Twitter Chats for Learning Professionals

Resources to Learn How to Use Twitter

For the 2012 ASTD TechKnowledge conference, I am conducting both a webinar and a live concerrent session for the conference. Both sessions are covering the same topic: Twitter 101 for the Learning Professional.

This blog post is being set up a follow-up resource for those that attend one of my sessions. It may also serve as a resource for anyone that wants to learn more about how to use Twitter.

Specific Session Resources
Twitter 101 for Learning Professionals Webinar Recording
Twitter 101 for Learning Professionals Slideshare

Beginning Twitter Tips
Twitter 101: How should I get started using Twitter? (from the Twitter Help Center)
How to Tweet: Twitter 101 (from eHow.com)
Why are You on Twitter? A 'Twitter 101' Lesson by Mike Johansson
Twitter 101: 55 Tips to Get Retweeted on Twitter by Pam Moore
Twitter: Why It's So Great and How to Effectively Use It by Lost Art of Blogging
Twitter for Beginners by Jerry Blumengarten
Beginning Twitter for Professionals by Kelly Meeker (Free course)

Comprehensive Resources
The Twitter Guidebook (from Mashable.com)
Twitter Basics (from the Twitter Help Center)

Books
Social Media for Trainers by Jane Bozarth
Gettin' Geeky with Twitter by Gina Schreck
The Backchannel by Cliff Atkinson

Twitter for Learning Professionals
How to use Twitter for Social Learning from The Social Learning Centre
The Effects of Twitter in an Online Learning Environment by Logan Rath
Nuts and Bolts: Social Media for Learning by Jane Bozarth
App Fusion: 30 Twitter Apps for the Learning Pro by Terrence Wing
Marc My Words: OMG, I'm Tweeting by Marc Rosenberg
App Fusion: Twaining in Twitter by Terrence Wing
Cybraryman: Twitter by Jerry Blumengarten
Using Twitter for Role Plays by Lisa Neil Gualtieri
Creating a Training Course in Twitter (YouTube playlist)
This series of videos explains how you can build a training program directly within Twitter, using the  media playing capability of the service. While Twitter recently changed some of the features and the structure of it's webpage, the principles of these videos still apply. It also provides an opportunity to share some of the work of the late Terrence Wing, who was a strong voice of the use of Twitter and social media for training professionals.

Learning 2011 Conference Backchannel: Collected Resources #L2011

I am a huge proponent of backchannel learning.  There are many conferences I would love to be able to attend, but my budget can only accomodate one or two each year.  The backchannel is an excellent resource for learning from a conference or event that you are unable to attend in-person.

I find collecting collecting and reviewing backchannel resources to be a valuable learning experience for me, even when I am attending a conference in person.  Sharing these collections on this blog has shown that others find value in the collections as well.

This post collects the resources shared via the backchannel of the Learning 2011 Conference, being held November 6-9 in Orlando, Florida.

Official Learning 2011 ConferenceResources

Conference Website Home Page

Conference Program Guide - Event Guide
Conference Program Guide - Keynotes
Conference Program Guide - Themes
Conference Program Guide - Breakout Session Formats
Conference Program Guide - Schedule
Spotlight Award: McDonald's Corporation WorldwideTraining, Learning & Development
Spotlight Award: Joint Special Operations University (JSOU)
Spotlight Award: iPad as “Game Changer”
Elliot Masie's Learning Wiki
Learning Perspectives 2011 (free eBook)

Conference Summaries and Recaps
Learning 2011 - Live Blogging by Karen Hanson
Mobile Story Telling with Bill Clinton by Marcel de Leeuwe (translated from Dutch using Google Translate)
Start Learning Conference 2011 by eLearning.nl (translated from Dutch using Google Translate)
Motivation, Robotic Arms, and Stories Learning 2011 by Marcel de Leeuwe (translated from Dutch using Google Translate)
The Sad Stereotypes that Still Exist - At a Learning Conference! by Sarah Bloomfield
Reflections from One Learning Professional about Learning 2011 by Liz Scott
A conversation at Learning 2011: The Learner is Still In the Driver's Seat by Intrepid Learning

SESSION SPECIFIC

President Bill Clinton Keynote
President Bill Clinton Keynote Mind Map by Clark Quinn
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande book recommended by Bill Clinton
Karen Schulz: On Being Wrong TED Talk
The Big Sort by Bill Bishop book recommended by Bill Clinton
Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz book recommended by Bill Clinton

