WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Pinterest
Edutopia on Pinterest
We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.
Comments (38)
Comment RSSSign in or register to post comments
I do!
I use Twitter in my classroom! We have recently been sharing thoughts about a book we are reading. The students are much less inhibited in sharing their thoughts and feelings on Twitter than in front of their peers. They make amazing connections to their lives as well!
We only started a few weeks ago, but we're looking for more ways to use it!
Twitter would help with some 1:1 transition issues.
So many teachers are nervous about a move to 1:1 because they feel students will be distracted by having access to Facebook and other on-line sites during class. What if a backchannel chat were mandated during note-taking or lecture where students tweeted and retweeted important points as they were made?
Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
Twitter is Amazing!
Watch, learn, be amazed! http://edupln.ning.com/video/the-twitter-in-education-panel
Twitter usage within the curriculum
Strongly agree with the use of twitter in the classroom being a way for teachers to actually teach students at the level they are on. Students are learning on demand. It's up to the school systems to decide if useful skills that are relavant will be taught or traditional school classroom basics. Schools need to get up with the times and teach kids to communicate and collaborate with each other in a kid friendly environment. Why is it that kids have to learn the hard way about these things that have become such a large part of the world they live in. Safe and friendly usaage should be taught and twitter is no expection to the many online tools students use outside of the classroom.
To Twitter or not to Twitter
I think we have missed to reason we are evening discussing this. First, if you are worried about being out in the public, try Edmodo instead. it is more of a closed environment Twitter. I think secondly, you are NOT TEACHING them social networks because they have the technical parts of that figured out. I think you are working toward the 21st Century Skills of Information and Media Literacy or Communication & Collaboration Skills. You can do that with other tools besides Twitter too. Twitter is truly a great tool for teachers who want to continue to learn. Just like real-life, you have to surround yourself with good people and people that help you grow and learn!
I agree with you post. The
I agree with you post. The risks far outweigh the rewards. What have you used in classroom to collaborate? We have used wiki's and moodle. Any suggestions?
Twitter for Student Use
We do not to introduce Twitter to students to help them gain additional social media skills. We do need to consider using Twitter as a quick way to share resources or serve as a back channel during lecture/notetaking activity. Using hashtags keep "tweets" in one area. For example: Have students share main points during a short lecture. Students can then go to the designated hashtag at their leisure to review/study the main points written by 2 or more classmates.
Online socialization
As a longtime educator and parent of an adult son living with autism, I can tell you that online socialzation has NO relation to real-life socialization. Children do not benefit in real life from online social skills practice. My son is socially fluent in online games, facebook, twitter, etc - but, for the life of him, cannot independently navigate normally in real life social situations.
For a while, I was fooled into thinking that online socialization is better than NO socialization - but I believe now that I was wrong.
What children NEED - all children - are real life social experiences in the classroom. Encourage parents to minimize online socialization in favor of face to face discussions, games, activities.
My son has been lucky enough to have intensive social training with specialists, and has been fortunate to continue his education at the university level. A team (mom included) continues to support him as he does his best to integrate with his peers.
Hey! There is a big beautiful workd out there! The interentis a useful tool for many things, but it should only be a part of a total socialization process.
Marilyn Armstrong, M. Ed.
UCSC Education Instructor
Aptos Academy - Grade 3 teacher
Twitter
I think that if Twitter is used responsibly and respectfully, it can be a useful tool that will provide useful classroom information.
Twitter in the Classroom
I have been trying to figure out how to use twitter when a high school student hasn't shown up for class. Right now I am sending an AWOL notice to all the teachers using text messaging.
I have concerns about using Twitter in the classroom. I work at a special school for students with AD/HD and Dyslexia. Twitter would become the focus (instead of the teacher) in a room full of AD/HD students. What comes across Twitter is opinion, and not necessarily factual information. Some information may not even be correct. Some students may misinterpret the information received as absolute truth since it is presented in a school environment. I am interested in success only for my students. I would be very cautious about letting students "listen in" on a politician's Twitter, as they are "politicians"!