Twitter for my classroom? TWEET TWEET TWEET

Twitter for my classroom? 

Twitter is only as useful to you as the network of people that you connect to. (Burgos, 2011)

I agree with this statement, as I also believe this for my LinkedIn account. They used to say “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Today, it’s what and who you know, and how you connect these dots.

I am very new to this connected world. Blogging, twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, TeacherTube, YouTube, etc. all require time, something that is very precious to me at this point in my life. I am not sure that I have time to maintain all of these connections, but the ease of opting to do so is attractive to me. I now have a slew of resources at my fingertips, should I have the time to participate. It is constantly updating itself. In the future, I hope to blog more, as my life circumstances begin to allow. I look forward to reflection, and the possibility of having some sort of an impact on an audience.

As for Twitter in particular, I do not see myself using twitter in the classroom in so many ways. I read a list of over 60 ways to use Twitter in the classroom. I went through them all, and with many of them I found it applicable to a college level course.  A Must Have Guide On Using Twitter in Your Classroom listed very great ideas- in theory.

I find myself sounding very negative and pessimistic, when really I want to embrace the connectivism theory and advocate technology in the classroom. But…I have taught for 7 years in a high school classroom, and I find that the vast majority of the teenagers that I teach would not be able to steer clear from the distractions of twitter. My main concern is that Twitter is flooded with distraction. Upon first encounter, I saw Twitter as an unnecessary tool. I saw a tool for the toolshed- not the workbench! 

After further consideration and experimentation, I could tweet to my students as simply a means of communication. Like a birdie in their ear TWEET, TWEET, TWEET 

I could see myself adding a teacher profile of the course that I was teaching and asking my students to follow me for updates- I could see this freeing up some of my own stress if I wanted to decide to cancel or postpone a test at the last minute, for example. In a way, it’s like texting your students (which is not allowed), because for many of my students, their tweets come in to their smartphones and automatically alert them.

The thought of a tweet from me, streaming to them while they are watching tv at home is an enticing opportunity. Perhaps once the novelty of connecting to Justin Beiber wears off (huh!), I may consider using Twitter in my classroom for grammar, writing, and language exercises.

The only question now is how? I am new to twitter- what is a hash tag! See this Twitter Cheat sheet I need this extra help right now. Do you?! Happy Tweeting.

acquiring knowledge through connections

Most of us enjoy dialogue, most of us enjoy conversation. We are social beings...
The Impact of Social Software on Learning by George Siemens explains the importance of social software for learning.

        As simple minded as this may sound, I think of my learners in my high school Spanish classroom, and at the risk of sounding condescending and rude, my adolescent learners often remind me of young dogs-pups- full of energy, eager, anxious, happy, moody, sleepy, nervous...

       A young pup loves to learn new tricks, and gets very very excited when a new person comes over, or a new toy is introduced, or a new snack is offered.
My teenage students are much like young pups because they exhibit all of these behaviors in the classroom. Sure, some are sleeping on the desks, some are crying, some are eating a snack. But, for the most part, my students are eager and willing to try anything new.

        I remember my first time trying the CPS clickers in class. This was my first time implementing this new technology in my classroom, and it was for most students their first time using the technology as well. Their "tails" were wagging with eagerness!
I think that using new technology, new crayons, new websites- new anything sparks an interest in the teenage learner.

       George Siemens touches on connecting to our students via social software. It truly does connect us not only to each other, but to other people and/or groups we may have never known of before. This tool excites students in the classroom. Below are two quotes taken form the article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Siemens: 
Including technology and connection making as learning activities begins to move learning theories into a digital age. We can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act.  

When knowledge...is needed but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. 

George Siemens