Other Session Specific Resources 

Learning 2011 Sessions: LearningWiki Resources
Tablets for Learning: Examples and Potential resources shared by Tom King, Erin Hynes, & Fran Bahn
Ken Zolot Mindmap by Clark Quinn
Learning 2011 Interview Mindmaps by Clark Quinn
Learning 2011 Day 2 Morning Mindmaps by Clark Quinn
John Lithgow Keynote Mindmap by Clark Quinn

Miscellaneous

Dawn of Learning Democracy by Raving Learnatics
A Hammer Looking for a Nail by Bob Mosher
Vimeo Video School
Is Google Ruining Your Memory? by Jonah Lehrer
Is the Internet Making Us Lazy Learners? by Dave Halvorson
Eric Stanley's Official YouTube Page
A Quick Guide to Personalization & Storytelling in Learning by Craig Dadoly
ADL Mobile Learning Newsletter
Why Companies Aren't Getting the Employees They Need by Peter Cappelli
Apple Futureshock YouTube video
Is Social Media Ruining Students? Infographic
The Onboarding Portal: A Stitch in Time by Chris Willis
How to Make Oatmeal... Wrong by Mark Bittman
A Sarah Divided Can Not Stand by Sarah Bloomfield
How language transformed humanity TED Talk by Mark Pagel
The Zappos Family on Nightline YouTube Video
Social Media for Trainers book by Jane Bozarth
Communities of Practice: Batteries Not Included by Harrison Withers
Educational Assessments: What it is and What it Might Be by Sarah Bloomfield
PwC Opens Up by Margery Weinstein
My Robot is Better Than Your Robot YouTube video
John Lithgow: Stores by Heart: Uncle Fred Flits By by Adam Perlman
Why Big Corporations are Putting the Brakes on Social Media by Mikal Beicove
Mobile Learning Resources from Innovative Learning
Dear Companies, Your Should Start Using Mobile Devices As Training Tools For Your Employees by Chad Udell
The Evolution of Masie's Dance Vimeo video from Learning 2011
Nuts and Bolts: Required Reading by Jane Bozarth
One-Word Answers Vimeo video from Learning 2011
6th grade iPhone app developer speaks at TEDx by Courtney Boyb Myers
Adobe Stops Development on Mobile Browser Flash [Report] by Stan Schroeder
The Fallacy of Digital Natives by Dan Pontefract

Dedicated Backchannel Queries [Tool and search terms shown in brackets]

Access the up-to-date Learning 2011 backchannel [Twitter: #L2011]
Photos from the Backchannel [TwiPho: L2011]

I will be adding to this list as I continue to review the backchannel transcripts and find resources.  I will tweet updates occasionally as additional links are added.  If you know of a valued resource I should add to the list - or if something is inaccurate - please add it to the comments or tweet me a link to @LnDDave.

If you find these collections of value, I have posts that consolidate the backchannel resources from other conferences.  An archive of all of these posts can be accessed by clicking the link below:

Click here to access the archive of backchannel resource posts.

Expanding the Value of the #DevLearn 2011 Backchannel

In just about two weeks one of the best development opportunities for professionals in the Learning and Performance field will be upon us: DevLearn 2011.

The annual DevLearn conference, hosted by The eLearning Guild, continues to be one of the best events to attend if you want to learn about what organizations are doing in our field, and more importantly, where the field is going.  It has a reputation for being a conference that perfectly balances visions of the future with immediate skill takeaways professionals can apply today.  This year, DevLearn will expand to its largest size ever when it arrives at the Aria Resort and Casino November 2 -4.

One of the themes of this year’s conference is Curation, a subject that I have much interest in.  If you have visited my blog in the past, you may have noticed that I often follow conferences online, and post curated lists of the many valuable resources that are shared via the conference backchannels.  If you are not familiar with these posts, I recently posted an archive that collects them in a single location.  You’ll find a link to that archive at the end of this post.

My interest in the backchannel really began at DevLearn last year, or more specifically, through its backchannel.  I was unable to attend the conference in person, yet still discovered tremendous value from the conference by following its vibrant backchannel, and the sharing taking place there.  DevLearn 2010 was actually the first conference I posted a collected resources list for, and I enjoyed it so much that I have continued to do it for other conferences over the past year.  I look forward to once again collecting the resources shared through the DevLearn backchannel again in 2011.

