Wednesday 21 March 2012

Facebook and Twitter in the Classroom





It was fitting that in the week of Twitter’s 5th Birthday the NIedchat community were asking whether or not schools could ignore Social Networking sites for much longer.


It was plainly evident that the vast majority of the teachers who took part in the discussion felt that schools should be trying to utilise the huge potential of social media – probably not surprising since the participants are all avid users of social media – however here was a belief that social networking sites have become uch an integral part of the world we live in now that it does not make sense to exclude them form the classroom.

A number of teachers shared how they were using Twitter.




This idea came from Trevor Connolly. He is using Twitter as part of a literacy initiative. His students are sharing articles they are reading using the hashtag #read1thing (http://chirpstory.com/li/5462)

Trevor has share the instruction document below.




The poll this week threw up some interesting results. Of the participants who responded most stared that their schools do not use Social Networking sites in an official capacity. Also, the poll suggests that teachers would like to use Twitter in the classroom but are less sure about using facebook. You can view the poll results by clicking on the link below.



Selected Tweets


If we're not meeting our students at least halfway in the world they live in, the world they communicate in -then we
may give up. @dmurray742

syded0

Schools should have an official FB & TW account because if they don't, students might do it themselves @johnmayo


Other Links


Using Facebook in Education - via @dmchugh675

An alternative to Twitter suggest by @AnGaeilgeoir1 via @mapsman

Teaching with Twitter - via @catherinecronin



Interesting ways to use Twitter in the Classroom


Tweet of the Week


To ignore Twitter & Facebook gives students the impression that what happens in schools does not happen in real life.

@mynameisdermot

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