Tag: Twitter

Twitter in the Classroom

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

One of my favorite aspects of teaching is keeping update with new technology, and finding exciting ways to capture my student’s interest. Many people use social media like Facebook and Twitter outside the classroom, but at a recent training I attended, I learned about how teachers can use Twitter inside the classroom, and I thought it was awesome! Please enjoy the guest post below, and let me know what you think!

When it comes to social media in the classroom, some educators remain skeptical. These individuals think that Twitter does not have a place in the classroom and that the only purpose it would serve would be as a distraction.

But Twitter can actually be extremely beneficial to both students and teachers, but too many schools are refusing to see these benefits, eliminating the site from school computers. Most schools just suffer from pure ignorance to the advantages.

1. Continue the lecture.
It is sometimes hard for teachers to present all of their information during the allotted classroom time. Instead of trying to rush through all the information, Twitter allows teachers to continue the lecture even when class is over. Teachers can use Twitter to provide students with links to videos or websites that provide more information about they topic they’re currently learning. This allows teacher to ensure that their students are receiving all the information relating to the topic so that they’re not missing out on any important details.

2. Students can share notes.
Taking notes is essential to education, and if a student misses a day of school, it can be difficult to catch up on the notes taken during the day they missed. With Twitter, both teachers and students can provide links to websites where students can find information or notes about what they missed in class. Now, students who are sick don’t have to spend a great deal of time trying to catch up.

3. Students can learn more on their own.
Thanks to the use of hashtags, students can easily find information via Twitter about topics they’re learning in school. They can gain knowledgeable information from others who are discussing the same topic, and they can even join in conversations that are taking place on the web. This allows students to hear perspective from people other than their teacher, and it can be a great way to help them gain more information for the test.

4. Use the technology for homework.
Instead of sending students home with worksheets, send homework to Twitter. The teacher can post questions via Twitter and have students answer them on the site. It’s also a great way for teachers to provide help for students outside of the classroom. A student can reach out to a teacher when they have questions, helping them gain information when they’re studying.

5. Send reminders to your class.
How often are students saying “I forgot” when it comes to class assignments or tests? Twitter can alleviate this issue. Teachers can send reminders to their students about projects or assignments that are due or remind them about upcoming tests. This way, students will have reminders to provide them with ample time to study or finish projects.

6. Keep parents involved.
If parents are on Twitter, it’s a great way for them to stay up to date with their child’s education. Parents can use Twitter to join discussions with teachers to find out what their child is learning and if they need any extra help. Parents can also find out assignments from the teacher to make sure that their child is keeping up with assignments and projects and that they’re amply studying for tests.

So before educators and parents start ruling out Twitter in the classroom, they should instead find out the benefits associated with it first, and then they may start singing a different tune.

Ben Myers is a college English professor. He is currently grading a huge stack of essays on Of Mice and Men. In his spare time, Ben likes to study about learning methods and learning disabilities.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

What’s Really Happening Here At UC Davis?

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Jennifer Wolfe

While my 8th grade students are learning about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the American Revolution, history is being made right in front of us. Colonists, in the form of UC Davis students, are rebelling against the Red Coats, in the form of the administration and the government. And just like in the Revolution, it all started with a shot heard round the world. Only this time the shot came from a can of pepper spray.

What began on Nov. 15 as a peaceful Occupy UCD protest on the university quad climaxed as a violent confrontation between students and police. Students, tired of being “taxed” for their education, revolted against their oppressors, the “government.” They organized and chanted: “Black, brown, Asian, White, 99 percent unite”. The problem is, as they organized, they did not count on the 50-plus police officers turning their revolution into a full-fledged attack.

Armed only with signs proclaiming “Beat Wall Street Not Students” and “People Over Profit,” students occupied administration buildings the first day and then the quad the next. They were asked to leave, but they didn’t, so they were arrested. And as they sat peacefully, they were systematically doused with yellow flumes pepper spray. With their message clear, the police then dispersed, leaving students in pain and confusion.

