This week, in Reflect and Connect, we’ve been taking a look at the interactive web and it’s implications for our teaching practice and professional development.
Twitter has been the subject of evaluation by my group this week. It’s a tool that takes time understand and appreciate the value of, particularly when used in the context of education. It’s now my top web tool for professional development.
Here’s what you can do on twitter:
- Have great conversations with educators from around the world.
- Develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN).
- Chat to educators from all sectors.
- Conduct a poll or quiz for research.
- Find reviews of the latest web tools.
- Find and share links
- Support and advise each other.
- Discuss employment.
- Exchange ideas and share tips.
- Promote your blog.
- Follow a hash tag for thought provoking discussions e.g #edchat
- Inform yourself about disasters such as the earthquake in Japan. e.g #japan
These are the uses that I’ve discovered so far, but there are many others.
I’m about to “tweet” this blog post to ask for some more bright ideas about how to use twitter for teaching and learning.
Please leave your tips, even if it’s only a dot point to add to my list.
That looks like a fairly complete list. There are probably more uses, especially if you think of how you can use Twitter with students, but that’s got enough uses to hook educators.
Thanks David….I’m not using it with students at the moment but am always interested in what others are doing.
As a maths teacher I enjoy learning about how Twitter data can be used in the classroom.
All of those things – definitely a very complete list! The 2 I have to add are really not activities but things that sit above them – firstly, the idea of ‘just in time’ professional learning (ie, when I’m pulling my hair out because I can’t get a widget to work on my blog). The other key thing about twitter for me is as a support network – it can be lonely trying to convince others about the value of ICT in education and it’s great to find a bunch of like-minded people on twitter who, like me, believe it’s a no-brainer
Yes indeed, being able to access a twitter PLN for technical tips and professional support is wonderful. Hopefully some of the sceptics will come on board soon.
That is a good list.
The main benefit I find is the connections it makes with like minded people (or at least people with similar interests)
The use of hashtags is a wonderful tool to enhance the experience as that extends your filed beyond your own followers.
Probably the strongest benefit for our students has been the ability to publicise blogs. the connections that has made have been wonderful.
Celia it’s great that you and your young students are able to use twitter, safely, for teaching and learning. You are providing a rich learning experience for them.
Hash tags are the best way to follow topics of interest…even better when you have the chance to be present for a #edchat.
Another way I enjoy Twitter is before, during and after a conference. Conference organizers are beginning to choose and advertise the conference hashtag, like #AAS217 or #SXSW. Monitoring the hashtag before the conference lets you find out who will be there – especially who’s in the hotel bar the evening before the conference starts and it feels like you’re alone in a strange city. During the conference, you can keep up with what’s happening in parallel sessions while sharing the one you’re attending with the other conference delegates. And wit allows the tweeps who were unable to attend the conference to hear what’s going on. I’ve even had a non-conference follower find a reference that I tweeted I needed. Because of Twitter, I no longer walk into the opening reception looking longingly at those little clusters of friends – I already know many people, maybe not IRL, but friends, nevertheless.
Peter thank you for pointing out the use of twitter leading up to and during a conference. I’d never thought of it as being the means of breaking the ice at an opening reception. That’s a good use for my list!
It’s been an enjoyable week finding out more about Twitter, learning about the lists and the hashtags. I think they’re used for different purposes – the lists to add like-minded people to and find out where they’re at; and the hashtags for more ‘real-time’ information sharing.
Probably the thing I like the most about Twitter is the enforced brevity. You’re limited to 140 characters and this will challenge my students to communicate to my students in a succinct form – to ‘make it snappy’ in more ways than one.
I’m with you Paul…keep it short and relevant. It took me some time to understand/use lists and hashtags properly, thankfully I persevered with using twitter this way. Have you tried the # chats yet….say #edchat…they are great fun and really informative.
Great post Penny. Maybe add connect your students with others globally via seeking contacts via Twitter?
Oh yes….the modern version of finding a pen pal. Thanks Judith, it’s the instant global connections that make twitter so appealing for teaching and learning.
I guess its already a complete list , for me as an Arabic teacher, its the easiest simple way to connect with specialists and educators from everywhere in the world.
Twitter is a good model for the 21st century learning and a time saving tool , when you ask for help , you receive a lot of responses in a short time , receiving up-to-date information.
Yes…just as we are doing now. I put out a request for twitter tips and within no time I have many responses. Thank you for your comment Miss Noor
Thanks Paul, Barbara, Gary, Penny and JNH Services team. I have had twitter previous for many years but this team has help enornously in many areas. It is greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to learning more of twitter and tweeting. Thanks
Hi Ian…I’ve learnt new things this week too. Working together to investigate something is way better than going solo. I love the way that web technology enables educators to learn together and share with each other.
That’s a pretty comprehensive list Penny. As mention “short and snappy” messages are welcome in our already busy lives; however, it does make our email list ever so long especially time wise. I am becoming to see how these individual Web 2.0 tools can be assigned to deal with different tasks – blogs for reflection, wikis for collaborative thinking and working, twitter to communicate and learn though one tool (blogger) can do it all on its own!
I have enjoyed following your journey over the last week and look forward to hearing your evaluation and new found knowledge.
A very comprehensive list Penny. And it certainly proves the power of twitter to promote your blog. Lots of comments!
Thanks Junita and Pauline….this is a great task that you’ve included in Reflect and Connect. I’m finding it really useful to use my blog for this evaluation rather than placing it inside Moodle. I’m delighted that others have joined in the conversation