http://voicethread.com/share/1272072/
VoiceThread is a very interesting piece of software. I would say that it may have a great deal of application in instructional fields, especially if people keep insisting on using Powerpoint for everything. I can recall from my days managing a school lab that often people would come in to 'print out the notes' -- and they'd end up printing out powerpoint files.
Anyway, I don't think there's much call for a full writeup, but one application that comes to mind is enabling students to 'raise their hands' and ask questions, either through voice or text (text might work better in general on the student's end) so that they can be answered by the teacher, thus, in a sense, preserving the inquiries and what lead to that particular answer or development of the subject.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A minor question of nomenclature
I really wish people would stop describing Second Life as a "game." Second Life is a framework to provide content in, which involves some gamey aspects (moving your little man about, altering the appearance of said little man) which probably help Linden Labs keep the boat afloat.
However, it is really more of a content provision and hosting service with good branding than a "game." VRML wasn't a "game" either.
However, it is really more of a content provision and hosting service with good branding than a "game." VRML wasn't a "game" either.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
A discussion of Brazen Careerist.
It is definitely brazen. Rather careerist. And rather small, too... for now. Get in on the ground floor, maybe? But I'm not so sure it's good for educational purposes.
Listen to my thoughts here.
Some images from brazen careerist to keep you company as you listen:
Listen to my thoughts here.
Some images from brazen careerist to keep you company as you listen:
Saturday, July 24, 2010
More conversation about Cacoo
1. Name of the Tool
Cacoo.
2. URL of the Tool
http://cacoo.com
3. Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Communication Tool, Collaboration Tool, Productivity Tool, Creativity Tool, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Tool, Reflection Tool, Feedback Tool, Networking/Social Tool, Presentation Tool
This is primarily a tool for productivity, although it can be used for other ends, due to a collaboration module - you can work together and chat with someone else - and some possibilities for communication and creativity.
4. Please describe this tool in your own words in about 250 words.
Cacoo is built for the easy creation of collaborative diagrams, using a bunch of fairly intuitive tools.
I assume that there is a lot more to the details of many of the particular icons they've included (though you can scan in your own images) because most of them seem to be related to creating organizational flowcharts or network maps.
The primary interface is selecting images from a wide bar of premade options, which include rough shapes, explicitly "flowcharty" tags, outlines for placing office equipment and other architectural details - such as length or width lines. All of the premade images have anchor points on them, and the software includes tools to automatically draw lines for you, curving or bending them as you might like, and providing spaces for adding text.
There are a few traits which make Cacoo different from more conventional paint programs. For one thing, there is no "paintbrush." While you can fill a
space or otherwise color it, or add a drop shadow, you cannot simply free-hand draw something, at least within Cacoo itself.
On the added side, however, it is possible to invite others to work on the diagram with you directly; there's even a chat box to allow you both to communicate more directly than, say, by drawing notes in the corner.
5. What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)
There is not a great deal which you "need" to know. However, unless you are designing a flowchart, concept map, network map, or something architectural in design, you may have some difficulty in making a lot of specific use of Cacoo's features.
6. What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)
Other than an internet connection, very little. If you are using it for new designs or wish to include specific things that are not in the image library, you will need images to upload.
9. Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (about 500 words).
The "go to" utility for this program outside of the customized applications that it seems to be made for, like network mapping, would be in the creation of concept maps.
And there are many ways you could do this. One possibility would be the creation of concept maps for distribution to students, much as in the research which I cited in my discussion board post regarding "scaffolded" concept maps, as well as in the creation of erroneous concept maps - which is probably less easy than it sounds. Either way, making excellent looking concept maps is pretty simple and straightforward, and will only get easier with practice.
Another idea would be to make use of a computer lab or similar facilities to get the students to create their own concept maps and then "invite" your account to look and comment on them, so it would be possible to work with them directly. This might be especially good for distance education purposes, although in that case scheduling may pose some potential problems.
10. What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
It would be quite easy to use this to produce high quality diagrams, flowcharts, and the like in a manner that would not require special and expensive graphics tools. If you happen to work in an architectural or network-mapping related field, it would be even better, having clearly been designed with those needs in mind.
