Brandi J. Clark

This is the Fifth post in the twitter series…Twitter for Educators: The Only Guide You Will Need. Please see the end of this post for the series’ links.

Last time we talked about adding hashtags to make your tweets easier to find. You search for a hashtag(#) in the twitter search feature, as identified by the magnifying glass. 

You can find a number of posts related to that hashtag. For example #oilers:

This is a great browsing feature but it becomes time consuming to check all your hashtags this way. There is actually another way to view and save hashtags. I use Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a third party application that can used to organize your hashtags into their own columns or as Hootsuite refers to them as streams. 

Here is a screenshot of  three of my streams on my ipad.

The Benefits of Streams

1. Streams make it easier to participate in “chats”. (I will blog about this next)
2. Streams function as curator for likeminded conversations. Grouping conversations by hashtags into streams gives you a chance to see the big picture of what people are talking about over time.
3. Streams help to keep you informed about what is going on in your city. I set up streams to follow the city I am in #yeg, the traffic in my city #yegtraffic and what is going on in my school district #ecsd.
4. Streams add to your professional development. I have set up streams to follow conferences that I am attending  #ira2013 and not attending #ira2014. 
4. I set up streams that are aligned with my interests such as #writing or #nanowrimo.

Here is a helpful video to get you started.

Other Posts in the Series
Part 1: Getting Started With Twitter
Part 2: Responding To Your Twitter Feed
Part 3: Composing a Tweet
Part 4: Using Hashtags

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!

The Lit Maven has been learning up a storm! But better than that, she has been earning her Great Work MBA.

The most amazing online conference ever! Hosted by Michael Bungay-Stanier, it is for anyone who wants to do Great Work.

What is great work?

I am encouraged that I am approaching the great work of my life. Recently I heard back about an article I submitted.

I am a contender!

I will let you know how that pans out in January.

I have proof I am approaching Great Work! I announced to a colleague about my plans to pursue writing as a serious possibility.

This was the face I got.

and the response:

“YOU CAN’T MAKE MONEY DOING THAT!”
(Note: All writers in the world are screaming…it’s not about the money!)

Was the Lit Maven crushed? 

NO!

Lit Maven …seriously?

No! I am serious. Instead, I was thinking yes!  I must be on the right path for me. 

My friend doesn’t get it. 

But her response to me, made me want to try even harder. Why? Because my journey is towards Great Work, and writing is a huge part of that.

Jonathan Acuff addresses family and friends in his book Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters 

“How can we carry dreams in our heart for years, maybe even decades, and then expect our friends and family members to understand them perfectly? They won’t. Don’t be surprised by that. Don’t be devastated by that. Don’t think it’s because you’ve failed to explain it the right way. There’s going to be some degree of disconnect. It’s your dream, not theirs. Give them the gift of patience. Give them time to understand your dream.” (p. 181)

Until then, consider signing up for your Great Work MBA.

Katy Perry?  Lit Maven?

Oh yes…My new theme song of course.

I am ready to Roar…how ’bout you?

Until Next Time,
Lit Maven Out!