How to Use Twitter in the Classroom
Gather real world data., Monitor the evolution of tweets., Summarize topics/views as tweets., Create a 'tweetstory'., Collate classroom views (Homework (or netbooks or a computer lab)): First...set up new Twitter account with name of topic or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather real world data.
After creating a bit of a network, send out a shout out asking for a variety of things.
Some of them are:
Location (e.g. for Geography) Temperature (e.g. for Science) An interesting historical fact Their opinion about something Anything, really! This makes learning based on up-to-date information and real people (with a real story behind it!) -
Step 2: Monitor the evolution of tweets.
Use TwitterFall first.
Type in a keyword ("communism"
"appeasement"
"poverty"
- whatever) Then watch the results come pouring in using twitterfall! Then use Twittermap www.twittermap.com allows you to GeoTag users and their posts You therefore get an idea of where certain topics are being discussed most... , Use www.historicaltweets.com This gives some great ideas about how famous people might summarise their ideas / experiences as "Tweets" in 140 characters max! Then...students do the same! Produce a Tweet dialogue between two opposing characters (e.g.
King Harold and William the Conqueror) about a key issue...
Summarise a topic / concept / viewpoint as a tweet; each student should be given a different one to focus on. , First...Choose your theme Genre
- Fairy Tale, Sports Story, Adventure etc.
Give it a standard story opener and tweet this to your network Ask network to continue the story in tweets, collaborating with the previous tweets and following them via www.twitterfall.com or a #tag Then...students follow via twitterfall, choose the best ones and edit them into a coherent story Great for editing skills, story structure etc.
Where will your network take the story? ,, Set up a new Twitter account for your class
- you will possibly want to 'protect' your updates.
Invite parents to 'follow' you, and they can see what the class are up to from any computer (home, work, internet cafe...) at any time of the day or night.
They might even tweet back now and again! , Put up a tweet asking people to give you their location.
Class first estimate distance from school, then use an atlas to gauge distance.
Then using Google Earth
- can place mark where they are and find out distances.
Retweet results! Benefits:
Gives class an immediate set of places and distances to research.
They might be interested to find out where people are and who they are! , Give children individually the Twitter 140 characters rule
- they have to write story introduction, character description or whole story.
Results can then be posted onto Twitter or via blogs In groups tell children they are to play pass it on
- but must do this in only Twitter 'speak' 140 characters.
They then add to it around the group and can be shared in same way! , One place that does that is twtpoll.com How do adult opinions differ from the views of the class? Use a Twitter poll to collect and graph opinions about a controversial issue. , Is the student's writing clique or lacking descriptive language? Use Twitter to send out a word and have your network give the students synonym and other meanings, thereby testing the literacy strength of your PLN.
Or have classrooms connect during writing workshops.
Then have the students help each other create Wordle clouds of a word and the words that are synonyms, antonyms, and examples to foster stronger and more descriptive writing.
The Wordle clouds become help posters during writing for the rest of the year. , Find someone in another class, school, country who is interested in the same topic you are.
Following each other on Twitter, share information, resources and ideas.
Help each other find answers or even suggest questions Example
- Rain Forest Primary class, primary teacher, class from special school, teacher (special), secondary class, secondary teacher and subject expert all linked via Twitter Sharing resources/learning with others is easy and context specific Primary/special pupils can tweet questions to secondary pupils who can either answer from prior knowledge or investigate.
Subject expert able to make sure all is correct Twitter quiz set by secondary pupils as plenary activity for special/primary pupils ,, Challenge your class to find the teachers who have replied.
Try to gather some evidence that you have found them
- name on football pitch, distinct shape of building
- something to prove they have been found.
Reply with this info.
Use different Google Earth layers of information to help with the search.
Gives a great real purpose to the use of Google Earth , In the past, try commenting on questions, like "What does WATER means to them?" and "What does a new term mean to you?" With a global, if somewhat still limited, perspective we were able to talk about how world climate differences can influence such a commodity.