It also allows for relatively easy self creation and production of concept maps, which could be easily farmed out to children who have computer access. The collaborative aspect would also make "turning it in" easy, as well as correcting it - perhaps using a distinctive color, such as red, to make such indications. It wouldn't be impossible to do wholly automatic grading.
11. What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The tool may not last terribly long, as any web 2.0 program might not, and it is also clearly specialized for an audience which is not the standard sort of educator. It is also possible that putting students' work somewhere where they might have it available to public view could be a problem; also, Cacoo appears to be based originally in Japan, which could cause connection issues.
For a higher level class, however, such as high school or even college freshmen, I can see few genuine downsides to this program. It is however a niche program; you would need to plan its use somewhat carefully, to avoid having the use of the program expand to be a primary part OF the course.
Cacoo.
2. URL of the Tool
http://cacoo.com
3. Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Communication Tool, Collaboration Tool, Productivity Tool, Creativity Tool, Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Tool, Reflection Tool, Feedback Tool, Networking/Social Tool, Presentation Tool
This is primarily a tool for productivity, although it can be used for other ends, due to a collaboration module - you can work together and chat with someone else - and some possibilities for communication and creativity.
4. Please describe this tool in your own words in about 250 words.
Cacoo is built for the easy creation of collaborative diagrams, using a bunch of fairly intuitive tools.
I assume that there is a lot more to the details of many of the particular icons they've included (though you can scan in your own images) because most of them seem to be related to creating organizational flowcharts or network maps.
The primary interface is selecting images from a wide bar of premade options, which include rough shapes, explicitly "flowcharty" tags, outlines for placing office equipment and other architectural details - such as length or width lines. All of the premade images have anchor points on them, and the software includes tools to automatically draw lines for you, curving or bending them as you might like, and providing spaces for adding text.
There are a few traits which make Cacoo different from more conventional paint programs. For one thing, there is no "paintbrush." While you can fill a
space or otherwise color it, or add a drop shadow, you cannot simply free-hand draw something, at least within Cacoo itself.
On the added side, however, it is possible to invite others to work on the diagram with you directly; there's even a chat box to allow you both to communicate more directly than, say, by drawing notes in the corner.
5. What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)
There is not a great deal which you "need" to know. However, unless you are designing a flowchart, concept map, network map, or something architectural in design, you may have some difficulty in making a lot of specific use of Cacoo's features.
6. What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)
Other than an internet connection, very little. If you are using it for new designs or wish to include specific things that are not in the image library, you will need images to upload.
9. Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (about 500 words).
The "go to" utility for this program outside of the customized applications that it seems to be made for, like network mapping, would be in the creation of concept maps.
And there are many ways you could do this. One possibility would be the creation of concept maps for distribution to students, much as in the research which I cited in my discussion board post regarding "scaffolded" concept maps, as well as in the creation of erroneous concept maps - which is probably less easy than it sounds. Either way, making excellent looking concept maps is pretty simple and straightforward, and will only get easier with practice.
Another idea would be to make use of a computer lab or similar facilities to get the students to create their own concept maps and then "invite" your account to look and comment on them, so it would be possible to work with them directly. This might be especially good for distance education purposes, although in that case scheduling may pose some potential problems.
10. What are the advantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
It would be quite easy to use this to produce high quality diagrams, flowcharts, and the like in a manner that would not require special and expensive graphics tools. If you happen to work in an architectural or network-mapping related field, it would be even better, having clearly been designed with those needs in mind.
It also allows for relatively easy self creation and production of concept maps, which could be easily farmed out to children who have computer access. The collaborative aspect would also make "turning it in" easy, as well as correcting it - perhaps using a distinctive color, such as red, to make such indications. It wouldn't be impossible to do wholly automatic grading.
11. What are the disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment?
The tool may not last terribly long, as any web 2.0 program might not, and it is also clearly specialized for an audience which is not the standard sort of educator. It is also possible that putting students' work somewhere where they might have it available to public view could be a problem; also, Cacoo appears to be based originally in Japan, which could cause connection issues.
