My Re-Introduction to the World of Twitter

When I first began to use Twitter, it was to "keep up" with organizations that were of interest to me.  I seldom used it and did not know the many ways in which Twitter could be used educationally. Clearly there is more to Twitter than meets the eye.  And I just found many great ways of putting Twitter to use within the classroom setting and beyond. 

The amount of people who use Twitter grows more and more each day.  Fortunately for me, many educators are finding original and interesting ways of integrating micro-blogging in the classroom.  28 Creative Ways Teachers Are Using Twitter has great ideas for educators interested in combining Twitter and the classroom.  

 

Some of the ideas were the following:

• Having students Tweet instead of raising their hands in class.  This could help students with disability issues.  It can also help students have the confidence to participate in class.

• Twitter can be used by educators to give class announcements.  (If the professor is late, there is a class visitor or changes in the class schedule.  All of these topics can be announced via Twitter).

• Students can notify their teachers about their completed assignments.

• Preschool teachers can keep parents involved in their child's day by Tweeting daily activities.

And while the list goes on I thought of other ways to use Twitter in the educational setting.  My ideas were:

• PTA meetings could be summarized and Tweeted to parents who could not attend meetings.  

• Principals could Tweet positive activities going on live at their schools (we are always focusing on negative student behavior)

• Teachers could Tweet vocabulary words to their students relevant to what they are learning and students could Tweet full sentences back, using the vocabulary words.  

There is so much possibilities for learning with Twitter.  And one is never to old to learn something new.
Take me for example.  As I mentioned before, I am fairly new to Twitter so it was interesting for me to read What is a Hashtag? 

This article "schooled" me on how to use the famous # sign.  Needless to say I put the Hashtag to use while searching on Twitter and had a better success on my results.  I still have not used it on a Tweet, but I am planning to use it while at a conference.  Wish me luck!

Classroom 2.0

The social networking group that would definitely be useful to me is Classroom 2.0.  It has so many resources and helpful tips for everything technology wise in the classroom.  The site combines Web 2.0 resources with teacher know-how.  You can find everything from support for new teachers, lesson plan ideas, ways of using Google Earth in the classroom to supportive links of other educational networking groups.  I will be reading and researching the support resources offered to new teachers.  Through Classroom 2.0, I have already found a social networking group for librarians.  Hooray!

Connecting Others to The World

One of our goals as educators is to share knowledge and help students develop critical thinking minds.  We also want our students to grow and expand their knowledge of the world we live in.  Consider the following  analogy, teachers are like radio towers and students are the radio stations.  And what do radio towers provide? Radio towers provide radio stations with the power to be connected to the world.  However the only way we can provide a good connection to our students is by staying current and relevant in today's digital world.  The importance of continual learning was reiterated again by George Siemens' Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age.

I liked Siemens' concept that "learning is a continual process, lasting for a lifetime".  And as educators it is our responsibility to remain connected to the digital world through education.  No longer can we use the excuse of schedules and location because online classes and work related experience credit offer alternative ways to "attend class".   The nature of knowledge is changing and the way of obtaining that knowledge is changing too.  According to Siemens, "the average individual has to continue to stay current over a course of a lifetime".   Imagine that!  A lifetime of learning.  In other words, a teacher's education should not end with a teacher's certificate or a master's degree.  It should continue (with emphasis on the word "continue") to grow, in order to provide students and fellow educators fresh and new ideas.