Week 2.3
Tweet ya lata!
Twitter has recently been taking education by storm. Educators can quickly connect with other professionals, who have similar interests, to gather resources, ideas, and share experiences. This all happens in minutes or over time. Some teachers have decided to integrate this type of social media into their classrooms in a variety of ways. The following link will show some videos and provide ideas and tips for using this tool with your students.
http://edudemic.com/2011/09/twitter-in-education/
To find a list of discussions of Twitter that may benefit your professional development, check out the following link from Cybraryman.
http://cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html
He also has a list of tutorials and articles about Getting Started with Twitter at http://cybraryman.com/twitter.html.
I'm not sure if you mentioned how you were introduced to cybrary man and if it was through twitter at the last class, but this is exactly why technology and social media is so important. Think of the people that you see/work with/talk to on a daily basis. That's a limited number of people to learn from and share resources with. Social media and technology breaks down barriers and allows us to interact and collaborate with people from all around the WORLD. The possibilities are endless. Why limit ourselves by not taking advantage of social media? I'll admit that twitter has a bit of a learning curve but it would be a real disservice to our students if we shyed away from technology and social media because it was "too hard" or "confusing". What kind of message is that sending our students? Do we want them to think that it's OK to give up on tough assignments or do we want to convey that we need to perservere to achieve the results that we desire?
ReplyDeleteGreat point! Twitter might not be for everyone but there is a boat load of social media out there now, just waiting for teachers and others to use in a positive format for information gathering and professional development.
DeleteI have to say that I was confused with the Twitter. I understand that we as teachers need to move outside our comfort zone if we are going to get our students to move outside of their comfort zone. However, I just could not understand how Twitter works yet. I would have to take my time and seek some help...a lot of help. I will try in the future.
ReplyDeleteI've been using twitter for over a year now and sometimes I still have no idea what I am doing. At first I just used it for personal reasons. But, my point is I am not 100% sure if I would be able to use this in a classroom because I would not really know how? I am still confused about where you and your class would have the discussion. Can you make your own discussion?
DeleteWe can discuss this some more tomorrow in class!
DeleteAfter last week’s class I was interested in some of the weekly discussions they have on twitter. I ended up going to two of them, the #digcit and #elemchat. The digcit discussion was very helpful and everyone was very supportive of each other. The one hour went by very quickly and my interest was kept the whole time. For the elemchat one I had a completely different experience. Some of the people participating in this discussion were just downright rude! I was turned off pretty quickly when one older teacher posted that this chat is ONLY for well-educated elementary professionals or something like that. Another man was posting as well and said he was a high school teacher and he hoped he was still welcome. Another woman said that he was not welcome because it was only for elementary teachers. These two people were basically saying only people who have valuable things to share can be in this discussion. I am not really sure why I was offended but I was and I ended up leaving the discussion early. I will probably try again next week to see if things were better. But, I feel like people were forgetting the real reasons for these discussions. I feel like they are for help and support for teachers and really anyone.
ReplyDeleteWow...that is shocking! And extremely disappointing. I will join you next week. I'd love to see this for myself. Hopefully things are much more pleasant.
DeleteJust for those of you who are wondering and would like to join us for the #elemchat on Twitter...it will be Saturday at 5pm. Hope to see you there!
DeleteWhat types of topics were discussed, Melissa? Are you required to "participate" if you join one of these chats? I'm definitely interested in joining a chat, but I want to make sure that I've got my facts straight!
DeleteAndrea
Certainly NOT good digital citizens! :-)
DeleteWow Twitter - I tell you talk about being in a foreign country and not understanding the language. I have been "stalking" twitter since we talked about it in class and I have yet to understand it. I think I am getting it, an emphasis on the I think. I know that I could not use this in my class anytime soon because I do not undertand it, but I will. I do see the benefits or any technology in the classroom, this included. I believe that technology is at the imagination of the teacher, which is suhch a fun part of teaching. I told my class how I was learning how to Tweet and they were so willing to show me. Many of them do it on the personal level so it would be great to show them how they could Tweet on a professional level. One step at a time. And I won't give up Jen, I promise.
ReplyDeleteI am still trying to understand it myself. I would love to get an account but am afraid I would have no time to actually use it, whether for professional development or in a classroom setting, nevermind trying to figure out how it works! It is so incredible just how students are growing up within a digital world; they know so much already, and could probably teach us and each other a lot using these skills.
Delete-Chelsea
I never really thought or wanted to use Twitter. I thought to myself, well I already have a Facebook-why create another profile to follow what people usually post on FB already? I didn't want a double dose of "nonsense" friends would post. If I was going to have a Twitter account, it would have to be for something different.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I was able to see that Twitter can be used for professional development use only. How great is that? I was awestruck when I heard that Twitter-social network, could be used simply for that! I think I'm wrapped around that idea that FB and Twitter are networks to connect with friends, family, celebrities, etc. But to use it to connect with educators in different parts of the country and IN different countries is just amazing. I'm simply amazed.
So, that is how I will be using Twitter and so far there are great resources out there! It's great the way you can connect with so many teachers who are willing to share ideas!
I had the same reaction as you! I never really realized how many create resources there are out there, including Twitter.
Delete-Chelsea
It really can be used to connect with fellow professionals fro creative ideas or great resources and websites. You can certainly go at your own pace so that it doesn't seem so overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! I would love to form more relationships and Skype with classrooms from around the world! That would be an amazing opportunity!
DeleteI must say that before last class, I just thought of Twitter as a way for celebrities to keep in touch with their fans; I did not realize how it could be used in the classroom! I was definitely impressed with how Mike used it to collaborate with a school from another country. This could definitely be a great tool for encouraging global citizenship in the classroom.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea
I have to agree, I pretty much thought the same thing. It really impressed me. I was very taken back by how wrong I was about twitter. I also thought it was cool that you can meet people over skype and have your students talk to other students. Awesome!
DeleteI had thought this prior to Marialice's class last semester. I was also afraid that it would be bad to have my "digital footprint" out there. I thought it was similar to Facebook to an administrator's eyes. However, from my experience last year, I have gained many relationships, lots of great ideas for my lessons, and ways to help engage my higher students! It's a great tool!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen Marialice introduced it to our class last semester, I felt literally overwhelmed. However, people are always willing to help you out! It's amazing how people who have never met you before will go out of their way to give you as much information as you need! It was awesome! She even set us up with "virtual mentors" who were readily available! I was able to pick his brain about extending my higher students. It was so helpful! I am not an active member, but I dip in and out whenever I need some ideas!
ReplyDeleteDid you post it anywhere online?
ReplyDeleteYES -> It's not private!
NO -> Private!