But this time, things are going to be a little different.

The organizers of the DevLearn conference value the backchannel very much.  They see the added value it is able to generate not only for conference attendees, but for people that were unable to attend the conference in person, and for the field in general.  With that perspective in mind, the organizers of the conference reached out to me with a fairly simple question: “We like your Backchannel Resource postings and the value it adds to our conference; what could we provide to you to help take that to even higher levels?”

As someone that often thinks of ways to better leverage the backchannel concept as part of a learning and performance strategy, this opportunity is tremendously exciting.  At its core, this support will enable me to do what I’m already doing, but with greater access and outreach.  That in itself could be enough to add value, as it will result in more shared resources.  We’re also looking at doing other things to enhance the backchannel. 

One of the first pieces of that will appear here, in my blog.  For many people, the backchannel concept is still new.  In my experience, many people first learn about and experience backchannels at a conference. 

I’ve coached people on participating in the backchannel at conferences, and it’s often like trying to teach someone how to drive for the very first time… and taking them straight to the parkway.  Driving on a parkway requires an almost subconscious knowledge of driving mechanics so that the driver can focus on the interactions with the other cars.  The backchannel is very similar.  It’s hard to take in the value of a backchannel if you’re struggling with the mechanics of the technology required to participate.

Over the course of the next two weeks, I will be posting a series of blog entries that are designed to help both attendees and those monitoring the DevLearn backchannel from afar to prepare to participate, and to get more value out of the conference.

While we do have some plans as part of this process, what excites me most about this role is that it will be very much like the backchannel itself: something that develops organically and ultimately becomes what the interactions of the backchannel community determine it to be.

If there are ideas you would like to share on how the value of the DevLearn backchannel can be expanded this year, please do share them.  Post a comment to this blog, send me a tweet to @LnDDave, send me an e-mail to LnDDave@gmail.com, or just post to the #DevLearn hashtag to share your idea with the backchannel community at large.

I can say this though; what we’re doing here is very reflective of DevLearn.  Many conferences do a good job of reporting on what organizations are doing to take the field to greater heights.  What I’ve described here is an example of DevLearn actually being a part of that advancement, and looking to help drive our profession forward.  I’m honored and excited to be a part of it.

I’m looking forward to meeting many of you, either in person or virtually, at DevLearn this year.

See you there- David

** Click here for an archive of my backchannel resource posts

Learning 3.0 Conference Backchannel: Collected Resources #Learning3

I am a huge proponent of backchannel learning.  There are many conferences I would love to be able to attend, but my budget can only accomodate one or two each year.  The backchannel is an excellent resource for learning from a conference or event that you are unable to attend in-person.

I find collecting collecting and reviewing backchannel resources to be a valuable learning experience for me, even when I am attending a conference in person.  Sharing these collections on this blog has shown that others find value in the collections as well.

This post collects the resources shared via the backchannel of the Learning 3.0 Conference 2011, being held October 4-5 in Chicago, Illinois.

Official Learning 3.0 ConferenceResources

Conference Website Home Page

Conference Schedule
Conference Program Guide - Keynotes
Conference Program Guide - Breakout Sessions
Conference Program Guide - Hands-On Clinics
Conference Program Guide - Demos
Conference Program Guide - Special Events
Conference Program Guide - Pre-Conference Certificate Programs
Twitter Challenge

Conference Summaries and Recaps

Archive of Backchannel Tweets via TwapperKeeper

Session Specific

Archive of tweets from the Social Learning Ninja Pre-Conference Session (#SLNinja)
Taleo discussing managing informal knowledge across the organization video shared by Learning3Point0
cricket comm. showing mobile video shared by Learning3Point0
Bob Mosher energizes #learning3 video shared by Learning3Point0
Enspire talking simulation video shared by Learning3Point0
Learner interest is social media with @janebozarth video shared by Learning3Point0
Joe talking tools at #learning3 video shared by Learning3Point0
Discussing mobile learning with @floatlearning video shared by Learning3Point0
@jschell delivers an amazing keynote video shared by Learning3Point0
My Learning 3.0 Conference Slides and Resources by Karl Kapp
Ray Jimenez collaborates with learners about story based learning video shared by Learning3Point0
opening keynote rocking it video shared by Learning3Point0
feel the energy at #learning3 video shared by Learning3Point0
Developing for Mobile: Tools, Tips, and Deployment Options slides shared by Jason Haag (Added 10/6/2011)

