Read my @Storify story: "What's Going On at the UO" sfy.co/WgQ #storify #jrlweb #j361—
Adam Holmes (@holmesac) January 28, 2012

Hey everyone! Read my @Storify story: "What you need to know about the "O." " sfy.co/WIU #storify #jrlweb #j361—
Brittany Parvi (@bparvi) January 26, 2012

The same goes for musicians. And it especially applies to music festivals. What better way to get instant updates on which of your favorite bands are hitting the stages this summer? Twitter accessibility and simplicity makes it the ideal platform to distribute information to fans.

For direct updates from SXSW.com, follow @SXSW

#SXSW Interactive Session Spotlight: "Digital Debauchery with Anthony Bourdain" (@NoReservations) ow.ly/8CYdC—
SXSW (@sxsw) January 23, 2012

Shout About Your Presence at #SXSW! PR Newswire/Virtual Press Office is the official communications partner at the show ow.ly/8FWEa—
SXSW (@sxsw) January 25, 2012

Keep up with SXSW Parties at @SXSWPartyList.

Five things to know about the full SXSW line-up, including Lana Del Rey, A$AP Rocky, M. Ward and (lots) more bit.ly/ySKioa—
SXSW PartyList! (@SXSWPartyList) January 19, 2012

In case you have not seen them yet, @sxsw have posted their 2012 schedules: sxsw.com/node/9931 (Music schedule: bit.ly/A9NBMT)—
SXSW PartyList! (@SXSWPartyList) January 19, 2012

Follow @mxdwn_atx for all Austin, TX concert news PLUS SXSW updates!

OMG YES.Check out @theblackkeys w/ @ArcticMonkeys at Frank Erwin Center 04/25. Tickets on sale this Friday, Jan. 13th. bit.ly/wEMCtf—
sania (@mxdwn_atx) January 10, 2012

Follow Coachella‘s primary Twitter page at @coachella

#Coachella2012 sold out, thank you. http://t.co/Q3aI0ACy—
Coachella (@coachella) January 13, 2012

psst… pass it on #Coachella2012 http://t.co/RKTMN5tW—
Coachella (@coachella) January 09, 2012

For all lineup changes and additions to Coachella, check out @coachellaupdates!

Coachella lineup page changed: Added[The Airplane Boys]—
Coachella Updates (@coachellaupdate) January 24, 2012

Follow the Sasquatch main Twitter page: @SasquatchTweet.

Take note: the discount 4 day passes for Sasquatch are only available until December 31st (or until they’re sold out): bit.ly/rAA5iW—
Sasquatch! Festival (@SasquatchTweet) December 20, 2011

Lineup announce event w/Junip (feat Jose Gonzalez), Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), The Physics 2/2 at the Neptune! Host Luke Burbank. Onsale 1/13—
Sasquatch! Festival (@SasquatchTweet) January 09, 2012

Follow Ranger Dave for all Outside Lands resources: @sfoutsidelands.

ranger dave is booking outside lands as he tweets, multitasking.—
Ranger Dave (@sfoutsidelands) November 04, 2011

Bumbershoot is still 8 months away, but you can still follow their updates @Bumbershoot

A little more than 6 hours left to snag #Bumbershoot's best value of the year: $75 for all 3 days bit.ly/pxQzGL Who's got theirs?—
  (@Bumbershoot) January 06, 2012

Be a part of Bumbershoot 2012! Apply now for Dance, Theatre, Words & Ideas, Visual Arts, NW Comedy & more bit.ly/yFI4Dz—
  (@Bumbershoot) January 11, 2012

All those interested in Bumbershoot press should check out @bumbershoot_PR

A little more than 6 hours left to snag #Bumbershoot's best value of the year: $75 for all 3 days bit.ly/pxQzGL Who's got theirs?—
Bumbershoot Press (@Bumbershoot_PR) January 06, 2012

But entering this impressive display of educational information may be a bit daunting so here a quick guide to all you will need to know to start becoming a pro education tweeter.

Without starting with the key education players on Twitter, a good place to get a question answered or find out the latest going on is through education hashtags. Now there are a lot of them, and some of them get pretty specific depending on what one is looking for but a great place to start is going to be with the general hashtag: #edchat.

