Tweet Tweet Tweet

Blog #1

According to their website, “Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting. Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow the conversations. At the heart of Twitter are small bursts of information called Tweets. Each Tweet is 140 characters in length ... Connected to each Tweet is a rich details pane that provides additional information, deeper context and embedded media.”

Twitter can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. For example, during my student teaching semester, twitter was used with my technology course in order for us to reflect (twice a week) on our experiences in the classroom, ask questions, share interesting information, etc. When first asked to use twitter, I was very hesitant and not interested in the least. However, I ended up really enjoying it. I was able to reflect to others, as well as to myself, about things I had learned during the weeks of student teaching.
         
Twitter is very effective in helping students to become concise in their writing. Often times students write an excess of information, hoping the right answer is in there somewhere and cannot tell you specifically what the answer to the question is.

Here is one example of how a teacher uses twitter in her college classroom:

This teacher used twitter to help with class discussions, a very interesting way to include a large classroom in a discussion and the make everyone’s opinion heard (or read).

Other twitter uses I have seen:

• Warm-up (teacher uses a quote from a fellow tweeter or create her own warm-up)
• Posting homework/assignments for the day (great for students who are absent and for parents)
• Sharing links either from teacher to students, students to teacher, or teacher to teacher
• Scavenger hunts
• Today in history
• Brainstorming in groups
• Book clubs

For more ideas on using Twitter in the classroom, click the link below.

http://cooper-taylor.com/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Until next time, Socializing Can Be Fun!

- Lauren

References

Cooper-Taylor, Carol (2008). 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Education. Retrieved from http://cooper-taylor.com/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Kirkpatrick, Marshall (2009). How One Teacher Uses Twitter in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_one_teacher_uses_twitter_in_the_classroom.php

Twitter. http://www.twitter.com/

YouTube (2009). The Twitter Experiment – Twitter in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8.