For a higher level class, however, such as high school or even college freshmen, I can see few genuine downsides to this program. It is however a niche program; you would need to plan its use somewhat carefully, to avoid having the use of the program expand to be a primary part OF the course.
A walkthrough for Cacoo, with screenshots!
NB: These images are quite large, and you may have to click through to see some of them in full detail. If you do, make sure to open them in a new tab or browser window, so you don't lose your place!
First, you need to create your account, which does not require much further explanation.
Second, after logging in, go to your Diagrams list and select "create new diagram."
Something to keep in mind: I am in this example demonstrating a simple concept map that might or might not fulfill your own needs. It is meant to demonstrate mechanics more than provide an example of "best practices" for concept mapping. I encourage you to experiment with the software on your own.
A quick walkthrough now with this screenshot of the main interface. The tabs along the top of the screen allow you to turn the image, copy/cut/paste, set text or lines, import an image or take a screen shot, or toggle on the stencils, chat, and inspector tabs. There is also a zoom function and the self-explanatory function tabs in green. I will be turning off the chat window for future screenshots, since we don't have a lot of space.
Third, under "basic shapes" in the Stencil display, scroll down until you reach a hexagon. Select it and drag it to the center of the screen; adjust its size with the tabs on any of its eight sides and, if you like, click the green circle above it to turn it around. If you click away and then back, you'll notice that the object is considered by the software to be on a roughly square-shaped 'tile.'
Fourth, on the "inspector" tab, go to fill and note the various options for opacity and colors. Go select one of the shades of color you prefer and click it to fill the hexagon. (You can put in any color you like with the six-character color codes.)
Fifth, go up to the 'text' button - an A in a square on the upper toolbar - and click within the hexagon. Drag to outline a text space. Type whatever you like in it; in this case, "penguins". Click away for the inspector screen to reappear; here you can click on that space and alter things such as the font you used, the size of the text, its color, and other traditional text-editing options. You can also use the green circle to rotate the text.
Sixth, scroll back up in the "basic" tab in the stencil display and go up to find some simpler shapes. Spread four or five around - give yourself a little room to work with. Adjust their size as you like; you could also try zooming in with the tab near the top of the window, although that may be more important if you are creating truly large-scale concept maps or similar diagrams.
Go and sprinkle them with text as well; don't worry about high precision here.
A note you may see as you move objects around; when you have one object in some sort of line with another, an automatic dashed line will pop up and the object will 'stick' slightly. This can be very useful if you do want to place things in quite precise relation to one another.
Seventh, the line tool. Go up to this button, near the Text button; you will notice it has a drop down menu. You can pick any of the five options of line that you like; there is an option also to alter the appearance of created lines in the Inspector tab, but for now the default lines should be more than enough.
Now that you've picked a line tool, mouse over one of the shapes - you'll notice that it has some little circles for each object.
Click on one and drag a line towards another object, and you will find it too has circles; when you have dragged up to one of them and let go, the lines will automatically dock in a very neat and crisp manner according to the style you selected.
Like this!
Continue this until you've connected all the objects together. You can change line styles if you'd like, although generally you'd want to keep it consistent, to avoid giving false information.
You will note that you have to reselect the line tool each time.
Eighth, pick the text tool and place short connecting terms between the various concepts, near the lines you just drew. Remember that you can rotate and move text around, as well as adjusting its colors, etc. For instance, let's set all these connecting terms to italics after we type them in.
Ninth, secondary connections. Your example may not have many, but they can easily be built out, and are connected in the same way as the original lines. Let's use a different style, in this case "rounded corners" to distinguish these. It is worth noting that if you drag an object around, any lines connecting to it will automatically redraw; however, since text is tracked as a separate object, you'll have to move it, too.
Tenth, deleting. You can select individual items and delete them, or if you prefer you can click and drag a square shape and all of the objects within it will be selected, and can be deleted or otherwise modified; for instance if you had a particular "segment" that you wanted to copy and use in several disparate parts of a very complex flowchart. Only items that are more or less completely selected will be highlighted for mass modifying.
