Some people may call it a bandwagon. Others, a passing fad. Even more may say "what a time waster."
I, on the other hand, believe that Twitter is here to stay. As for bright neon clothes, yeah, those are a fad.
So what makes Twitter that endearing to my heart? Well, for one, I used Twitter to start back in 2008 with my Social Studies classes. My students, in groups, would create fake accounts for Meso-American tribes, such as the Aztecs or Olmecs. They would tweet facts, photos, and stories from their group and they would ask each other questions or answer mine on that platform. Mind you, this was for 6th graders. They loved it and so did I. It was much better than the straight forward report. It was such a hit that I expanded it to my 7th and 8th graders in following years!
Teaching is 24/7 - so is Twitter.
I encouraged my students to follow me on Twitter as well. As a professional educator, I know where the line is when it comes to social media, others, clearly, do not. I modeled a professional social media account by tweeting about educational resources, news, and inspirational quotes. My students could ask me questions publicly about assignments and the like and I could respond to them real time! If they were always going to be learning, why should I be limited to when I had to stop and start teaching.
Education is 24/7 - so is Twitter.
Now, as I have moved out of the classroom and into the Technology Department, I find myself using Twitter for something completely different - Personal Learning Networks.
I participate in chats - from #njed to #satchat (a weekly Saturday morning chat where educators from around the globe participation for the betterment of education and teaching), these chats have given me and others a platform to share and garner ideas.
Learning is 24/7 - so is Twitter.
Now other social media networks have come and gone (sorry, Myspace and Livejournal) and there are some current ones that don't quite mesh with education (Facebook) - but Twitter has the hallmarks to be a good resource for teachers and an even better learning tool for students.
Life is 24/7 - so is Twitter
From Slim Fairview -
Quill Pens and Powdered Wigs in Today’s Classrooms
Twitter's 140 characters are not the end. They are the means.
Thomas writes a draft of the Constitution, he uploads the doc. file to Slideshare: He clicks the T and it uploads to Twitter.
George sees the Tweet, clicks the link and the file appears. He wants to Share this with his Facebook friends around the colonies. He copy-pastes the twitter link to his Facebook page for his friends. His colonial rebellion group page on Facebook. A thumbnail comes up. This thumbnail is a miniature of the doc. file.
John sees this on the group page and clicks the thumbnail. He reads the draft. Under the comments page he adds his views on the matter.
Those who have a problem incorporating technology into the classroom should go back to quill pens, powdered wigs, and candle light. They have no business in the classroom.
Did I hear someone say Visit Williamsburg? I believe there is a website for that.
Regards,
Mr. C
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