And just like that, you can see everything from articles on the state of Education to advice and support from other teachers around the globe. This is an excellent way to wet your feet on Twitter and a great place to find education tweeters who you really identify with.

But if you’re still looking for some key figures to follow on Twitter, I recommend these:

Tom Whitby – @tomwhitby

I mentioned him above in the #edchat discussion because, well, he’s the guy who founded the hashtag. With over 16,000 followers and a hands-on approach to answering his followers questions, Whitby cannot be overlooked as a resource. Here’s an example.

Next, resource. Vicki David – @coolcatteacher

A twitter force. From next teaching methods, to governmental education policy, Vicki does it all. A definite must.

US Department of Education – @usedgov

And finally, if keeping up with the United States up-to-the-minute education decisions, following the heads in charge is something you can’t go wrong with.

Now that you’ve got your feet wet, dive into the world of educational tweeting. And remember, the best way to keep up on your specific education interests is to find who and what you’re interested in. For now, this should be a good start.

World Vision‘s headquarters is in Washington but they use twitter to maintain a wider audience and to spread the word about the work they’re doing.

Hope for Maasai cattle farmers in Tanzania ow.ly/8DFsC #drought—
World Vision (@WorldVision) January 23, 2012

Learn how you can help #endslavery by tuning in to @cnnfreedom's documentary "Chocolate's Child Slaves": ow.ly/8AIqX—
World Vision (@WorldVision) January 20, 2012

Direct Relief posts links to allow their followers to get connected instantly.

In response to the Alabama storms, we've activated our Emergency Response Network & reached out to our clinic partners j.mp/AmcX9t—
Direct Relief (@DirectRelief) January 23, 2012

Direct Relief to expand vaccine capacity in Haiti j.mp/y74OVv—
Direct Relief (@DirectRelief) January 17, 2012

Medical Teams uses twitter to give updates about their projects and to thank supporters.

As of today, we will be able to help 401,016 women and children in 2012 via our One in a Million campaign ( one.medicalteams.org). Please RT!—
Medical Teams Int'l (@medteams) December 30, 2011

We hit another Mobile Dental milestone! Our 200,000th patient! on.fb.me/voFYMo Thanks to our partners & volunteers!—
Medical Teams Int'l (@medteams) November 29, 2011

Mercy Corps uses twitter to keep their followers up to date on global issues.

Mercy Corps CEO @NealKG speaks at the #WeCanBeHeroes launch event at the Time Warner Center in NYC: bit.ly/wd6s8j—
  (@mercycorps) January 23, 2012

Help struggling families when they need it most – become a Partner in Mercy: bit.ly/A9jJZ1—
  (@mercycorps) January 18, 2012

Bloggers who write about global aid use twitter to connect with their audience and send out updates about their blog or interesting articles to read.

“Good Intentions are Not Enough” is a blog that analyzes nonprofit/global aid and its overall affect positively and negatively. Saundra Schimmelpfennig, the blogger, also has a twitter that you can follow to see what she has to say about different aid organizations. Here are a few of her tweets.

Story of voluntourists wanting to travel to Mexico to teach English who ended up being preached to ow.ly/8Bu0R via @brettkeller—
Good Intentions (@Good_Intents) January 21, 2012

Really impressed with all the updates and changes to CIDI's (Center for Disaster Information) website. cidi.org Check it out—
Good Intentions (@Good_Intents) January 24, 2012

Aidnography is a blog about international relief issues run by Tobias Denskus who also tweets about new blog posts.

[New post] Word cloud of the #Busan summit doc-plastic words, non places & #AidEffectiveness discourse ow.ly/1BxuuH—
Tobias Denskus (@aidnography) December 05, 2011

Tom Murphy blogs from A View from the Cave. His blog centers around aid, development, and healthcare. He has international experiences and tweets a lot about things he finds interesting.