Finally, when you've gotten your diagram the way that you want it, you can save it or export it, or use the "share" option to invite someone else to come look at your diagram; for instance, if you're preparing a concept map and you have a co-instructor, you might invite them, either as members of Cacoo already or by sending them an inviting email. All of these tabs are in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
First, you need to create your account, which does not require much further explanation.
Second, after logging in, go to your Diagrams list and select "create new diagram."
Something to keep in mind: I am in this example demonstrating a simple concept map that might or might not fulfill your own needs. It is meant to demonstrate mechanics more than provide an example of "best practices" for concept mapping. I encourage you to experiment with the software on your own.
A quick walkthrough now with this screenshot of the main interface. The tabs along the top of the screen allow you to turn the image, copy/cut/paste, set text or lines, import an image or take a screen shot, or toggle on the stencils, chat, and inspector tabs. There is also a zoom function and the self-explanatory function tabs in green. I will be turning off the chat window for future screenshots, since we don't have a lot of space.
Third, under "basic shapes" in the Stencil display, scroll down until you reach a hexagon. Select it and drag it to the center of the screen; adjust its size with the tabs on any of its eight sides and, if you like, click the green circle above it to turn it around. If you click away and then back, you'll notice that the object is considered by the software to be on a roughly square-shaped 'tile.'
Fourth, on the "inspector" tab, go to fill and note the various options for opacity and colors. Go select one of the shades of color you prefer and click it to fill the hexagon. (You can put in any color you like with the six-character color codes.)
Fifth, go up to the 'text' button - an A in a square on the upper toolbar - and click within the hexagon. Drag to outline a text space. Type whatever you like in it; in this case, "penguins". Click away for the inspector screen to reappear; here you can click on that space and alter things such as the font you used, the size of the text, its color, and other traditional text-editing options. You can also use the green circle to rotate the text.
Sixth, scroll back up in the "basic" tab in the stencil display and go up to find some simpler shapes. Spread four or five around - give yourself a little room to work with. Adjust their size as you like; you could also try zooming in with the tab near the top of the window, although that may be more important if you are creating truly large-scale concept maps or similar diagrams.
Go and sprinkle them with text as well; don't worry about high precision here.
A note you may see as you move objects around; when you have one object in some sort of line with another, an automatic dashed line will pop up and the object will 'stick' slightly. This can be very useful if you do want to place things in quite precise relation to one another.
Seventh, the line tool. Go up to this button, near the Text button; you will notice it has a drop down menu. You can pick any of the five options of line that you like; there is an option also to alter the appearance of created lines in the Inspector tab, but for now the default lines should be more than enough.
Now that you've picked a line tool, mouse over one of the shapes - you'll notice that it has some little circles for each object.
Click on one and drag a line towards another object, and you will find it too has circles; when you have dragged up to one of them and let go, the lines will automatically dock in a very neat and crisp manner according to the style you selected.
Like this!
Continue this until you've connected all the objects together. You can change line styles if you'd like, although generally you'd want to keep it consistent, to avoid giving false information.
You will note that you have to reselect the line tool each time.
Eighth, pick the text tool and place short connecting terms between the various concepts, near the lines you just drew. Remember that you can rotate and move text around, as well as adjusting its colors, etc. For instance, let's set all these connecting terms to italics after we type them in.
Ninth, secondary connections. Your example may not have many, but they can easily be built out, and are connected in the same way as the original lines. Let's use a different style, in this case "rounded corners" to distinguish these. It is worth noting that if you drag an object around, any lines connecting to it will automatically redraw; however, since text is tracked as a separate object, you'll have to move it, too.
Tenth, deleting. You can select individual items and delete them, or if you prefer you can click and drag a square shape and all of the objects within it will be selected, and can be deleted or otherwise modified; for instance if you had a particular "segment" that you wanted to copy and use in several disparate parts of a very complex flowchart. Only items that are more or less completely selected will be highlighted for mass modifying.
