Richard, Jason, and myself hope you can join us tonight at 7 pm PST for the first ever #NCCEchat We will be focusing on successes in the classroom experienced after the NCCE conference. Richard posted a great outline to get you started if you have never participated in a Twitter chat before and I wanted to build upon that with an explanation of another tool I will be using tonight: TweetChat
CHAT WITH TweetChat
TweetChat allows for an easy way to follow a conversation organized around a hashtag (In this instance #NCCEchat). TweetChat organizes tweets in a visually pleasing way to highlight questions and answers from people engaged in the conversation.
Easy to use
All you need to do is enter a hashtag and join the conversation!
Mobile Optimized
Tweetchat.com is mobile and iPad optimized so you can TweetChat on the go.
How to Use TweetChat
Start by navigating to www.tweetchat.com in your favorite web browser. Once there, enter the hashtag #NCCEchat in the search box and press go:
If this is the first time you have used TweetChat you will have to authorize it with your Twitter credentials:
Once you have authorized the app, you will be into the TweetChat interface. The graphic below shows the basics of using this service:
That is all there is to it to get started!
Tips on participation
If this is your first attempt at participating in a Twitter chat you may find it overwhelming at first. The tips listed below will help minimize that feeling and remember like everything in life this to will get easier with practice. If you find yourself just watching tonight that is an excellent first step and I guarantee you will find value.
Tip #1 – The #NCCEchat format will be to start questions with Q1, Q2, and so on. To answer Q1 start your tweet with A1. You will notice that TweetChat will help you with this process, but it is helpful to understand the underlining structure of the communication in this format.
Tip #2 – Don’t feel like you have to read every tweet. If you find a series of tweets that take you in a different direction that is great! We will be archiving each #NCCEchat for you to review after later.
Tip #3 – Use the pause button. If the stream starts to pick up and you find yourself feeling frantic, press the pause button and control the process. This conversation is about enriching yourself, not stressing you out 
I am excited to connect with all of you tonight and happy to be of service if you need any help with this process. See you tonight at 7 pm PST at the hashtag #NCCEchat
The post Using TweetChat as another option for tonight’s #nccechat appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.