The impact of the Euro crisis on #Kenya via @worldbank ow.ly/1EHYXl—
Tom Murphy (@viewfromthecave) January 24, 2012

The development-peeps Daily is out! bit.ly/av3llb ▸ Top stories today via @tompaulson @endeavoringe @josettesheeran—
Tom Murphy (@viewfromthecave) January 25, 2012

While it’s difficult to find individual writers who keep their Twitter accounts consistently updated, I’ve often found that the writers at comicbookmovie.com manage to do a good job making sure that their articles get out on Twitter regularly. Arguably, their most dedicated writer is Josh Wilding, who covers much of the news concerning comic book movies.

New Plot Synopsis Reveals A Few Extra Details About THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshW…—
Josh Wilding (@Josh_Wilding) January 25, 2012

Kenneth Branagh Looks Back On THOR And Casting Chris Hemsworth comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshW…—
Josh Wilding (@Josh_Wilding) January 25, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE – Interview With 'Iloura' VFX comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshW…—
Josh Wilding (@Josh_Wilding) January 24, 2012

There are other writers on the site, like Mark Cassidy, MovieMasterCBM and the Marvel Freshman. Yes, some of them have usernames that sound weird, but their articles are quite professional and well-written.

MAN OF STEEL: New Shot Of Henry Cavill In Costume comicbookmovie.com/fansites/rorsc… thanks to @ManofSteel_2013—
Mark Cassidy (@RorMachine) January 23, 2012

PRE-ORDER- The Avengers – Blu-ray 3D + 2D + Digital Copy [Blu-ray] comicbookmovie.com/news/?a=53355 via @comicbook_movie—
Jasper Cresdee-Hyde (@MovieMasterCBM) January 24, 2012

Chris Evans Recalls "Geeking Out" His First Day On THE AVENGERS Set comicbookmovie.com/fansites/Marve…—
Marvel Freshman (@Marvel_Freshman) January 24, 2012

However, I usually like to play it safe and follow the websites directly. Other popular and informative news sites include ComicsAlliance, BleedingCool, ComicBookResources and SuperHeroHype.

Avengers Cologne Lets You Smell Like The Earth's Mightiest Heroes. That's… Great? aol.it/x1oI9u—
ComicsAlliance (@comicsalliance) January 24, 2012

Liam Neeson Was On Set For The Dark Knight Rises, But What Was He Doing? bcool.bz/x22CuQ—
Bleeding Cool (@bleedingcool) January 24, 2012

FX May Decide Fate of "Powers" Pilot by March 1 on.cbr.cc/yesyke—
Comic Book Resources (@CBR) January 25, 2012

Marvel's Kevin Feige on the Enemy The Avengers Will Face bit.ly/xzFxqe—
SuperHeroHype.com (@SuperHeroHype) January 23, 2012

Finally, it never hurts to check out the main company Twitter feeds, which are usually DC Comics or Marvel. It should be said that the majority of their news has to do with the comic book medium itself. Still, it’s recommended you visit here occasionally to learn about characters or series you may have heard of through the movies or TV shows.

Writer Peter Tomasi reinforces how the story in Batman and Robin is about the father/son dynamic. bit.ly/z7wyKR—
DC Comics (@DCComics) January 23, 2012

Watch a preview clip from Friday's #Blade anime! bit.ly/zxEY3k Catch a new episode Fri. at 11pm ET on @g4tv!—
Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) January 23, 2012

The Oregonian’s beat writer Lindsay Schnell is perhaps the most active Ducks reporter on Twitter, with over 17,000 tweets to her name.

Do you all know that @OregonMBB is tied for first place in the Pac-12 now? Ducks and Cal both at 6-2. CRAZINESS. Huge Civil War next week.—
Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) January 22, 2012

In case you need to read up on Oregon vs. UCLA today, here's our preview for the game: bit.ly/ypxC1z—
Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) January 21, 2012

.@O_Ash has embraced his role off the bench for Ducks, and Oregon men's basketball is benefiting because of it: bit.ly/wUIMpe—
Lindsay Schnell (@LindsayRae19) January 18, 2012

Oregon athletics’ official twitter feed tweets links to its game reports and video features. There is also an official twitter feed devoted exclusively to Oregon men’s basketball.

