Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!

5 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom

When I first heard about Twitter I couldn’t believe how ridiculous it sounded.  I laughed about the 140-character limit. I laughed harder when I heard it being coined as “Facebook status updates for people with short attention spans”. I simply ignored it.

Then one day, I cracked and signed up for an account. It seemed kind of pointless to be ‘tweeting’ if I didn’t have any followers. But then I started ‘following’ other people. And they weren’t all people. My dad would be so proud of me to know that I’m ‘following’ Matt Galloway, the host of Metro Morning on the CBC (@metromorning). But I also follow Bakerella (@bakerella). And more importantly, I’ve started following some key people in the Digital Literacy in Education world like @rmbyrne who’s blog www.freetech4teachers.com is a wealth of resources for all teachers.

And then something funny happened.

People started following me! 

And that was the beginning of the end.

Now, I use Twitter as a main source of information gathering. What’s happening in the news (@globeandmail)? What’s new in education (@edutopia)? What’s new in the web 2.0 enhanced classroom (@web2.0classroom)?

Not only is Twitter great for gathering information, but it’s an excellent tool for sharing information—to the world; to your colleagues; to students and parents. Most websites these days include a ‘share’ button—where you can share the page on Facebook and Twitter. 

All you have to do is click the blue button and the site is shared with all your followers!

Yes, folks, it is that easy.

After a few minutes of Twitter research, here’s a few suggestions on how you can use Twitter in the classroom:

1.    Tweet for Learning  a.k.a Assessment for Learning

Did your students understand your lesson today?  Are they engaged in the small group discussion? Have students ‘tweet’ their questions or comments during class or activity.

2.  Student/Parent Reminders

Let parents follow what you are up to. This can quickly spark a dinner table discussion. Engaging the parents will help engage the students.

3. Gather Real Time Data

What's the weather in Sydney, Australia right now? What is the response the the mass flooding in India? Get real-time feedback and data from all around the world.

4.  Connect with Classrooms Around the World

Find someone in another class, school or country who is interested in the same topic as you. Follow each other on Twitter and share information, ideas and resources.

5. Review Game/Activity

Use Twitter to post review questions that students can reply to. Make learning fun!

Two weeks ago, I asked you to take 10 minutes to check out a new technology to help update your lessons and keep you current.

This week, I'm going to ask you to create a Twitter account. And find 5 people to follow that you have shared interests with.

Then let the addiction begin!

@caseydaleman

References:
Unknown. (2011). The ultimate guide to using twitter in education. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://edudemic.com/2011/09/twitter-in-education/