Blog Posts, Articles, and Reports To Read: October 22, 2010

Articles I’ve run across during the last two weeks:

• “Recent Research on Interactive Learning“
• “Online vs. Face-to-Face Throwdown: Good Teaching Transcends Course Format“
• “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies“
• “Using Twitter to Transform the Classroom!“
• “GovGrid offers agencies cheap, quick regions and mini-grids“
• “An OpenSim grid primer“
• “Open Source eLearning Tools: eLearning Technology“
• “How Visual Clarity Affects Learning“
• “Academics Discuss Mass Migration From Second Life“
• “Online Discussions: Tips for Instructors“
• “The Lecture is Dead Long Live the e-Lecture“

E-mail Alerts Services

I’ve recorded the results of my test of Google Alerts.  I wondered what similar services were available, and after doing some research, I found the following:

• Google Alerts
• Yahoo! Alerts
• notify.me
• Social Mention
• WatchThatPage
• Favebot
• TweetBeep.com
• Tweet Scan
• TweetAlarm
• Twilert

Half of them are for Twitter or other social sites.

Are there any services that I missed?

TweetGrid

Earlier this week, I posted a list of “Web-Based Tools for Searching Twitter in Real Time” in which I wrote that I liked Monitter because you could use it to “track three keywords at the same time.”  At the time, I had only tried TweetGrid‘s search function and not its dashboard that searches up to ten keywords and updates in real time.  It also has party and widget options.  I’ll definitely be using TweetGrid more in the future.

I found several videos on YouTube that show and tell how to use TweetGrid:

• “Tweetgrid: Filter the Twitterverse in style!“
• “Twitter Tweet Grid Tutorial“
• “Twitter Guide to TweetGrid“
• “How to use tweet grid – Basic“
• “How to Watch Multiple Streams of Twitter Tweets Simultaneously with TweetGrid“
• “Twitter Tools“

Web-Based Tools for Searching Twitter in Real Time

After trying Monitter, I thought it would be nice to make a list of web-based tools that can be used to search or track trends in Twitter in real time.  Here’s what I’ve found:

• Collecta
• CrowdEye
• itpints (searches Twitter and other sites, including YouTube)
• Monitter
• Scoopler (searches Twitter and other sites, including YouTube)
• twazzup
• TweetGrid
• TweetMeme
• tweetzi
• Twitter Power Search
• Twitter Search
• TwitterTroll.com (not working when tested)

For me, Monitter has the advantage because you can track three keywords at the same time.

Are there any important ones that I missed?

Video: “Track Twitter trends with Monitter!”

Video:  “Track Twitter trends with Monitter!“

Video: “Twitter Search in Plain English”

Video:  “Twitter Search in Plain English“

Presentation: “The Twitter Book – A Sneak Preview”

Presentation:  “The Twitter Book – A Sneak Preview“

Information on Using Twitter in Education and Business

I’ve recently run across these articles and presentations on using Twitter for education and business:

• Blog Post:  “Twitter in the Classroom“
• Presentation:  “Learning with Microblogging and Twitter“
• Article:  “Professor Encourages Students to Pass Notes During Class — via Twitter“
• Blog Post:  “Twitter for Churches and Non-Profit Organizations“
• Blog Post:  “How To:  Find a Job on Twitter“
• Blog Post:  “8 Steps For Building Community On Twitter: Tips For Membership Organizations“
• Blog Post:  “How to Show Your Soul and Engage Users with Twitter: (Tips For Brands and Non-Profit Organizations)“
• Blog Post:  “Nine great reasons why teachers should use Twitter“
• Blog Post:  “Twitter for Academia“
• Blog Post:  “Teaching with Twitter“
• Article:  “Twitter As a Learning Tool.  Really.“
• Manual:  “How To Use Twitter for Business:  A Beginner’s Guide“
• Manual:  “Twitter for Real Estate Twits“
• Article:  “Twitter:  How To Get Started Guide for Business People“

I’m hoping that by listing them here I’ll get around to reading them all some time.

Tools for Posting RSS Feeds to Twitter

I did some research this weekend and found four tools that will automatically post RSS feeds to a Twitter account:

• twitterfeed
• Pingvine
• RSS to Twitter
• HootSuite

I’ve been using twitterfeed to post my own blog entries to my Twitter account.  Making changes is annoying because it takes three or four steps to log in using OpenID, and I always have to look up the categories I selected as my “password.”

I haven’t tried Pingvine or RSS to Twitter.  They look pretty straightforward, but I’m concerned about security for my account.

I did try HootSuite and have subsequently switched to it from twitterfeed.  I can manage automatic updates of RSS feeds from my blogs and Delicious accounts to all my Twitter accounts (I have three) from one dashboard.  It’s possible to add additional editors for one Twitter account.  With HootSuite, I can schedule an update to be posted at a future time, and I can also use the Hootlet button to post from any web page to my Twitter account.  It doesn’t have all the features that Big Tweet does, but I don’t have to log in and out of my various accounts with Hootlet.  Since I use different computers during the week, I especially like the fact that HootSuite is web-based.  Its biggest disadvantage is that I can’t see who I’m following or who is following me from the application.

Lists of Twitter Tools

Yesterday I was looking for alternatives to twtterfeed because it’s so much trouble to log in to it, and I discovered that I had a lot of lists of Twitter tools and apps bookmarked in my Delicious account.  Here are those and others I’ve run across:

• Twitter Fan Wiki > Apps
• 140Char > Microblogging Tools
• The Open Classroom > List of Twitter Resources
• Mashable > Twitter Toolbox: 60+ Twitter Tools
• Mashable > Twittermania:  140+ More Twitter Tools
• Twitdom:  The Twitter Applications Database
• OpenJason > 100 Twitter Tools
• Blending the Mix > The 100 Most Popular Twitter Applications
• TweetLater.com:  Tools to Boost Your Productivity on Twitter
• TechCrunch > The Top 21 Twitter Applications (According to Compete)
• OnlineBestColleges.com > 100 Twitter Tools to Help You Achieve All Your Goals
• TwiTip > 10 Twitter Tools that Help You Work Smarter
• TwiTip > 10 More Must Have Twitter Tools
• MakeUseOf.com > 5 hot Tools To Complement Your Twitter Experience
• OnlineCollegeDegree.com > 100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter
• Mashable > 15 Fascinating Ways to Track Twitter Trends
• MakeUseOf.com > 4 Ways to Find New Twitter Friends
• Technical Communication Center > 10 Twitter Tools for Writers
• Random Approaches > The Viral World of Twitter
• TwiTip > 4 ReTweet Tools and Trackers
• TwiTip > 11 Useful Twitter Tools That Don’t Require Your Password
• Resourceshelf > Three More Twitter Search Tools
• Government Computer News > Twitter Tools on the Rise
• Quick Online Tips > 10 Cool Firefox Extensions for Twitter
• ReadWriteWeb > 7 Top Twitter Topic Trackers
• Best Colleges Online > Top 100 Tools for the Twittering Teacher
• PC Mike > PC Mike’s Favorite Twitter Tools
• AllThatsNew > Twitter Toolbox: 70+ Awesome Twitter Apps, Mash-ups, Plugins, and Services
• Smashing Magazine > 99 Essential Twitter Tools and Applications
• Mashable > 6 Twitter Search Services Compared

For an up-to-date list go to “Lists of Tools for Twitter” on the 4R x T Wetpaint wiki.