Miscellaneous

Learning 2.0 - 23 Things shared by Jane Bozarth
Online Database of Social Media Policies shared by mobile learning
Learning In Work: The influence of Julian Orr's 'Talking about Machines' by Jane Bozarth
Leadership at All Levels infographic from SkillSoft
Meet Jane Bozarth video shared by Learning3Point0

Dedicated Backchannel Queries [Tool and search terms shown in brackets]

Access the up-to-date #mlearncon backchannel [Twitter: #learning3]
Photos from the Backchannel [TwiPho: learning3]

I will be adding to this list as I continue to review the backchannel transcripts and find resources.  I will tweet updates occasionally as additional links are added.  If you know of a valued resource I should add to the list - or if something is inaccurate - please add it to the comments or tweet me a link to @LnDDave.

If you find these collections of value, I have posts that consolidate the backchannel resources from other conferences.  An archive of all of these posts can be accessed by clicking the link below:

Click here to access the archive of backchannel resource posts.

Your Most Powerful Search Engine is Your Personal Learning Network (PLN)

The use of search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing for research is commonplace in today's online world. In fact, many of us go to these sites instantly when the need to find something first arises, be it something as trivial as finding out when a movie is playing, or as part of a multi-million dollar workplace project.  These search engines have redefined how we find information, and quickly become the primary way in which many people perform research.

But not for me.

I still use these search engines for low-impact searches.  However, when there is more consequence to my research, I am increasingly calling upon a different type of search engine for my research: my Personal Learning Network, or PLN.  This is a network of individuals consisting of family, friends, coworkers, and professionals that I have built relationships with over a number of years.  We interact and share through many mediums, with social media usually being the primary vehicle through which we connect.

In a world of ever-increasing search engine optimization, my personal learning network still delivers in ways that Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other search engine never can. 

Google and search engines like it are very powerful.  They can search millions of resources in the blink of an eye and deliver a list of resources that match the terms you search on.  What they usually can’t do is frame that search around the deeper data of my personality, my career, my family, and my passions.  There’s no search option available labeled “Tailor this search to” in which I can enter my name.  If John Smith and I both search using the terms “Bank elearning”, we’re going to get the exact same response. 

My Personal Learning Network enables me to get to information that is more tailored to my preferences, because they have a better understanding of the lens through which I am viewing the world.  In addition, the interaction with my network enables me to provide one additional ingredient that is often lost in an online search: context.  Search terms are just that, terms; context tells the story behind those terms, which makes the search much more powerful.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have reached out to my network with a question that I could have also researched via a Google search.  In almost all of those cases, I have attained more useful information and references from my network than from the associated internet search.  In many of those cases, the most valuable resources I was pointed to from my network never appeared in the results of my search engine query.

There is a direct correlation between the importance or weight assigned to the research I am doing, and the likelihood that I would reach out to my personal learning network first.  The more weight I assign to the research, the more I will count on my PLN.  They are the most reliable search engine I have.

In short, my network often provides the ‘big rocks’ of my research.  They help my build the map and framework for the journey, and usually enable me to jump-start my research.  From there I will likely use additional research through Google to fill in the additional gaps.

Of course, the quality of response you get from reaching out to your personal learning network depends on the quality of the network itself.  In my case, my network has grown more powerful than I could ever have conceived years ago, and grown into something incredibly valuable to me.  I nurture my network by participating in it.  I suggest you do the same - you'll be glad you did.

#140EDU Conference 2011 Backchannel - Collected Resources

Last Update: 8/7
The conference may be over but the backchannel continues!  I will add a 'Date Added' to each new resource that is added to make it easier for return visitors to see what has bee added since their last viewing. If you know of any additional resources not shown here, please let me know.

I am a huge proponent of backchannel learning.  There are many conferences I would love to be able to attend, but my budget can only accomodate one or two each year.  The backchannel is an excellent resource for learning from a conference or event that you are unable to attend in-person.

I find collecting collecting and reviewing backchannel resources to be a valuable learning experience for me, even when I am attending a conference in person.  Sharing these collections on this blog has shown that others find value in the collections as well.