Ask you network to comment on the issue you are discussing and to ensure they provide where they are. , Post 8 letters and see how many words can be made from it (anagram) Post a word.
Have the students find its antonyms, homonyms, synonyms.
Use www.twtpoll.com to poll students about definitions. ,,, While they work on assignments, stimulate your students to tweet and reply about:
Stuff they learn Difficulties they face Tips they want to share Great resources they find In this way, Twitter replaces the students logbook , When learning about probability and the language of chance in mathematics, use your Twitter network to offer a real world response to your questions. "What are the chances you will see a deer today?" "What are the chances it will snow where you are?" With a variety of people in different locations you will hopefully have a variety of different responses.
This has been used successfully for a few years now in my maths lessons, and the different language used in replies provides a great teaching opportunity.
From "50/50" to "Buckley's Mate"Â ! Twitter replies could then be captured, added to a IWB notebook and placed on a probability scale or indeed a map of the origin, sparking further discussion about how this affects the probability of different events. , Try creating a fictional alter-ego in Twitter who would develop as a 'character' who had a backstory.
After this has been developed, they could be 'introduced' to classes, who could follow, and do activities based on past tweets. -
Step 3: Summarize topics/views as tweets.
-
Step 4: Create a 'tweetstory'.
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Step 5: Collate classroom views (Homework (or netbooks or a computer lab)): First...set up new Twitter account with name of topic or question EG: Students discussing current economic climate might be: SaveOrSpend Ask pupils to tweet @SaveOrSpend which they think is the wisest thing to do with your hard earned cash
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Step 6: or Government taxes This allows you to study any topic that has an open question to ask Then the Twitter account collates the classes tweets in a web page... twitter.com/saveorspend (that's a dummy address so no need to URL it) Instant collaborative web page with contributors' identities included
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Step 7: Let parents follow what you are doing.
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Step 8: Find out where people are.
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Step 9: Teach them to be 'short but sweet'.
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Step 10: Take a Twitter poll.
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Step 11: Word Morph Student stuck trying to find a new or interesting word?
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Step 12: Come together.
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Step 13: Teach Point of View and Character Development Based on a novel or short story... After a study of point of view and character development Students become a character and create a Twitter account ex: @janeeyre
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Step 14: @rochester Students use their study of that character to create conversations around key events in the plot Would be even more interesting to focus on events and situations that are omitted from the text
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Step 15: but referred to
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Step 16: so the students are creating their own fiction based on their knowledge of the writer
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Step 17: the time period
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Step 18: and the characters
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Step 19: GeoTweet This follows in the footsteps of some of the other tips Introduce your class to the features of Google Earth by asking your Twitter network for a small piece of location info.
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Step 20: Study and learn Global Assembly Ask your Twitter network to comment on local or national issues for a class or whole school assembly.
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Step 21: Do some word play.
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Step 22: Use the power of Twitter and communicate with experts.
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Step 23: Use a Twitter widget for instant webpage updates.
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Step 24: Monitor the learning process.
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Step 25: Use it to demonstrate probability.
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Step 26: Create 'twalter-egos'.
Detailed Guide
After creating a bit of a network, send out a shout out asking for a variety of things.
Some of them are:
Location (e.g. for Geography) Temperature (e.g. for Science) An interesting historical fact Their opinion about something Anything, really! This makes learning based on up-to-date information and real people (with a real story behind it!)
Use TwitterFall first.
Type in a keyword ("communism"
"appeasement"
"poverty"
- whatever) Then watch the results come pouring in using twitterfall! Then use Twittermap www.twittermap.com allows you to GeoTag users and their posts You therefore get an idea of where certain topics are being discussed most... , Use www.historicaltweets.com This gives some great ideas about how famous people might summarise their ideas / experiences as "Tweets" in 140 characters max! Then...students do the same! Produce a Tweet dialogue between two opposing characters (e.g.
King Harold and William the Conqueror) about a key issue...
