What's Trending on Twitter?

This week trending on Twitter were a number of political hashtags, but I found a few from within my PLN. 

1.  #ThursdayThoughts was promoted by Katrina Keene from Tennessee. whom I met in my first Twitter Chat.  I pasted a photo of one of the best tweets in #ThursdayThoughts, which gained over 1,000 likes.  This seems to be an open-ended space to share whatever thoughts you want to share to promote more awareness of a topic or just general well-being.  I'd love to contribute to this.  I'll have to think of an original idea or even an old recycled idea, but I'd be careful not to repeat an current tired topics.  No one wants a Thursday thought to be one from Wednesday, Tuesday, or even from last Thursday!

2.  Dave Burgess tweeted #InspireAWriterIn5Words, which brings back a memory of a six-word memoir my ed tech master's group created exactly six weeks ago as a way to introduce ourselves to connected education.  The idea is to write five words to inspire someone to write.  This is a fun little challenge that promotes creativity.  The idea of packing a message into five words to communicate an idea to the world is one that can be used with our students this fall.  The non-threatening low word count can inspire students to write on more on various topics, while getting to the point.  It can also help students learn to select a word from each part of speech needed to create a message.  I think I'll create and post one, then capture it for my students to see.



Through the Twitter trend of #bsdtech16, I found someone new to follow.  Ed Campos, Jr. (@edcampOSjr) is a high school math teacher and CUE innovator, who I decided follow because although I teach second grade, many ed tech leaders recommend growing your PLN by connecting across from elementary to secondary level.  Sharing ideas across vast grade levels is one way to avoid an echo chamber of the same ideas being perpetually thrown around.   
I like how Ed Campos, Jr. cleverly selected a Twitter handle that spells out his name, but with a tech twist to it. Today, he posted about Twitter's new ad campaign to #TwitterTrainingWheels, which I may recommend to several people I know who are resistant to social media, but could thrive and contribute meaningfully. The Twitter ad is like a digital citizenship lesson on the appropriate use of technology for adults, promoting Twitter as a tool for real communication, not just for mindless folly.

Watch the new Twitter ad campaign video: