Sunday, March 27, 2011

Tweeting for Teachers

I have have to admit it - I'm definitely one of those people that rolled her eyes at Twitter.  I've always associated it with celebrities who tell the world things no one cares about, and wannabe teenagers who think the world should hang on their every word.  Yeah, just not a twitter fan.

I must say, though, that now I have a completely different view of Twitter from an educational perspective.  And the most powerful reason I say that?  The ability to use Twitter to keep parents informed of what is going on at school.  In the article The Ultimate Twitter Guide for Teachers, by edudemic, a list is given for possible uses of Twitter.  Number one on that list was using it to communicate summaries of the day and major assignments.  I could almost literally feel my jaw dropping when I read that....

One of the biggest problems in education today that one hears from so many educators is that parents are not involved enough in their children's education.  I agree with that in general, but I also think that we as teachers need to take every opportunity we can to give parents the tools to become involved.  Parents have no clue what goes on in any given classroom with the child on a daily basis.  In many cases, they do not know when assignments are due unless the child shares the information.

If a parent could read a tweet about what was covered in class that day, it may give the parent the ability to start a dialogue with their child about the topic.  It gives the parent an "in" to become involved.  Additionally, if the parent knows about tests or assignments that are coming up, they can help ensure that the child is prepared for that assessment.

I honestly think this is such a great idea.  I wish schools mandated it.  I just can't understand how there could be a downside to this kind of use of Twitter.  It's such a powerful tool to aid parental involvement....

Of course, this isn't the only use of Twitter for teachers.  A number of examples were also given on a Twitter wiki on Perdue University's website.  Per this site, Twitter can also be used to communicate with students.  Students can receive reminders about assignments and tests.  They can also use Twitter to ask questions of each other and of the teacher as they work through certain topics.  Twitter can also be used to connect students with other students in different schools, either in or outside of the United States.  For ESOL students working to develop their English written skills, this incentive to communicate in written form could be very motivating.

I still believe that celebrity tweets and tweets from the average person about his or her personal drama are ridiculous.  I will never be a person who wants to share my personal business that way, or wants to read anyone else's.  BUT, I absolutely am a convert to Twitter for educational purposes.  It's a powerful, useful, and easy tool for teachers to achieve a link to parents as well as students.