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Using Twitter to engage students in the science classroom
Brad Graba@mr_graba
www.mrgraba.netWilliam Fremd High School
Palatine, IL#NSTA14
We’ve all seen this in class…
Can we turn it into this?
With the use of Twitter and social media, we
can
Texting
The evolution of social media
The evolution of social media
The evolution of social media
• http://twynmawrmom.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-explain-twitter-to-old-people.html
Twitter conventions• @yourname• 140 characters• Hashtags (#)
Twitter conventions• @yourname• 140 characters• Hashtags (#)• RT/MT/HT
People/Organizations Whom I Follow
People/Organizations Who Follow Me
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations • Journalists• Authors
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors • Celebrities• Athletes
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists• Educators
Who Uses Twitter?
• News Organizations• Journalists• Authors• Celebrities• Athletes• Politicians• Scientists• Educators• STUDENTS!
Why use Twitter?
• Breaking news
Why use Twitter?
• Breaking news• Great place for
scientific resources
Why use Twitter?
• Breaking news• Great place for
scientific resources• Professional Learning
Networks
Why use Twitter?
• Breaking news• Great place for
scientific resources• Professional Learning
Networks• STUDENT ENGAGE
MENT
The project
• Run a presidential campaign
The project
• Run a presidential campaign
• Goal: get your organelle elected president
• Create posters, flyers, goodies, Facebook page, Twitter account, etc.
• Smear at least 5 other organelles
• HT Marna Chamberlain, Piedmont HS, CA
In the beginning …
• Students were encouraged to create Twitter accounts for organelles
In the beginning …
• Students were encouraged to create Twitter accounts for organelles
In the beginning …
• Students were encouraged to create Twitter accounts for organelles
• Used for promotion
In the beginning …
• Students were encouraged to create Twitter accounts for organelles
• Used for promotion• And smearing
Organelles got busy creating & tweeting
Organelles got busy creating & tweeting
Some scientists took notice …
Some scientists took notice …
Some scientists took notice …
Some scientists took notice …
and began interacting with students!
and began interacting with students!
and began interacting with students!
and began interacting with students!
and began interacting with students!
People around the Internet began to notice
The level of discussion went beyond my expectations
We made it to BBC Radio!
• And were blogged about here …• And here …• And here …
We received some great resources!
• “Hidden Life of the Cell” video from BBC television before it was available in the US
• Narrated by David Tennant (of Dr. Who fame)
We received some great resources!
And provided at least one resource!
Scientists learned from each other!
Voting took place online
Voting took place online
Storify helped us wrap up the project
• Storify: a curation tool for social media
• Students narrated the highlights of their #organellewars experience.
• Peroxisome Storify• Cytoskeleton Storify• Ribosome Storify• #OverlyHonestMethods
Storify
My students were inspired
I developed a Professional Learning Network (PLN)
I developed a Professional Learning Network (PLN)
#Organellewars on Twitter• Changed
– Student experience• Scientists became real people• Engaged in content• Public audience = accountability
– Teacher experience• Able to engage with real scientists on variety of topics• Able to have students excited to learn about cells
– Scientist experience• Able to engage in outreach with high school students to
encourage them into scientific fields
My role• Encourage student tweets/questions &
compliment good ones• Monitor students & their
interactions/followers• Engage scientists w/my own questions
(model for my students)• Admit what I know and don’t know• Allow my own excitement/enthusiasm to
show
A few examples of me in my roles
A few examples of me in my roles
A few examples of me in my roles
A few examples of me in my roles