Now on @GoDucksTV: E.J. Singler and Garrett Sim post UCLA bit.ly/xMl0dR #GoDucks—
  (@GoDucksdotCom) January 22, 2012

.@GoDucksdotCom: Singler's Career Day Leads Ducks Over UCLA, 75-68 bit.ly/wcJle3 #GoDucks—
UO Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) January 22, 2012

Wow, MKA was electric today. Thanks to the students, fans, and football team for the support!!—
UO Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) January 22, 2012

Columnists George Schroeder (Eugene Register-Guard) and John Canzano (The Oregonian) periodically tweet about Oregon basketball and link to their respective columns.

Column: Where's the Matt Court advantage? Time for Oregon hoops fans to show up bit.ly/z5Re48—
George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) January 20, 2012

Oregon holds on to beat USC 65-62. Ducks are 14-5, 5-2 Pac-12.—
George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) January 20, 2012

Ducks coach Dana Altman is on 750-AM now. "15 guys between ages 18-23… a lot of (my job) is just talking with them…"—
John Canzano (@JohnCanzanoBFT) January 18, 2012

Fans can also follow their favorite players on Twitter, including key contributors E.J. Singler, Garrett Sim, and Olu Ashaolu.

Hey Ducks let's OWN THE KNIGHT today!—
E.J. Singler (@EJSingler) January 21, 2012

Good win tonight at ASU, surprisingly had a lot of duck supporters out here in arizona. Now looking forward to Saturdays game tho—
Garrett Sim (@gsim03) January 13, 2012

I would like to thank all the #goducks fans that come to the games and support. It feels to play in front of a home crowd of 10,000+!!—
Olu Ashaolu (@O_Ash) January 21, 2012

My scavenger hunt tweets:

#j361 #jrlweb Gregor Cunningham says he shows school spirit by "being an ambassador" and "wearing my school colors" http://t.co/aXQMARHe—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb Mona Coboy, frosh says "I like bubble tea, this is the only place that has it" http://t.co/wVbm1N10—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #j361 Frances Bronet, arch Dean and Howard Davis "social media has changed how education and politics function" http://t.co/dEXM7IVH—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb Matt Tanner soph gets his news from the #ColbertReport or the #DailyEmerald. He uses FB sometimes, too. http://t.co/e9QR5Ip2—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb Tucker Loken-Dahon says the Jaqua center "makes sure the athletes get their work done." http://t.co/qhodm1WM—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb One of the quietest places to sit and study "The Spot" is dedicated to two deceased faculty members. http://t.co/hwSYOOj7—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb The Oregon "Duck" was once under ownership of #Disney http://t.co/oksqwpEH—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb Chris Pereyra a fan of UO bball says "anything can happen now that it is getting deeper into the season" http://t.co/bhlNmjpc—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb Rafael Arroyo, coordinator of UO outdoor program says "we plan trips for students by students." http://t.co/rmoEgGph—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

#j361 #jrlweb SOJC's Allen hall is being renovated. The project should be completed by Jan 2013. http://t.co/tC6Tj7AP—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

My top three favorite tweets from classmates: 

Professor Xin Huang thinks social media shapes our opinions & moral standards. #J361 #JRLWeb yfrog.com/obji4gwjj—
Garth Dmyterko (@GarthDmyterko) January 24, 2012

|This is such a great quote that really highlights what social media is all about.

Whatever the weather, Oregon's green campus is scenic from almost any angle! #J361 #JRLWeb yfrog.com/esr3trtj—
Katie Lou Armstrong (@KatieLouArm) January 24, 2012

|So true. The University of Oregon is so beautiful, even in the rain!

so exciting! “@BenDJduck: Eugene earns its reputation as track town, usa. Hayward field will host the 2012 olympic trials #j361 #jrlweb—
Sarabeth Oppliger (@sarabethster) January 24, 2012

|Oregon is known for their amazing track program, and of course Pre. Go ducks, Tracktown, U.S.A.

