Amid contacting area colleges and universities with a teaching-oriented version of my resume to inquire about adjunct or part-time instructing positions, I enjoy surfing the web to see how other institutions of higher learning incorporate social media into the curriculum or to complement the physical act of teaching. The below stemmed from these activities.
From interactive websites like starfall.com to help kindergarten students learn spelling, to archived slide decks on using the web to teach and peers sharing advice on social networks like Classroom 2.0 — and later meeting in person to show and tell their case studies — the web is the focus of an educational paradigm shift as administrators, teachers, parents, and students discover what works and what fails.
It doesn’t take long to stumble upon best practices of using Twitter in the classroom, which is the subject of the remainder of this blog post.
The Chronicle for Higher Education published a fascinating story last fall profiling Purdue University professor Sugato Chakravarty about his methods in using Twitter to aid students to learn.
As Mr. Chakravarty paces the front of a stadium-style lecture hall, wearing a wireless microphone to make sure his lecture reaches the nosebleed seats, some students crack jokes anonymously in an official Web forum. The course is one of two at Purdue that are testing homemade software called Hotseat, which lets students key in questions from their cellphones or laptops, using Twitter or Facebook…
The moment is telling. Opening up a Twitter-powered channel in class—which several professors at other universities are experimenting with as well—alters classroom power dynamics and signals to students that they’re in control. Fans of the approach applaud technology that promises to change professors’ role from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side.” Those phrases are familiar to education reformers, who have long argued that colleges must make education more interactive to hold the interest of today’s students.
Here’s the professor and his teaching assistants in the accompanying video:
Driving 250 miles northeast of Purdue to the the campus of the University of Toledo is the home of visiting professor Kelli Marshall who elaborates how she uses Twitter in this video segment:
Kelli’s accompanying blog post is insightful as she doesn’t understand why her students refuse to tweet in the college classroom.
Since cell phones are attached to the hands of college students like an extra appendage, I assumed I’d have no problem incorporating Twitter in the classroom, particularly within a large lecture-based class of 125 students. “Surely, they’d want to tweet during a movie,” I thought. “Surely, they’d be whip out those phones and respond as though ready for a duel,” I believed. But no, that’s not how it went at all.
Perhaps the failure is due to her assumption?
Professors in other colleges are figuring out how to use Twitter as an educational tool. Cognizant that Facebook is more invasive on college campuses than Twitter, those in the know appreciate the limitation of 140 characters for improved 2-way communication.
In Wisconsin, Marquette University students live-tweet guest lectures — which its professors incorporate into the curriculum — and include the cloud computing tool in marketing course assignments.
Twitter also allows faculty members to post links to what they’re reading. Students who “follow” a professor’s tweets can get a look at the news stories that help inform their professor’s lectures or connect with the experts their teachers are following.
“If I stumble upon something that’s relevant, I could post that up there, and then when we meet back again in class, I can say, ‘Make sure you look back again at last week’s Twitter posts,’?” said Marc Tasman, a lecturer in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s journalism and mass communication department who uses Twitter.
How are you using Twitter in the classroom — whether as a student or teacher? How would you like it to be used? Or, do you think Twitter doesn’t belong there? Share your thoughts below.
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Right, trying again. I just left a comment from my phone which (based on feedback from another site) might have ended up in the spam folder
Reading this, I was thinking that if I encouraged my pupils to tweet in class I’d probably be hung on the public gallows whilst rotten tomatos were thrown at my person. Cell phones are absolutely not to be encouraged in the school where I sub. As a supply teacher I fill in for sickness and courses so I have no power or influence. I rely on my wit and friendly banter to survive
That said, I’m in again tomorrow so promise to see if the principle of a 140 character limit can be used in my lessons in some way. I’ll let you know how that works out that.
As an aside, I was under the impression that Twitter wasn’t popular with high school pupils. Perhaps that explains the reluctance of Kelli’s students?
.-= From Eleanor Edwards @ Give A Brick to you: Legislation for a weapon? You can help! =-.
The above content was from colleges, not high schools.
Sorry, I missed that
Here in the UK, ‘college’ is often used to refer to further education institutions for young people aged 16-18 and since this same age group are also to be found in our comprehensive schools (11-18), therein lies where the mistake was made.
Having read Kelli’s piece though, my point about the age group not being keen on Twitter seems to still hold water. She certainly seems to deem it a consideration.
.-= From Eleanor Edwards @ Give A Brick to you: Legislation for a weapon? You can help! =-.
I’m not a teacher or student but if it keeps professors and students awake then it sounds ok.
Not sure how it will filter into their careers outside college or university but I suppose it will work for some.
Nice post. I live in the Netherlands and well, some teachers like to use Wikipedia right here in class. It’s a step in the right direction, but unfortunately Wikipedia isn’t always right. Regarding other Web 2.0 services: Twitter. I don’t know. I think teachers here in the Netherlands think it’s just some kind of chatting programme. I don’t see people using Twitter for teaching purposes in Holland anytime soon.
It’s really a new way to learn and also would be a great revolution in education sector. But one thing is under consider that it would get only those students who is able to operate the computer and how to use the social media. What would be others?
Thanks for the mention, Ari. I think we’re all just “winging it” with Twitter in the classroom at this point. Perhaps the students will take to it someday…
.-= From Kelli Marshall to you: SHUTTER ISLAND: Subtlety and Solace in a Small Dose (5% to Be Exact) =-.
Hi Ari:
thanks for this post. Very informative and I’ve just subscribed to your blog.
I manage UPI’s multimedia Web site for journalism students, UPIU.com. I video conference (mostly with SKYPE) with journalism schools all over the world but this past week, we added Twitter into the online interaction.
I video conferenced with Southeastern Louisiana University’s Public Affairs writing course, and the professor, Dr. Amber Narro, allowed her students to tweet while I spoke with them. It reminded me of what the notebook used to be, and more: instead of taking notes, students tweet points or concepts that they found interesting, and I was able to connect with the students even after the video conference was over. Very cool.
Harumi
.-= From Harumi Gondo to you: Students Work in Haitian Hospital =-.
Hi, Ari –
Nice post, and I found the videos interesting. As a high school teacher, and one who really mostly uses old technology like strings, piston valves, and keys, I use Twitter as a broadcast communication tool for my groups. I have set up accounts for my bands and my parent group, and I send out reminders and such.
I’d love to see more of my colleagues embrace social media and technology. There are some obstacles, of course. Up-to-date technology and the bandwidth to run it would be helpful.
But there’s also those stories you hear about teachers being suspended over their personal Facebook pages and such that make those of us in the public schools a little wary of these things. It often feels as though people assume the worst, and as a result cannot embrace the best.
I imagine someday the tide will turn. At least, I can hope it will.
Sue
This is really good. Very practical and the college setting is the most appropriate as don’t think too many high school and younger kids are using that services yet (although I could be wrong).
As more and more younger kids start using Twitter I wonder what types of applications for this methodology would be effective. Especially younger kids, for things like spelling or posting extra credit questions or something along those lines. Social media is definitely in its infancy. There are so many ways to use it we haven’t even tapped into yet.
Ari, thanks for sharing Mr. Peters’ slideshow. You seem to be one of the few outlets proposing creative ways to use Twitter that are concrete, logical and can be followed through with. Glad I found this post.
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