Twitter is one of my favorite classroom tools. Because I have so much to say about it, I'm going to break my Twitter posts into parts. Obviously, this is Twitter for the Classroom {Part 1}, and I promise to give you the link to the next part at the end of this post. :)
Our {Part 1} discussion topics:
- What Is Twitter?
- Who Uses Twitter?
- Ways to Generate More Classroom Interest in Twitter
The Jist
Twitter is a free social networking site. But what's it all about? How does it work?
Twitter is comprised of users who send out short status updates (called "tweets") that are 140 characters or less in length. Tweets can also include links to picture or videos, but are usually shortened to avoid hitting the 140-character limit.
Users sign up and begin updating their status. They find users they know or that represent popular companies, bands, etc. and "follow." Like Facebook, once you "follow" someone, you will see their status updates in your "news feed" immediately upon logging into your account. Unlike Facebook, friendships can be one-sided. That is, you are free to follow to someone and they are free, in turn, to not follow you.
Lists
Users can sort the people they follow into lists, which are categories created by each individual user. So if I was following three educators on my Twitter, I might create a list called "Teachers" and put them all in that list. This allows me to quickly see updates from users in related topics.
Hashtags
The "hashtag" is very popular on Twitter, and is shown as the pound symbol (#). A hashtag might also be called a "trending topic." Users insert hashtags into their tweets before a popular word or topic is discussed. Once submitted to the Twitter feeds, any user who searches for that particular topic will see your tweet, even if your tweets are "private." For instance, if you tweet this message: "Stuck in traffic. #IHateTrafficJams" the words "IHateTrafficJams" will become a link in your tweet. You can click on those words (or "the hashtag") to be taken to a feed other other users who have used the same hashtag. (Click here for a current list of users who have used the #IHateTrafficJams hashtag!) There is no rhyme or reason for hashtags; they are completely user-generated. That means that there are times when you will search for a hashtag that no one has used. This also means that you have a chance to connect with like-minded tweeters via the hashtag search function (keep this in mind, as it is very important. We'll discuss it in a future post.)
Privacy
Users can protect their tweets or leave them unprotected. "Protected" means that potential followers must submit a "follow request," and you must approve or deny each and every one of them. In turn, only users whom you have approved will see your tweets (excluding tweets with hashtags).
Mentions/Replies
Users can talk to each other by putting the @ symbol and the username of the person they'd like to talk to somewhere in their tweet. If someone types the @ symbol and your username before tweeting a message, you will see that tweet appear in your "mentions" tab; this serves to let you know that someone is talking to or about you in a status update.
Direct Messages (DMs)
Users can speak to each other privately by using the direct message (DM) feature. These messages are still limited to 160 characters each, but are away from the prying eyes of the public.
Connecting to Your Mobile Device
Users can connect their Twitter accounts to their mobile phones. One great thing about Twitter is that users do not have to have Internet access to use Twitter on their cell phones. Twitter, like Facebook, can be updated via text message. Twitter does not charge users for having status updates sent through their phones; the only charges that apply are the ones issued by your individual cell phone service provider. Thus, if a user has unlimited text messaging, then absolutely no charges are made to update Twitter through a cell phone text message.
If you link your mobile phone to your Twitter account, you do have some options to customize. You can request that status updates from particular users be sent to your phone (in a text message). You can request that no other users' status updates be sent to your phone at all. You can reply to users' tweets and/or mentions via text message, as well. Twitter is pretty functional via text message!
What's more, you don't have to have a cell phone OR a computer in order to access Twitter; there are Twitter apps all over the place! Some are free, and some cost a few dollars because of the extra features, but they all do the same thing: allow users to connect to Twitter and communicate as they would if they were on a regular computer. If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, there are lots of Twitter apps you can download. I know there is a Blackberry Twitter app, and I'm sure there's one for Android, as well. Tablets that have Internet access can find a way to connect to Twitter easily.
Who Uses Twitter?
Twitter is like Facebook: you can find virtually any one or any company using it.
For example:
I could go on for days. Tons of radio stations, TV shows (#DanceMoms is pretty popular right now!), celebrities, athletes, and even schools are participating in the Twitter craze.
You can find almost any one, any company, any organization, and any cause on Twitter. Part of what makes Twitter so great is that so many people use it.
Ways to Generate More Classroom Interest in Twitter
Eventually, we want to develop intrinsic motivation in our students to do the class activities. But if your class needs a little push, here are a few things you could do to "inspire" them to participate more:
- Record grades for any or all of the Twitter activities
- Allow students without a Twitter account to sign up for one during class
- Make sure the Twitter website is unblocked on school computers (tricky!)
- Offer bonus points if students register and/or participate
- Make sure posts are worthwhile and helpful to students
- Make it "cool" to get educational tweets (Good luck with this one. When you figure out how to do it, let me know! :)
Continue: Twitter for the Classroom {Part 2}
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