Finally, when you've gotten your diagram the way that you want it, you can save it or export it, or use the "share" option to invite someone else to come look at your diagram; for instance, if you're preparing a concept map and you have a co-instructor, you might invite them, either as members of Cacoo already or by sending them an inviting email. All of these tabs are in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A podcast guide to Scrapblog.
Please feel free to provide me with feedback on what would improve it, as I realize it is quite rough. A revised version will be posted in several days (unless, of course, this one is... perfect.)
Here is the link. Thanks for listening!
As you listen, here's a guide through using the tool.
First of all, go to scrapblog.com and register an account. You can connect it to your Facebook if you care to.
Second of all, I would encourage you to follow through all the introductory pop-ups. They will walk you through what to do a good deal better than I will, and they'll even give you a few "credits" when you're done, in case there's a particular sticker you want.
Third of all, plan out a small project; even if it is simply an introduction to your cats. Import the photos you want to use with the "photos" tab on the right hand side.
Fourth, add a picture to the first slide; resize it as you like with the little tabs that appear in the picture's corners when you click it once to select it, or click in the center and drag it around to position it somewhere different.
Fifth, add text; go to the "Text & Balloons" tab and select the first option. The others may be fun as well, but are somewhat more "niche" uses. Click and drag the text box to wherever you like, remove the "Add Text here" with the Delete or Backspace key, and start typing.
Don't worry if it looks strange in terms of size. Click away from the box and then on it to bring up an options menu, which will allow you to change the font, size, color, and other text editing details. Click the text once more to be able to edit it again. This may sound slightly confusing but will come quite easily when you begin playing with it.
Sixth, a new slide. Just go down and hit an "add page" button. You can also alter playback options, as well as being able to set a transition from a list of them between the two slides.
Seventh, video. This is optional and works more or less as placing a photograph does. However, resizing does not seem to work.
Eighth is to publish your video; the software will process all of your settings and will then give you a link. The show will also be present underneath your account, and you will be able to link it in other contexts.
Here is the link. Thanks for listening!
As you listen, here's a guide through using the tool.
First of all, go to scrapblog.com and register an account. You can connect it to your Facebook if you care to.
Second of all, I would encourage you to follow through all the introductory pop-ups. They will walk you through what to do a good deal better than I will, and they'll even give you a few "credits" when you're done, in case there's a particular sticker you want.Third of all, plan out a small project; even if it is simply an introduction to your cats. Import the photos you want to use with the "photos" tab on the right hand side.
Fourth, add a picture to the first slide; resize it as you like with the little tabs that appear in the picture's corners when you click it once to select it, or click in the center and drag it around to position it somewhere different.
Fifth, add text; go to the "Text & Balloons" tab and select the first option. The others may be fun as well, but are somewhat more "niche" uses. Click and drag the text box to wherever you like, remove the "Add Text here" with the Delete or Backspace key, and start typing.
Don't worry if it looks strange in terms of size. Click away from the box and then on it to bring up an options menu, which will allow you to change the font, size, color, and other text editing details. Click the text once more to be able to edit it again. This may sound slightly confusing but will come quite easily when you begin playing with it.Sixth, a new slide. Just go down and hit an "add page" button. You can also alter playback options, as well as being able to set a transition from a list of them between the two slides.
Seventh, video. This is optional and works more or less as placing a photograph does. However, resizing does not seem to work.
Eighth is to publish your video; the software will process all of your settings and will then give you a link. The show will also be present underneath your account, and you will be able to link it in other contexts.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
A guide to using Twitter, with pictures
The first step in making use of Twitter is to register, which is very easy and requires only an email address; I will presume that everyone in the audience has one, but free ones can be obtained at yahoo.com and hotmail.com if you wish.
The front page has, as you can see, a rotating list of example "tweets." Let's sign in.
As you can see, this page does have a lot of options on it. I have not yet entered a tweet (as of when this screenshot was taken, anyway), but let's consider some of the other options. Direct messages allow one to send a "private" tweet to another address; retweets help you by propagating links and other comments. Let's add a friend, so I have something to re-tweet.
