Using Twitter in the classroom

This blog is about a teacher’s view on the use of Twitter as a learning tool and a mean of interaction in classrooms. The writer expressed his views about the positive role twitter can play in classrooms. He also included the views of a few high school teachers on this subject. They believe Twitter can be used as an online conversation tool that will encourage reactions and opinions from students on a particular subject of discussion. The feedback from students will help the teachers to effectively assess the understanding level of the students regarding the subject and identify and fix any misconceptions that the students hold.  The writer believes that if the teachers worked to show students ways to use twitter as an effective tool to master the kinds of skills and behaviors that matter, social networking space will become social learning space.

Since Twitter is already embraced by most of the teens nowadays, educators should encourage students to put it to good use by getting involved in productive conversations with their teachers and classmates. Aside from giving students the opportunity to get instant access to ideas from others, Twitter helps students challenge other individual’s thinking. They can ask questions, give opinion, and participate in collaborate dialogue. The use of social media by politicians to propagate their message has given students a chance to ask questions and to learn more about candidates. Moreover, Twitter can take involvement in the subject material to a whole different level. Tracee Ormon, a high school English teacher uses Twitter to help students to identify with the characters in the novel and to broaden their imagination.

Reference

Bill, F. (2011). Using Twitter in High School Classrooms, teaches 6th grade

      language arts in North Carolina 2005-2006. From:

                    http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2011/10/using-twitter-with-teens-.html