Twitter for Teachers!

Matt Mariglia ~ Starpoint Middle

School

What is Twitter? A social networking and A social networking and micro blogging site.micro blogging site.““What are you doing What are you doing now?now?””

Respond in 140 Respond in 140 characters or less.characters or less.Most major businesses, Most major businesses, colleges, colleges, even some even some school districts use school districts use twitter.twitter.

Messages= Messages= ““tweetstweets””

Friends= Friends= ““followersfollowers””

Tweet/Follow Tweet/Follow via computer or via computer or cell phone!cell phone!

Twitter in the Classroom?A backchannel for in-class A backchannel for in-class communicationcommunication

Enables continuation of Enables continuation of discussion outside of discussion outside of classclass

Everyone can participate Everyone can participate (age of students?)(age of students?)

Easy, fast mode of Easy, fast mode of reminding students of reminding students of homework or testshomework or tests

The 140 character limit The 140 character limit helps to focus thoughts.helps to focus thoughts.

Texting costs?Texting costs?

District policyDistrict policy

Class Class interruption interruption

(so tweet after (so tweet after hours!)hours!)

WHY WHY NOT?

Teacher Account Teacher Account - - Project your page in the classroom, and…Project your page in the classroom, and…

Ways to use Twitter

• Give them a prompt and Give them a prompt and have them tweet responses have them tweet responses (quiz/lecture response)(quiz/lecture response)

• Lesson summariesLesson summaries

• Split the class to evaluate Split the class to evaluate resources – half find and resources – half find and tweet sites on an assigned tweet sites on an assigned topic while the other half topic while the other half evaluate sites, then switch evaluate sites, then switch rolesroles

• Write a story – togetherWrite a story – together

• Follow current events and Follow current events and tweet reactionstweet reactions

• Discuss a movie while viewingDiscuss a movie while viewing

• Tweet a homework question Tweet a homework question and have students respondand have students respond

• Tweet in character when Tweet in character when reading a novelreading a novel

• Offer homework helpOffer homework help

• Foreign Language- follow Foreign Language- follow people from target language people from target language country. Itcountry. It’’s easier to tweet s easier to tweet 140 characters in another 140 characters in another language than it is to write a language than it is to write a full letter.full letter.

• Twitter= modern day pen pals.Twitter= modern day pen pals.

Happy Tweeting!

Go to www.twitter.com to sign up.

For more resources: www.livebinders.com

Search for marigsteach and look for Twitter for

Teachers

@ marigsteach