your fellow teachers from around the country. Discuss issues you may be having and ideas you have for lesson plans. Research points to the fact that you, as teachers, simply do not have enough time to collaborate with your peers. Twitter, though no replacement for face to face discussion, could go a long way in encouraging an open dialogue between teachers who would otherwise not have time to speak to one another.

Remember:

• Tweet - 140-character post or update that you send out to your followers.
• Follow - To subscribe to another user's tweets.

Enjoy twittering, fellow tweeters! Be sure to check for AFT QuEST 2009 updates often.