Every teacher can use Twitter to connect with educators around the world as a way to build professional learning networks (PLNs). By following other educators and participating in education-focused chats, educators can expand their network of colleagues and find resources to further their classroom practice. Teachers can also use Twitter to connect their classroom with other classrooms around the world — a modern take on the old “pen pal” program.
When it comes to using Twitter directly with learners, educators should consider privacy issues and consult their school’s social media policy. The simplest way to use Twitter in the classroom is as an announcement system. Teachers can send out one-way communication to parents and/or learners without requiring or accepting feedback (to protect student privacy). Before deciding to use Twitter to post homework or class news, you should ask your learners if they’re already using Twitter on a daily basis. Though Twitter is widely used by adults, it’s not as popular among teens as it once was. If you are using Twitter to meet your learners “where they are” but they aren’t there, then you’re wasting your time.
Twitter may be more useful as a research tool than a classroom communication tool. Students could research a current event through the eyes of Twitter; natural disasters and political movements are often better-documented on Twitter than on traditional news sources. With the rise of citizen journalism, many eyewitnesses use Twitter to give moment-by-moment accounts of what’s happening. If you do want to use Twitter as an in-class communication platform, you might want to consider a product like GroupTweet, which let’s learners join the conversation without “following” you or their classmates, adding a layer of privacy and safety. When using it as a class, though, make sure you set up ground rules for language and respect, as teens may be used to using Twitter for more casual communication.
Whether or not your learners are composing tweets in the classroom, Twitter is a great tool for teaching digital citizenship. A quick glance at the most popular tweets of the day will give endless examples of how and how not to communicate online. You can help learners discover the most effective means for communicating their ideas — be it carefully crafted text or photos/videos or a combination of both. Students can connect to local or global happenings, viewing multiple sides of an issue and participating in meaningful conversations. Although there are privacy and classroom-management issues to consider before use, Twitter can be an innovative place to foster scholarly discussion in this modern age.
Website: http://www.twitter.com/
Overall User Consensus About the App
Student Engagement
Come for the entertainment, stay for the meaningful connections and discourse. From celebrities to politicians, Twitter makes headlines every day, but it’s also full of passionate educators and top-notch content.
Curriculum and Instruction
With teacher support, Twitter can help teens learn to communicate effectively with limited text, and hashtag chats on various topics can offer new perspectives on specific interests.
Customer Support
Twitter’s help page is incredibly thorough, and users should be able to figure it out pretty quickly. Text, images, and video content appeal to diverse learning styles.