My top 5 tweets from other schools: 

https://twitter.com/#!/AnMTaylor/status/161498815206137856

3. Shelly Decker, journalism chair, speaks on the use of Twitter to j-students #jrlweb #j256 soundcloud.com/shaaminiwhy/sh…—
Shaamini Yogaretnam (@shaaminiwhy) January 23, 2012

4."I get all my news online from news sources and social media."- Matthew Holmstrom #J256 #JRLWeb yfrog.com/nwd8byj—
Cheryl Walsh (@cherylx21) January 23, 2012

#5: Vast amt of cultural learning opportunities. SMU offers 148 study abroad programs in 50 countries! #JRLWeb #j2380 http://t.co/th7euHHv—
Meghan Sikkel (@MSikkel) January 20, 2012

8. Oilers hockey fan Rodney Hopp says, "they can only get better from here!" #J256 #JRLWeb yfrog.com/esppbzlj—
Cheryl Walsh (@cherylx21) January 23, 2012

My responses to other student’s tweets:

https://twitter.com/#!/StephyEssin/status/162016188736614403

@iamtheRENEGADE This guy looks like he is a great fan! But where are his school colors? #j361 #jrlweb—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

@cherylx21 That is so great to hear! Schools should always be accommodating for students with disabilities. Great tweet! #j361 #jrlweb—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

@LizzyCWalters Yes. Not only are they industry professionals, but they are who make academic achievement possible. #jrlweb #j361—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

@AnnaGYork Ha, this is so funny! College kids may be too young, but that is what campus security is for! #irony #j361 #jrlweb—
Stephanie Essin (@StephyEssin) January 25, 2012

Follow me @StephyEssin for more from #JRLWEB and #J361

Buzz words like organic and locally grown (and the people who use them) are easy to mock, but there are also reasons to take a closer look at the principles that inspired these catch phrases. An increasing amount of people are becoming concerned about the future of our planet and how that will effect local families and communities.

Portland and Eugene are often the butt of jokes about environmentalism and the “nut-jobs” that care about it, but that’s partly because they are centers of thought, theory and environmental activism that sets an example for the rest of the world.

There are a multitude of reasons to care about sustainability — to save money, to clean up the planet, to save the animals, to survive the apocalypse, etc. It doesn’t really matter what inspires a person to learn more about sustainable practices like permaculture, just getting involved in whatever way possible — that is what matters.

First, it helps to understand the principles behind such a lifestyle. This illustrated guide breaks it down quick and simple.

The web is teeming with sources on permaculture and homesteading, many of which come right out of Eugene.  So without further ado, let’s meet the experts:

• Jan Spencer has documented nearly every step of transforming her previously standard suburban home into a thriving example of the potential of permaculture.

• The Food not Lawns blog was founded by Heather C. Flores, another Eugene resident. She has written a book of the same name, and her blog has gone international to help people around the globe find folks with similar goals.

• Lost Valley Education Center offers Oregonians various opportunities to learn about sustainable permaculture through apprenticeships, classes and weekend workshops. Residents of their on-site Intentional Living village practice what the education center preaches on a daily basis.

• Aprovecho Sustainability Education Center, located outside of Cottage Grove, offers an experience similar to Lost Valley, plus lots of resources.

• Lane County’s School Garden Project, a non-profit organization works to implement gardens in schools with the aim of teaching children about the skills and values surrounding sustainability. Their website offers information on the program as well as a Resources page that provides useful information.

Within the permaculture umbrella, there are many specialties to explore. Composting is one essential part of the process.

• Worm bins are a popular composting method. This sight will give you all the nuts and bolts of starting a worm bin, with community specific examples of how this method has been implemented, one of them in Eugene.

• Worm Digest has an abundance of information about how, where and why one would start composting with worms.

Water Conservation

• University of Oregon student conducted an experiment about harvesting rainwater. Their Learn More page offers links to everything a person could want to know about practical applications to harvest rainwater. For those interested they also discuss the experiment in detail.

• HarvestH20, written by Doug Proushard and Lane Community College faculty member Tammi Stark, discusses policy related to rainwater collection. Great for those trying to instil rainwater harvesting on a larger scale.

Beekeeping — another great piece of the permaculture pie suited for the more adventurous type.

• Back in July the Register-Guard published an article on small-time bee-keepers. Gives a good introduction to locals in the scene.

• Beezkneez blogger R. Paul Gordon writes about his personal experiences with beekeeping. With loads of pictures and video, he gives insight into all the nitty gritty details.

• And, if you want to get all legit with the bees and their keeping, the Lane County Beekeepers Association is a great resource to check out.