There has been varying opinions on the use of Twitter in the classroom. Even within our own Media and Digital Literacy 4000 classroom space there have been both hesitations and approvals towards the 140-character idea-spreading social media website. The top uncertainty seemed to be associated with privacy and ensuring the student's safety, especially for the younger grades. How do we keep the privacy of students, while still allowing them to globally connect to lifelong learners around the world? Through this blog post I will be exploring that concept as well as the potential that Twitter has within the classroom walls. "Instead of walls, imagine your classroom filled with millions of experts in a variety of fields in any subject your students want to learn"
#3 - Daily Discovery Teachers can assign each student a day where they can create a tweet on the class Twitter at the end of the day about what they learned. This is good for younger grades as the teacher controls the Twitter account but the students still feel a sense of ownership over it. It also works on summarizing skills and allows for reflection on their own learning. #4 - Write Mini Reviews After reading a book, watching a movie, or reading an article, teachers could have students write short reviews. This allows them creativity, consolidation, and consideration about what they have seen, heard, or read. Students can link their tweet, add pictures, or video. What a fun and interactive way to allow students for example, to keep a portfolio of books they have read, and provides a reference to remind them what it was about. #5 - Communicate with Experts Each month as a class, brainstorm something you want to learn more about. Find an expert in that subject or career on Twitter and reach out to them. This is a great resource for the classroom and allows students a different viewpoint rather than just the teacher's. It also takes pressure off of the teacher as they can't know EVERYTHING. Flattening the walls of your classroom can be as simple as connecting with experts in different fields and adding to their personal learning networks.
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3 Comments
Larissa
10/26/2017 03:19:11 pm
I love how you use memes to support your arguments for the reasons twitter can be used in the classroom. I also especially loved your idea of having students tweet as a historical figure!! This would be a great idea to use to build a history lesson in a larger unit. Great ideas.
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Daniela Correia
10/27/2017 11:04:42 am
Your introduction is a great lead to your focused topic, recognizing the diverse perspectives, and posing a focused question that the post will address. I enjoyed viewing your media makes that correspond with your text; they are creative and also humorous. The meme’s you have created ironically connect with the idea of using Twitter and expressing a message using a limited amount of text. The examples you have chosen of ways to use tweets/twitter profiles in the classroom are excellent choices because the students do not physically have to be online to participate in these activities. You have also made great suggestions for using twitter in the classroom as a daily routine and or an outlet for educators to learn about their student. Allowing the students to explore their interests on the classroom page can help the educators shape their lesson plans and create meaningful learning opportunities.
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Helen DW
10/28/2017 05:52:35 pm
This blog presents the struggle and paradox of using this form of social media in the classroom. You've shared your reservations and critical decision making that teachers are making all the time. Look for other teachers who model and find ways to engage with social media in non-digital ways - look for the low tech solutions as an alternative.
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AuthorJust a university student blogging about her reflections, assignments, resources, and learning tidbits. Archives
October 2018
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