Trying to make sense of Twitter

I sat and viewed the Video: Teaching With Twitter - Chronicle.com that I found in the EC&I 831 "Reading List" and found myself understanding that to Twitter effectively you need to connect through your telephone and become a proficient "Texter". David Perry, a professor at the University of Texas, talks about using his iphone but I wonder about using any cel phone. This is something I will need to explore much more. So far after a little more than a day I've learned that Alec Couros has just returned to Regina from a conference and 'rhysatwork' in the land down under caught a mess of fish yesterday. I also learned that Alec has some strong opinions about some of the things that are wrong in school - teachers who yell and buildings that provide a place for kids to watch adults work. Good points I thought though I can't image kids not meeting in face to face schools. Interesting though that a couple of thoughts that Couros Twittered on made me pause and reflect. I have one more question before I go to bed; what is a twitter and what is a tweet or are they the same thing?