Twitter: The Basics

This post will cover the basics of Twitter: setting up an account, navigating the website, and tweeting.

Set Up Your Account

Get an account by going to www.twitter.com. You'll see a page similar to the one below. Follow the steps in the pictures:

You may have to check your e-mail and confirm your registration through an e-mail link {I don't remember, since it's been so long since I've signed up!}.

Your username is another way that other users on Twitter can find and remember you. While my full name is on my Twitter profile, my username is just @ckarasedu. If someone wanted to find me on Twitter, they could just search for my username. Twitter users also use usernames if they want to mention someone {mentions and other Twitter vocabulary are reviewed in this post}.

Get to Know Your New Page

The home page is what you see in the picture above. In the column on the right (called your "feed"), you can see the latest updates from the people I follow, from most recent to least recent. I can scroll down to view more.

The bell icon is for your notifications. This is very similar to Facebook in that you receive a notification any time someone mentions you {"@" your username} or follows you. People might mention you when they're replying or retweeting one of your tweets. {A retweet is basically when you quote someone's tweet and attribute the words to the correct author, all by just clicking one button.}

 Change a couple settings:

You can change the way your background looks {mine is green chevron} by clicking "design." You can choose from a few of their pre-picked designed or upload your own. Honestly, I don't know many people that access Twitter regularly from the web, so I don't think your design really matters that much. Most people I know that use Twitter are accessing it from their mobile device.

Two tabs above the circled "profile" tab in the picture above, you'll see a "mobile" tab. Most people just use a Twitter app on their smart phone, but the "mobile" tab is a good one to visit if you plan on tweeting through your phone withOUT a smart phone.

If you plan on using Twitter with a smart phone, you may want to peruse this FAQ section.

Here are 25 Twitter Bio Tips for Teachers {by Teach Thought}.

Send a Tweet

On your home page, there's a box that says "compose new tweet." If you want to send a tweet to your followers, type something into that box. A "tweet" button will appear underneath the bottom, as well as a character count so you can keep track of how long your message is. Keep in mind that you cannot send out tweets that are longer than 140 characters.

Deal with Tweets Others Write

I took a screen shot of just one tweet so you can get a feel for all the available options on each tweet.

Hope that helps! It's really not hard once you play with it a little -- promise!

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Here are other posts about Twitter. Click the links below to view the information you need:

• An overview/short 'n sweet guide
• Definitions of Twitter and its Vocabulary
• Twitter Accounts to Follow
• The Hashtag
• Twitter chats {a fantastic yet "unofficial" way to be "professional developed"}
• Suggestions for Use
• Personal Success Stories from Using Twitter in the Classroom