By now, the social networking website, Twitter, is practically a household name. Twitter is self-described as a “social networking and micro-blogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface.” In the simplest explanation, Twitter users post anything and everything that is on their mind, limited to 140 characters. Many people think of Twitter as something for mere entertainment or socializing, but Twitter can be an informative and valid source of information and news as well.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, chances are you are interested in the world of eLearning (also known as online learning or distance learning) and/or the field of education in general. Therefore, you may also be interested in following Twitter feeds that provide you with useful education information. Searching the thousands of accounts on Twitter can be somewhat daunting, so I would like to share with you some of the top Twitter accounts to follow to keep you up to date on education news and information.
The following Twitter feeds are a great source for general education news. This list was adapted in part from an article from the Accredited Online Colleges website and a post from the Distance Education website.
@chronicle: Here you can follow the news from the Chronicle of Higher Education. This feed is one of the best sources of higher education news.
@insidehighered: This feed is a great place to find links to all kinds of campus news.
@higheredreview: If you prefer your higher education news in podcast form, you can keep up with the Higher Ed Review Podcast through these posts.
@educationblog: This feed is a great place to find news about higher education in the United States and around the world.
@USNewsEducation: This feed from US News and World Report brings you articles from campus newspapers across the United States.
@edunews: Here you’ll find a range of tweets on education in America.
@educationweek: While it covers more than higher education, this feed from Education Week is still a great place to find education news.
@usgoved: This feed provides you with education information straight from the United States government.
@topedutweets: This site makes it easy to follow education news and views using Twitter by bringing together tweets from the best education feeds out there in one place.
@TopCollegeNews: Find all kinds of interesting news stories related to college and education here.
@CollegeNewsLink: You’ll find a wide range of news on online education through this feed.
@TheCampusBuzz: This feed promises to deliver the web’s best college news.
@collegeadvice – This feed is an excellent source of information for college rankings, test scores, and tuition information This feed offers excellent advice about anything higher education.
Thirteen new feeds can be a lot to keep up with, so I would suggest following two or three new feeds per week. You should only keep following the feeds you find are posting tweets that pique your interest on a regular basis. If you are more interested in Twitter feeds that relate specifically to technology side of education, come back to our blog next week when I will be sharing a list of Twitter feeds on that specific topic.