This post collects the resources shared via the backchannel of the 140EDU Conference 2011, being held August 2nd and 3rd in New York City.

Official #140edu ConferenceResources

Conference Website Home Page

Conference Program Schedule
Live Video Stream

Conference Summaries and Recaps
Open Google Doc - Wednesday August 3rd created by Ann Oro
Mobile Tech Learning: Reflections on #140edu Day 1 by MobileTechLearning
School needs to reflect real life...not a prison life by Mr. Lau
#140 Edu Day 1 by Write to Learn
#140 EDU Day 2 by Write to Learn
#140edu: Exploring the State of Education NOW by Sarah Fudin
#140edu Day 2 Recap: Links & Resources by Sarah Fudin
#140edu Morning Session August 2, 2011 Storify by Mo Krochmal
Part II: 140edu Aug 2, 2011 Storify by Mo Krochmal
Part III: 140edu Aug 2, 2011 Storify by Mo Krochmal
Part I: 140edu Day 2 Storify by Mo Krochmal
Part II: 140edu Day 2 Storify by Mo Krochmal
Education + Social Media = #140Edu by RuckusHolly
Top resources from the #140edu conference by SnappSchool Blog
Reflections from #rscon3 #ntbootcamp #140edu #lifeingeneral by TJ Houston
Lessons From a Tech Savvy Education Conference 140edu Day 1 by Jennifer Wagner (Added 8/7)
Education and Technology #140edu Conference Day 2 by Jennifer Wagner (Added 8/7)
#EDU140 Rocked by Tracy Brisson (Added 8/7)
Reflections on #140edu Day 2 by MobileTechLearning (Added 8/7)
Getting Off the Dance Floor by Mary Rice-Boothe (Added 8/7)

Session Specific
http://www.teachingkidsprogramming.org/ shared by Lynn Langit
Show & Mel YouTube Channel shared by Mel Rosenberg
Stop Dissing Me facebook page shared by Mark Ecko
The Innovative Educator Blog by Lisa Nielsen
The #Edchat Wiki 
Dance Floor Theory and Using Social Media to Increase Student Engagement slides by Tom Krieglstein
kidblog.org shared by Kim Sivick
Storytelling Alice Motivates Middle School Girls to Learn Computer Programming study mentioned by Lynn Langit
greenmap.org shared by Wendy Brawer
movingeducationforward webdoc shared by Shelly Terrell
Mel Rosenberg session YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
George Haines session YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
Adam Bellow session YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
Dale Stephen session YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
hackcollege.com discussed by Kelly Sutton
skillshare.com discussed by Mike Karnjanaprakorn
teachersteachingteachers webdoc shared by Shelly Terrell
Ed Camp NYC being held October 1st, 2011
EdCamp Wiki
Philly Youth Poetry Movement discussed by Gregory Corbin
Teaching Kids to Program Around the World: #140edu via Down the Avenue
Randi Schneeberg session YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
Gregory Corbin at 140edu Conference YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
#140edu: Buzz Books by Patrick Higgins (Added 8/7)

