Educational Uses of Twittering

Twitter is a social networking system that allows people to create microblogs and provide updates about what they are currently doing. Grosseck and Holotescu (2008) state that, “microblogging enables real-time interaction between users using different devices, technologies and services” (What means section, para. 2). Educators have been determining how Twitter can be used to enhance and promote learning. Here are some ways current educators are using Twitter in the classroom.

Wheeler in his January 1, 2009 blog post states 10 different ways that Twitter can be used in education. Wheeler (2009) recommends using Twitter as a way to notify students of changes or other important information, a way for students to provide a brief summary of a topic, and share a hyperlink. Students can follow a famous person or particular event. Create a Twitter account for a character from history and tweet, as they would have tweeted. They can hold micro discussion and collaborate to develop micro stories. It can be used to learn other languages by sending out a tweet in a particular language that the students will translate. Create a common hash tag to share specific information with in a group. Finally Wheeler states that it can be used to create penpals. Wheeler also provides links and more references for uses of Twitter at the end of his blog.

Parry (2008) also presents several of the same types of activities as mentioned above by Wheeler. Some of the other ideas that Parry proposes in his blog are the use of Twitter to practice appropriate grammar and creating writing rules that allows the information to be written in a shorter form with out losing the meaning of what has been written.

Jones (2008) also points out several other ways that Twitter can be used in education. Jones states that instant feedback can be provided through Twitter. Since you do not need a computer to access Twitter, messages can be sent at anytime. Jones also references the idea that Twitter can be used to facilitate active learning.

Cooper-Taylor’s (2008) blog provides 50 different ways that Twitter can be used in the classroom. She provides a great list of do’s and don’ts when Twittering. A few of the things that she suggests using Twitter for are asking questions, providing advice, talking about others as well as yourself, and show your human side will Twittering.

These suggestions are all demonstrations of how Twitter can be used with in the classroom and to promote learning.

References

Cooper-Taylor, C. (2008, August 22). 50 ideas on using Twitter for education. Message posted to Blog by Carol: http://cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/

Grosseck, G. & Holotescu, C. (2008). Can we use Twitter for educational activities. In Scribd. Retrieved July 13, 2009, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/2286799/Can-we-use-Twitter-for-educational-activities

Jones, R. (2008). Using Twitter as an educational tool. In SearchEngineWatch.com. Retrieved July 13, 2009 from http://searchenginewatch.com/3630980

Parry, D. (2008, January 23). Twitter for academia. Message posted to academHacK: http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/

Wheeler, S. (2008, January 2). Teaching with Twitter. Message posted to blogspot: http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2009/01/teaching-with-twitter.html

Resources:

http://eduspaces.net/csessums/weblog/179742.html

http://cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/