I reached this screen by clicking on "following." Now, let's add, for instance, Roger Ebert's Twitter.
Of course I don't have Roger Ebert on my mailing list. However, it's possible to have Twitter search for contacts you already have, for you to look for suggested additional contacts, or to give you a form to invite someone - for instance, your students - to sign up for Twitter. But we'll skip past that for now, and use...
... the "find account" tool. Since we know Roger Ebert, we simply put in his name. You could look for other groups, such as "the University of Houston," "Barack Obama," "the Trilateral Commission," or whatever you might like.
As you can see we have several options here. You may have to look for the "real" version in some cases with independent sources; I know Roger Ebert's website and this is his Twitter page linked from that same website, which gives me great confidence that "ebertchicago," as opposed to the other ones, are in fact him. (As you can see from the last entry, it's possible to have simple mistakes; in a nation of three hundred million people, and a world of six billion and counting, some names will simply occur more than once.)
There are three buttons next to his twitter account information on this page. The first button will add him to your list of people whom you follow, which is straightforward and what we are setting out to do. The second lets you alter what lists you have in which he appears, which can be useful if you have a great many lists and want to adjust in which one he is kept - or remove him from some but not others.
The third contains four options; the first allows you to "mention" him in a tweet without needing to type in his name (which is not so urgent for "ebertchicago" but can matter for longer, more arcane Twitter names), follow him (a repeat), block his account or report him as a spammer.
The interface works another way as well. Say I click through to Mr. Ebert's Twitter.
As you can see he has a variety of things set up, which you can use as well. For instance, he has a variety of lists - one's lists can also be displayed to the public - and most importantly for our purposes, a big button that says Follow. Let us add ourselves to the storied ranks of his followers.
Now we're following him! Hurray! (You may notice that he has set a custom background image for his Twitter page; you can do that as well, but we shall leave that aside for the moment.)
Now we go back to our homepage, and we find that there is a great deal of Roger Ebert. This is because Roger Ebert is our only Twitter account being followed, and we are thus seeing everything he has said (down to a certain point, anyway). As you can see his Tweets have a variety of natures, and you also see an assortment of shortened links.
There is also a pop-up from Twitter, explaining that one of the tweets in Mr. Ebert's twitter feed is a re-tweet, and giving the gist of what a re-tweet is. Twitter in general has had a great deal of these "user friendly" features self integrated; I recommend you set a few hours aside to explore the tool and add people to your list. If you're concerned about presenting a professional image, make a small "personal" twitter and then go and create a proper one as Professor Soandso later.
Now then, retweeting. As you see when we mouse over this tweet we see an option to reply or to retweet. When clicked you gain the option to confirm your desire to retweet; click yes, then go to your own twitter page - like so, at http://twitter.com/tompile -
And there it is. It tells you who you retweeted from, informs you helpfully of various other facts (such as that this is your page, which can be a concern...) and other matters. For instance, 22 others have re-tweeted this, and I have not yet uploaded an image.
Tweeting oneself is quite easy - indeed self explanatory; type in the letters and hit "tweet." Let's try sending a message to Roger Ebert himself --
one can click "Reply" on any tweet someone has said in order to have their "twitter handle" pop up as we see here, which can be important for people with complex or easilly mispelled handles. Then type in your message, using the remaining characters...
As you can see, Twitter helpfully gives you a character count, allowing you to moderate your words and engage in judicious Tweeting. And when you're done, just hit "Tweet" - and you've sent a message to the world! Mr. Ebert can find this, if he cares to, by pressing the "@ebertchicago" option. Here's the equivalent for this account.
Not much going on. But this account is mere hours old, so it's not too surprising. Feel free to add it and communicate with me, if you care to!
And as a reward for bearing with me through all that - here's the picture Mr. Ebert linked to in that re-tweet:
The front page has, as you can see, a rotating list of example "tweets." Let's sign in.