Summarise a topic / concept / viewpoint as a tweet; each student should be given a different one to focus on. , First...Choose your theme Genre
- Fairy Tale, Sports Story, Adventure etc.
Give it a standard story opener and tweet this to your network Ask network to continue the story in tweets, collaborating with the previous tweets and following them via www.twitterfall.com or a #tag Then...students follow via twitterfall, choose the best ones and edit them into a coherent story Great for editing skills, story structure etc.
Where will your network take the story? ,, Set up a new Twitter account for your class
- you will possibly want to 'protect' your updates.
Invite parents to 'follow' you, and they can see what the class are up to from any computer (home, work, internet cafe...) at any time of the day or night.
They might even tweet back now and again! , Put up a tweet asking people to give you their location.
Class first estimate distance from school, then use an atlas to gauge distance.
Then using Google Earth
- can place mark where they are and find out distances.
Retweet results! Benefits:
Gives class an immediate set of places and distances to research.
They might be interested to find out where people are and who they are! , Give children individually the Twitter 140 characters rule
- they have to write story introduction, character description or whole story.
Results can then be posted onto Twitter or via blogs In groups tell children they are to play pass it on
- but must do this in only Twitter 'speak' 140 characters.
They then add to it around the group and can be shared in same way! , One place that does that is twtpoll.com How do adult opinions differ from the views of the class? Use a Twitter poll to collect and graph opinions about a controversial issue. , Is the student's writing clique or lacking descriptive language? Use Twitter to send out a word and have your network give the students synonym and other meanings, thereby testing the literacy strength of your PLN.
Or have classrooms connect during writing workshops.
Then have the students help each other create Wordle clouds of a word and the words that are synonyms, antonyms, and examples to foster stronger and more descriptive writing.
The Wordle clouds become help posters during writing for the rest of the year. , Find someone in another class, school, country who is interested in the same topic you are.
Following each other on Twitter, share information, resources and ideas.
Help each other find answers or even suggest questions Example
- Rain Forest Primary class, primary teacher, class from special school, teacher (special), secondary class, secondary teacher and subject expert all linked via Twitter Sharing resources/learning with others is easy and context specific Primary/special pupils can tweet questions to secondary pupils who can either answer from prior knowledge or investigate.
Subject expert able to make sure all is correct Twitter quiz set by secondary pupils as plenary activity for special/primary pupils ,, Challenge your class to find the teachers who have replied.
Try to gather some evidence that you have found them
- name on football pitch, distinct shape of building
- something to prove they have been found.
Reply with this info.
Use different Google Earth layers of information to help with the search.
Gives a great real purpose to the use of Google Earth , In the past, try commenting on questions, like "What does WATER means to them?" and "What does a new term mean to you?" With a global, if somewhat still limited, perspective we were able to talk about how world climate differences can influence such a commodity.
Ask you network to comment on the issue you are discussing and to ensure they provide where they are. , Post 8 letters and see how many words can be made from it (anagram) Post a word.
Have the students find its antonyms, homonyms, synonyms.
Use www.twtpoll.com to poll students about definitions. ,,, While they work on assignments, stimulate your students to tweet and reply about:
Stuff they learn Difficulties they face Tips they want to share Great resources they find In this way, Twitter replaces the students logbook , When learning about probability and the language of chance in mathematics, use your Twitter network to offer a real world response to your questions. "What are the chances you will see a deer today?" "What are the chances it will snow where you are?" With a variety of people in different locations you will hopefully have a variety of different responses.
This has been used successfully for a few years now in my maths lessons, and the different language used in replies provides a great teaching opportunity.
From "50/50" to "Buckley's Mate"Â ! Twitter replies could then be captured, added to a IWB notebook and placed on a probability scale or indeed a map of the origin, sparking further discussion about how this affects the probability of different events. , Try creating a fictional alter-ego in Twitter who would develop as a 'character' who had a backstory.
After this has been developed, they could be 'introduced' to classes, who could follow, and do activities based on past tweets.
About the Author
Adam Hamilton
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in creative arts and beyond.
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