Miscellaneous

Recruiting Women To The Burgeoning (But Mostly Male) Host Of Angel Investors by Douglas Crets
Shuttercal.com social media curation calendar from #edtech20
#140EDU Flickr Photo Album
Matt Damon Defending Teachers to the Media YouTube video shared by Mary Beth Hertz
New Service From Harvard Aims to Replace Classroom Lectures by Marshall Kirkpatrick
Speak! The Miseducation of College Students by Kyra Gaunt
Missouri Outlaws Student-Teacher Facebook Friendship by Eyder Peralta
Building Empathy for a "Trouble-Maker" by Alice Yang
Summer PD: New Teacher Boot Camp Week 5 - Using Blogs by Lisa Dabbs
The Students,The Senator, and The Power of Twitter by Angela Maiers
Photo Album shared by Social Media News
New Classroom Tool Uses Laptops & Phones for Instant Assessment by Sarah Kessler
What Exactly is a Twitter Chat? by David Kelly
A non-fanatical beginner’s guide to Twitter by Deanna Zandt
On Education, Scouts, and Badges by Aaron Silvers
ZUMBA Dancing YouTube video shared by Alan Weinkrantz
Gamification video by Extra Credits
Entrepreneurship and Education by Ariel Norling
Why a School Designed by Game Designers Works for Kids by Katie Salen
Passion-Driven Teaching and Learning: Presentation and Resources by Angela Maiers
Google Calendar of Educational Twitter Chats
Video recording of morning sessions from Day 2
NYU Prof Vows Never to Probe Cheating Again—and Faces a Backlash by Marc Parry
The Educator's PLN
Taking Care of Your Digital Self by Steve Anderson
What Will Education Be Like in 100 Years? by Liz Dwyer
TEDxNYED shared by Karen Blumberg
Facebook and Twitter 101 for Educators by We are Teachers
@webdoc Video Walk-through from #140edu Conference by Richard Cassella
truanttoday.com shared by Douglas Crets
What Kind of Misfit Are You? by Umair Haque
Embracing otherness, embracing myself TED Talk by Thandie Newton
Digital Literacy and Citizenship Classroom Curriculum from Common Sense Media.org
Educator Spotlight: Adam Bellow, eduTecher by Debra Eckerling
RSCON3 Recordings, Days 1, 2 & 3 Google Docs
Cheating Scandals Intensify Focus on Test Pressures by Christina Samuels
The Concentration of Aspiration: Why It’s So Hard to Get Into College [Infographic] by Jon Bruner
Zumba at #140edu YouTube video shared by Mo Krochmal
Pedagogy v. Andragogy by Patrick Higgins
Social Media Brings the World to Rural Schools via Down the Avenue
College Students: Is Twitter Hurting Your Grades? (InfoGraphic) (Added 8/7)
Why Educators Should Join Twitter shared by Thomas Whitby (Added 8/7)
The quiet revolution in education by David Wees (Added 8/7)
Flickr Album by Kevin M Gong (Added 8/7)
Walking the Walk by Nicholas Provenzano (Added 8/7)
Introducing The Conversation Prism by Brain Solis (Added 8/7)

Dedicated Backchannel Queries [Tool and search terms shown in brackets]

Access the up-to-date #140edu backchannel [Twitter: #140edu]
Photos shared via the #140EDU backchannel [TwiPho: 140EDU]

I will be adding to this list as I continue to review the backchannel transcripts and find resources.  I will tweet updates occasionally as additional links are added.  If you know of a valued resource I should add to the list - or if something is inaccurate - please add it to the comments or tweet me a link to @LnDDave.

If you find these collections of value, I have posts that consolidate the backchannel resources from other conferences.  An archive of all of these posts can be accessed by clicking the link below:

Click here to access the archive of backchannel resource posts.

What's a Twitter Chat?

A number of my blog posts are reflections of twitter chats, such as #lrnchat and #realwplearn chat.  As vibrant a community these chats represent, I sometimes forget that the participants in these chats represent a very small percentage of the overall community of Learning and Development Professionals.

At a recent ASTD Chapter meeting, I was reminded of this fact during a conversation I had with a group of peers.  I was asked where I learned about something and I casually replied "We discussed it during a recent #lrnchat".

I received silence and a few puzzled looks in response.  I added "It's a regular Twitter chat for learning professionals".  Another moment of silence passed, broken finally by a peer who asked "What's a twitter chat?"  I could tell by the looks around the table that everyone else had a similar question percolating in their mind.

If you've ever wanted to know how a twitter chat works, or what tools you can use to participate in a Twitter Chat, then this post is geared towards you.  If not, well, you're here, so feel free to read it anyway.

WHAT IS A TWITTER CHAT?

A Twitter Chat is a group chat that takes place using the social networking service, Twitter. Twitter chat topics and structures can vary.  Most do share the following characteristics:

• Since they use Twitter, discussions consist of comments of up to 140 characters
• Many chats are held on regularly scheduled dates and times
• Chats utilize a dedicated hashtag, so that participants can easily locate and participate in the chat
• Many chats are loosely moderated and have a set starting topic
• There is no expectation that participants will review and respond to every single post in the discussion, especially in larger chats

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN A TWITTER CHAT?

There are a number of ways to participate in Twitter chats, and I'll be sharing different tools later in this posting. Let's first walk through the most basic steps for participating in a chat.  If you already have a Twitter account, you can skip ahead to step 2.

1. Create a Twitter account.  A simple walkthrough of how to do that can be found HERE.

2. Search for the hashtag associated with the chat.  This will filter your view so that only tweets with the chat hashtag are shown.