As you can see, this page does have a lot of options on it. I have not yet entered a tweet (as of when this screenshot was taken, anyway), but let's consider some of the other options. Direct messages allow one to send a "private" tweet to another address; retweets help you by propagating links and other comments. Let's add a friend, so I have something to re-tweet.
I reached this screen by clicking on "following." Now, let's add, for instance, Roger Ebert's Twitter.
Of course I don't have Roger Ebert on my mailing list. However, it's possible to have Twitter search for contacts you already have, for you to look for suggested additional contacts, or to give you a form to invite someone - for instance, your students - to sign up for Twitter. But we'll skip past that for now, and use...
... the "find account" tool. Since we know Roger Ebert, we simply put in his name. You could look for other groups, such as "the University of Houston," "Barack Obama," "the Trilateral Commission," or whatever you might like.
As you can see we have several options here. You may have to look for the "real" version in some cases with independent sources; I know Roger Ebert's website and this is his Twitter page linked from that same website, which gives me great confidence that "ebertchicago," as opposed to the other ones, are in fact him. (As you can see from the last entry, it's possible to have simple mistakes; in a nation of three hundred million people, and a world of six billion and counting, some names will simply occur more than once.)
There are three buttons next to his twitter account information on this page. The first button will add him to your list of people whom you follow, which is straightforward and what we are setting out to do. The second lets you alter what lists you have in which he appears, which can be useful if you have a great many lists and want to adjust in which one he is kept - or remove him from some but not others.
The third contains four options; the first allows you to "mention" him in a tweet without needing to type in his name (which is not so urgent for "ebertchicago" but can matter for longer, more arcane Twitter names), follow him (a repeat), block his account or report him as a spammer.
The interface works another way as well. Say I click through to Mr. Ebert's Twitter.
As you can see he has a variety of things set up, which you can use as well. For instance, he has a variety of lists - one's lists can also be displayed to the public - and most importantly for our purposes, a big button that says Follow. Let us add ourselves to the storied ranks of his followers.
Now we're following him! Hurray! (You may notice that he has set a custom background image for his Twitter page; you can do that as well, but we shall leave that aside for the moment.)
Now we go back to our homepage, and we find that there is a great deal of Roger Ebert. This is because Roger Ebert is our only Twitter account being followed, and we are thus seeing everything he has said (down to a certain point, anyway). As you can see his Tweets have a variety of natures, and you also see an assortment of shortened links.
There is also a pop-up from Twitter, explaining that one of the tweets in Mr. Ebert's twitter feed is a re-tweet, and giving the gist of what a re-tweet is. Twitter in general has had a great deal of these "user friendly" features self integrated; I recommend you set a few hours aside to explore the tool and add people to your list. If you're concerned about presenting a professional image, make a small "personal" twitter and then go and create a proper one as Professor Soandso later.
Now then, retweeting. As you see when we mouse over this tweet we see an option to reply or to retweet. When clicked you gain the option to confirm your desire to retweet; click yes, then go to your own twitter page - like so, at http://twitter.com/tompile -
And there it is. It tells you who you retweeted from, informs you helpfully of various other facts (such as that this is your page, which can be a concern...) and other matters. For instance, 22 others have re-tweeted this, and I have not yet uploaded an image.
Tweeting oneself is quite easy - indeed self explanatory; type in the letters and hit "tweet." Let's try sending a message to Roger Ebert himself --
one can click "Reply" on any tweet someone has said in order to have their "twitter handle" pop up as we see here, which can be important for people with complex or easilly mispelled handles. Then type in your message, using the remaining characters...
As you can see, Twitter helpfully gives you a character count, allowing you to moderate your words and engage in judicious Tweeting. And when you're done, just hit "Tweet" - and you've sent a message to the world! Mr. Ebert can find this, if he cares to, by pressing the "@ebertchicago" option. Here's the equivalent for this account.
Not much going on. But this account is mere hours old, so it's not too surprising. Feel free to add it and communicate with me, if you care to!
And as a reward for bearing with me through all that - here's the picture Mr. Ebert linked to in that re-tweet:
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