Collaborative Technologies
Collaborative technology within a classroom and/or building is becoming more and more commonplace. However, my interest is in how to use those tools to connect globally, outside the walls of our brick and mortar school. I am huge on travel and learning about other cultures. I think there is a lot to learn from those who live differently than we do. However, how do I do this in an educational setting? After reading into the different resources for teachers, I decided to finally give Twitter a chance. This is not a new phenomenon in the educational setting, but it's new for me. I opened a Twitter account at a PD day...and that was the beginning and end of my Twitter experience. I didn't see the benefit in that moment. However, more and more resources are available now and I'm finally going to give it a fighting chance.
One of the many resources I stumbled upon was a blog written by Tom Barrett. He points out the many ways to use Twitter in the classroom with students but also brings up the point that Twitter can be a teacher networking tool as well. Barrett gives tips on everything from selecting people to follow, building a strong network of valuable followers, how to pose questions, and different activities to use as well. The best part about using Twitter is that it's free, quick to use, most students already have an account, and using hashtags allows you to find/keep resources at your fingertips.
One of the dilemmas with Twitter, along with every other tech tool, is teaching appropriate use and digital citizenship. Students may be used to using Twitter for social engagement but will need guidance on how to use it for academic engagement. I do not believe this dilemma should prevent us from moving forward.
In order to effectively use this in my classroom, I will start by creating my own network and collecting ideas from teachers who have already been using Twitter successfully. Then I will start small with students by having them document an activity or project we do in the class. From there, I will start leading the way for students to connect globally. Dyane Smokorowski gave a useful tip during a live session on how to connect with professionals using Twitter by a simple Google search. My goal would be that students would find someone in the career field they are interested in and learn about how they can apply math concepts in that career.
I feel that Twitter is a collaborative technology not only for students to connect with, but it also supplies a vast amount of PD for teachers. It's like a one stop shop! I'm excited to start exploring more of its applications and see the benefits!
One of the many resources I stumbled upon was a blog written by Tom Barrett. He points out the many ways to use Twitter in the classroom with students but also brings up the point that Twitter can be a teacher networking tool as well. Barrett gives tips on everything from selecting people to follow, building a strong network of valuable followers, how to pose questions, and different activities to use as well. The best part about using Twitter is that it's free, quick to use, most students already have an account, and using hashtags allows you to find/keep resources at your fingertips.
One of the dilemmas with Twitter, along with every other tech tool, is teaching appropriate use and digital citizenship. Students may be used to using Twitter for social engagement but will need guidance on how to use it for academic engagement. I do not believe this dilemma should prevent us from moving forward.
In order to effectively use this in my classroom, I will start by creating my own network and collecting ideas from teachers who have already been using Twitter successfully. Then I will start small with students by having them document an activity or project we do in the class. From there, I will start leading the way for students to connect globally. Dyane Smokorowski gave a useful tip during a live session on how to connect with professionals using Twitter by a simple Google search. My goal would be that students would find someone in the career field they are interested in and learn about how they can apply math concepts in that career.
I feel that Twitter is a collaborative technology not only for students to connect with, but it also supplies a vast amount of PD for teachers. It's like a one stop shop! I'm excited to start exploring more of its applications and see the benefits!
It sounds like your experience with Twitter is similar to mine. I created a twitter account in a PD session led by my principal. He is a big advocate of using social media to promote our school and the positive learning experiences in individual classrooms. After creating my account, I have not used Twitter. I really don't want to get hooked to another social media outlet. But, I enjoyed what I learned in this weeks lesson. I thought the activity the 5th-grade teacher shared using Twitter was inspiring yet simple. I plan to experiment with twitter this school year as well. One of my colleagues follows lead teachers of mathematics like Dan Meyer, Kyle Pearce, and Jon Orr. She has found some excellent lessons through Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI love your focus on using technology to expand your classroom to connect with the world. There is so much for our students and us to learn from others, however, I don’t even know where to begin with some of these things. I have tried Twitter a few times, but know I could be using it for so much more to enhance my students learning. The blog you shared had a lot of great suggestions for making Twitter a valuable tool in the classroom. I would love to see how your students use Twitter to connect with professionals in a career they are interested in. What an amazing way to engage them, thanks for sharing!
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