3. Review the listing of tweets; the most recent will be on top. 

4. To check for new chat posts, refresh your screen or click the 'New Posts' link that appears on screen.

5. To contribute to the discussion, enter your comment into the status fields and click update. 

IMPORTANT: you must include the chat hashtag in your comment in order to ensure other participants will be able to see your post.

TWITTER CHAT TOOLS

There are a number of Twitter tools that can make participating in a chat easier.  Here are two of my favorites:

TweetChat

TweetChat is potentially the best tool for participating in a Twitter Chat, as it provides some functionality geared specifically for live chats:

• TweetChat automatically filters the Tweet stream, showing only the tweets containing the hashtag for the chat.
• TweetChat automatically refreshes every 5-10 seconds, keeping you up to date.
• TweetChat automatically adds the chat hashtag to all of your updates, ensuring you do not forget to do so yourself. 

The one downside I find with TweetChat is that it's performance is not consistent.  There are times that the TweetChat feed seems delayed, which is a major barrier in a live chat.  When TweetChat's feed is performing well, I find it to be the best tool for live Twitter Chats.

TweetDeck

TweetDeck is a aggregator that enables users to monitor multiple social media feeds at once, include not only Twitter, but Facebook, LinkedIn, FourSquare, and more. Users can set up dedicated columns for specific tools, or specific searches within those tools. 

TweetDeck provides some unique features that can make participating in a Twitter chat easier:

• You can set up a column in TweetDeck that shows only the tweets from the chat
• You can simultaneously monitor a 'mentions' column that shows who has mentioned or reached out to you directly during the chat
• You can easily clear out all messages you have already read, an excellent tool for chats you are participating in sporadically.

TweetDecks columns can be a little overwhelming at first, which is why I recommend starting with only a select few and expanding only after you are comfortable with it. Once you are, TweetDeck can be an invaluable tool for someone that participates in multiple social networks.

There are a great number of additional tools that can be used for Twitter chats. I recommend trying a few and finding the one that you are comfortable with. The value of the chats is in the discussions, not the tools. Find a tool that makes it easier for you to participate.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

The best way to learn how to participate in a Twitter chat is quite simply to participate in one. Twitter chats are very much like learning to ride a bike.  You can only learn so much by reading or talking to someone about it. To truly learn how, you need to go out and try it.

One word of caution though: for a newcomer to Twitter Chats, the speed at which they move can seem extremely fast. If you try to read every single message, it may feel like trying to drink from a fire hose. That's a normal reaction.  Much like drinking from a hose, you should start by sipping from the stream.  As you grow more accustomed to the flow, you'll be able to drink more and find the best way to quench your thirst for knowledge and community.

There are three regular chats that I recommend for learning professionals

#lrnchat (http://www.lrnchat.com/)

#lrnchat is a twitter chat for learning professionals that focuses on how people learn, what they learn, and what we’re learning as professionals in the field.  The next #lrnchat sessions are scheduled for Thursday July 7th and Thursday August 5th at 11:30am and 8:30pm (EST).

#RealWPLearn (http://www.realworkplacelearning.com/)

#RealWPLearn is a twitter chat for all business professionals that focuses on how REAL workplace learning happens: through social, informal, and often serendipitous happenings.  The next #RealWPLearn chats are scheduled for Wednesday July13th and Wednesday August 10th at 3:00pm (EST).

#ASTDChapters (http://astdchapters.wordpress.com/)

#ASTDCchapters is a twitter chat for learning and performance professionals that focuses on the value and community offered by the American Society for Training and Development and it's local chapters. The next #ASTDChapters chats are scheduled for Wednesday July13th and Wednesday August 10th at 8:30pm (EST).

The #ASTDChapters chat tends to move at a slower pace than the other two, so it may serve as a nice entry point for those new to Twitter chats. I will be one of the moderators for the July 13th chat, during which we are exploring "The Value of ASTD Membership". I invite you to join us and share your thoughts or suggestions on what the value of ASTD and it's chapters is and could be.  I will also be able to provide real-time assistance to those new to Twitter chats.

Once you are able to get comfortable using the tools to participate in Twitter chats, i'm sure you'll find them to be extremely valuable  feel free to reach out to me on twitter (@LnDDave) or in the comments section below if you have any questions.

I hope to see you online during an upcoming Twitter chat!