And now I’m confused. What really is happening here? Students and professors acted within their rights to peacefully assemble and voice their freedom of speech on their campus that they have paid inflated prices to attend. Aren’t the salaries of these officers paid by the students whom they are supposed to protect?

Everyone knows the status of public education in California. There’s not enough money to run programs, pay salaries, or equip facilities to meet 21st century standards. Protest chants of “Education must be free, no cuts, no fees” have been shouted by university students and professors trying to get their message out. And in return, they are silenced with spray?

Who is leading this revolution? How can the tables turn from a peaceful protest to police intervention?
Police are not supposed to be part of the problem. If seated students linking arms are not breaking the law, don’t spray them. If they are breaking the law, then why did the police spray and then leave the scene?

Where have the students’ rights gone? Systematically arresting students would seem to both acknowledge their rights to occupy their own campus as well as send a message to others to disperse or accept the consequences. Where are the people’s rights over profit here?

Maybe the police didn’t count on the students’ ability to fight back with media. Armed with cell phones and video cameras, our tech-savvy citizens’ ability to tweet and harness the power of the web provided them invaluable ammunition to their fight. The cameras do not lie — they are just another tool for nonviolent protestors to gather their troops and spread the word. The Red Coats are coming. Link together. Stand strong in the face of oppressors.

So now we prepare for a revolution with the real message becoming lost in the muddle of the war. The issue is far from over. The troops are now strategizing, both sides arming themselves and readying to launch a new offensive. And as Patrick Henry tried to teach us over 300 years ago, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government-lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”

Maybe everyone should sit down together on the grass for a minute and think about that.

Jennifer Wolfe

Tweet That, Ms. Kardashian

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Jennifer Wolfe

There is something seriously wrong in our world, and it has to do with the Kardashians. I’m not talking about Kim’s 72 day marriage and what to do with her wedding gifts, or Kris’s blatant exhibition of her ignorance towards politically correct terms for Native Americans. It has to do with Khloe, and her famous behind.

I’ll admit, I don’t know much about the Kardashians other than what I just mentioned. Like many people, I first heard of them when their father was the infamous attorney defending OJ back in the 1990s. I don’t watch reality TV, and never could figure out how someone could be famous for….just being famous. Like Paris Hilton. What did she ever do to be a celebrity? Eat at Carl’s Junior?

So when I saw the AP headline this morning “The price of fame: $10,000 for one tweet” I was intrigued. I tweet. I blog. I Facebook, Stumble, Tumbl and I want to get in on that deal! On a teacher’s salary, $10,000 could go a long way.

Turns out, Old Navy has paid Khloe Kardashian to tweet about her butt. I’m so disappointed. I actually like Old Navy. So to hear that Khloe is jamming the Twittersphere with pleas for us to find out “…how Old Navy makes your butt look scary good” really bummed me out. And to top it all off, she and other ‘celebs’ like her are making more money for that less-than-140 –character-phrase than many Americans are making from months of hard work. What is wrong with this picture?

And the list goes on. Charlie Sheen and his search for an ‘intern’. Snoop Dogg selling minivans? Lakers star Lamar Odom staying at two star motels? And my personal favorite, Lindsay Lohan tweeting about challenges facing college students. Excuse me?

Here’s the irony. These celebrities are tweeting at you. Me. Our families. At a rate of $71 per character. Why? Because they get retweeted by us, the consumers. Not because these people actually use these products, or visit these businesses. But because Lohan’s 2.6 million fans then send thousands of clicks to the website she is promoting, sending more cash into their pockets.

So the next time you see one of these tweets from ‘I’m famous for being famous’ celebrities, or athletes, musicians or spokespeople, think before you RT. That $10,000 salary they’re making could go a long way to educate our children, feed our hungry, or care for our sick. Tweet that.