At first I was skeptical on how Twitter could be beneficial in the school setting. However, after brainstorming ideas and searching the internet for ideas, I think there are several ways to incorporate this resource into the classroom.
First, Twitter can be used as a quick communication tool between teachers, students, and parents. Tweets may include classroom news, approaching deadlines for assignments, expressing questions or concerns, and more. It becomes a mode of communication between different parties and helps to develop a sense of community within the classroom as the strive toward similar goals of student achievement.
Twitter can also be used in the classroom as a resource to increase student participation, as evidenced in the attached video. The teacher in this story incorporates Twitter in the lessons by asking students to tweet comments or questions. This teacher has a BYOT - Bring Your Own Technology - policy which I think could be a motivating factor for students who enjoy using their lap tops, smart phones, and tablets. The teacher displays the tweets on a projector and references them throughout the lesson. I think this is a useful tool because it increases students' opportunities to respond, especially for introverted students, which is beneficial for all levels of students from those with special needs to high-performing students.
Twitter in the Classroom
I definitely see the merits of Twitter in the classroom. However, what do you do if there cannot be a BYOT policy in your classroom? Both of the schools I student-taught at had policies that made those sorts of things expressly forbidden.
ReplyDeleteWhat could you do in a situation like that?
Interesting. I have never heard of a BYOT technology policy either. Could you post that link to the class wiki? I am creating a new section for resources worth sharing.
ReplyDelete