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I recently posed a question on my Teacher Garden Facebook fan page, asking for ideas of how to use QR codes in the classroom. While I was unable to obtain any more ideas, Lori over at Conversations in Literacy asked for some of my ideas, so I was propelled to do some more research over QR codes in the classroom. I was surprised by what I found!

I originally posted that I was still unsure of their uses, and I could only find a few ways to use them in the classroom. Well, gone are those days! :) After using Pinterest and Google to help, I have collected a fairly wide variety of ways to use QR codes in the classroom. Here is a list of ways I've found so far. If I found the idea elsewhere, I've linked up to it, so just click the idea to be taken to the original source!

1. Connect QR codes to a Google doc. Print QR codes on stickers and attach them to all of your library materials (could be books, iPods, etc.) available for student checkout. Ask students to scan the QR code to check out/in materials. The Technology Tips blog used QR codes to check out equipment, and the author there gives more details as to how to set up the Google doc to make it all possible.
2. Scott Sibberson blogged about connecting a QR code to the "picture of the week" and using it as sort-of an anticipatory set to get students thinking about upcoming information.
3. Along the same lines as number three, you could connect a QR code to a writing prompt (text or picture...I've heard of people using National Geographic's picture of the day as a daily bellringer writing prompt!) and ask students to scan it upon entering the room. They could then use the text/picture they receive as "writing fuel."
4. Scott Sibberson also blogged about connecting QR codes to quiz websites (like QuizStar) and asking students to take the quizzes either inside or outside of class.
5. Finally, Mr. Sibberson also suggested linking QR codes to the assessment/assignment of the day and posting each individual QR code on a large class calendar. Absent students could scan the QR code to have immediate access to information they missed. Since you can link a QR code to pretty much anything, you could show kids the Prezi presentation you made, a YouTube clip that enhanced learning, a PDF-version of the assignment, a picture slideshow of their classmates completing physical/social activity...whatever! I really like this idea, but I'm just not sure how well I would be able to keep up with it. ;)
6. I really love this idea, captured on livinglocurto's Instagram: use a QR code to connect to a Bully-reporting website or hotline! I'm not sure how practical it is -- I know a lot of kids wouldn't want to be caught scanning that code, but maybe the QR code would make it so "cool" that everyone would be scanning it, just to have something to scan. (Remember, part of the fun of QR codes is the novelty of it at this point!)
7. Along the same lines as number six, counselors (or teachers) could generate QR codes to suicide hotlines, informational websites about ADD or ADHD, etc. and post them around the school or in their office. Although I understand that not all school counselors are certified to diagnose mental disorders or learning disabilities, I think the ones who are could generate a QR code to a questionnaire about cetain disorders. For instance, if a student wanted to get a quick-read about whether or not she was depressed (to know if it was something she needed to worry about and talk to an adult about), this student could scan a QR code to a quick checklist of attributes that depressed persons usually have. If she checked positive for x number of the attributes, she would know to talk to an adult about what could potentially be clinical depression. This might be great for junior high and high school students, where a quick scan of a QR code is all you need to get the information. A lot of times, those students are too embarrassed to stand and study information on a poster like that, so the ability to scan and read on the go would be invaluable.
8. Attach a QR code to a Mapquest or Google Maps link and put it on fliers for Open Houses or seminars, particularly if you have a large school district. People could scan the code and be given directions as to how to get to an event.
9. Spinning off of idea number eight, maybe you could also attach addresses/contact information to QR codes and put them on things like basketball schedules or StuCo meeting signs!
10. When giving a presentation in class, instead of handing out paper copies of your presentation to everyone, maybe you just hand them a QR code to scan and view while you present. You're still handing out paper, but you're probably saving a ton of it, since QR codes can be pretty tiny and still work!
11. For textbooks or novels, create a QR code that links to a Wallwisher or specific Twitter hashtag. Give copies of the code to all students and ask them to participate in a discussion on that text. Mr. Mitchell's blog is where I originally found the ideas for Wallwisher and making text interactive; I added the thoughts about a Twitter hashtag myself. :) 
12. The Primary Bits and Bytes blog wrote a post about QR codes and a new thing called StickyBits. Basically, the author describes QR codes as a one-way information system, and StickyBits is the more advanced older brother: it actually allows anyone to add information to the link. (I foresee a blog post on StickyBits coming up soon!) Although the author of Primary Bits and Bytes really intended for these ideas to be used with StickyBits, there are some that can be used with QR codes. ...One of my favorites is the idea for students to review books in the classroom library on some type of website (Shelfari?). Afterwards, generate a QR code, print it onto a sticker, and stick it to the back of the library book. I love that students can get instant access to classmates' reviews -- those reviews are so powerful!
13. Also from Primary Bits and Bytes, you could create a treasure hunt for students using QR codes. Each QR code would have to take students to a clue -- text, graphic, video, podcast of you speaking a riddle...whatever! -- that they would use to find the next clue in the hunt.
14. Along the same lines as number thirteen, I like the idea of going on a textbook or novel hunt. My instructor during a Great Expectations course for secondary students detailed how to do a textbook hunt (basically asking students to get "the big picture" by way of a competitive worksheet activity), but I know there's got to be a way to incorporate QR codes! I'm still working on developing this one... when I figure it out, I'll let ya know. :)
15. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests asking students to make YouTube videos to explain how they reached the end of math problems. Instead of just writing the answer, students make the videos and attach them to the book or answer sheet for you to watch/grade.
16. Along the same lines as number fifteen, you could generate a QR code to a homework help website, a helpful YouTube explanation video, etc. on the top of homework. If students struggle at home with the assignment, they could review extra explanations instantly.
17. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests sticking a code on the front of a student's binder/folder/journal and using it as a way to add feedback. The author also suggests doing this for homework.
18. Along the same lines as number seventeen, what if we made a personal webpage or blog for each student in the class? We could generate QR codes and give them to each student and parent. Throughout the year, that could be used as an on-going feedback to evaluate not only assignments, but behavior and social growth, as well. I suppose it could also be used as sort of an instant messager system to relay information like absences or transportation changes! I would say this would be a great opportunity to use Wallwisher, but I like the idea of all feedback being obviously chronological; this way, everyone could see the student's progress as the year goes on!
19. Spinning off of number eighteen, what about using QR codes as access to a student's online portfolio? Students could link up to their Dropbox or LiveBinder accounts, and teachers could use the codes to quickly access progress or give final grades!
20. Primary Bits and Bytes suggests using QR codes to enhance hallway decorations. I like to use a "virtual 'fridge" to display wonderful work on my classroom website. I could definitely see myself generating a QR code to go directly to that virtual 'fridge to let everyone in the school know who, in my classroom, has recently done outstanding work.
21. Along the same lines as number twenty, we could also use QR codes in our hallway decor for Open House or conference nights. You could display students' pictures (or self-portraits) on the bulletin board, and attach a QR code to their latest and greatest achievement right next to each student. Parents could get a "quick response" on what positive things have been happening for that kid lately!
22. This Pinterest picture was uploaded by a user, so there's no way for me to link to any blog about it, but it suggests using QR codes as a way to spice up test reviews. I assume each of those QR codes on their test review page will show some sort of math review on the screen. It does seem like a lot of extra hoops to jump through, but it would be good to use every once in a while, just to get the kids something different!
23. As mentioned in my original post about QR codes, you could always put your contact information in the form of a QR code on a class syllabus or even at the bottom of your class newsletter! Parents/students could scan the code and automatically have their phones call or text you for help/information.
24. Maybe using Google docs, Survey Monkey, or some form of online quiz, you could use QR codes to take attendance. Post the code at the front of the room with a new "warm-up question" each morning. Students scan and input their responses as soon as they come in the door. You can take attendance by seeing who responded to the warm-up. ...Elementary students could also take a "quiz" over what kind of lunch they'd like for the day, so you'd get attendance and a lunch count, all in one!
25. Prior a field trip with younger students, you could link contact information for the school to a QR code, and print the codes onto square stickers. Each student could be required to wear the sticker all day long! It's more subtle than student name tags (which can be dangerous) and less expensive than matching t-shirts! ...If you planned on doing this often, you could always print your QR code onto something more heavy-duty, like a bracelet or necklace, and hand those out to the kids prior to the trip. Their ticket off the bus and to their home is to give you back the QR coded accessory. :)
26. As per Classroom in the Cloud: For daily homework or a study guide, link a QR code to the answers, and place the code at the bottom or on the backside of the handout. Allow students to check answers this way to make sure they're studying correctly!
27. As per Classroom in the Cloud: Have each teacher create a picture slideshow or video that tells about themselves, and post the QR codes to those shows on each teacher's door. Classroom in the Cloud suggests allowing parents/students to scan the codes and "meet" teachers during Open House night this way.
28. Spinning off of number twenty-seven: why not attach these "Meet Your Teacher" QR codes to every kid's schedule when it is mailed/given out prior to the beginning of the school year? Every kid could "meet" their teacher, even if he/she couldn't be there for the actual open house night!
29. Also spinning off of number twenty-seven, if you had to leave during conference night or Open House  night, perhaps you could post an introductory/explanatory video (in the form of a QR code) on your door so that everyone could still "talk" to you, even though you couldn't be there!
30. Also via Classroom in the Cloud: create a series of graphic/video QR codes prior to a field trip. Pass out the codes and tell kids when to scan them. It's like a personal tour without you having to yell it over the roar of the bus!
31. Twitter user @duckinwales suggested attaching audio files to QR codes and giving them to ELL students so they could listen to the correct pronunciation.
32. Spinning off of idea number thirty-one, teachers of early readers could attach audio files of themselves reading a book or giving center instructions and have students scan the code when they need help.
33. I've already mentioned placing a QR code at the top of a syllabus or classroom newsletter in order to give your contact information. But Michael Bromby also suggests linking an Amazon search for your class's needed reading material for the semester/year onto a QR code. Pretty clever! Students will have instant access to the title/author/ISBN of each book needed and can even order it directly from their smartphone!
34. Spinning off of idea number thirty-three, what if teachers created an Amazon wish list filled with the necessary school supplies for the year? Generate a QR code to that wish list and allow students to reference it on their smartphone when they're in the store or even purchase it from their smartphone and have it delivered directly to their home!
35. Twitter user @LRDow suggested generating QR codes for specific web pages on your class website and placing those codes directly on the page it links to. To share this information with their friends, students only have to pass on the QR codes -- not the entire link.
36. For art teachers who display students' artwork in your galleries: post a QR code with the child's name and mugshot right next to it so that students are credited with the work without defacing their art with unecessary writing.
37. Tired of turning in lesson plans every week, but still need to find a way for admin and parents to immediately see what your class is doing and what objectives you're covering? Upload your lesson plans to your class website and then post a QR code outside your classroom with a link to the lesson plans. Admin only has to scan your code to figure out what your students are learning at that very moment.
38. Place QR codes in yearbooks that link to audio and video of students!
39. I use a homework buddy system with my older students: at the beginning of the semester, I ask them to find 4 classmates they think they can trust and to exhange contact information with them. When someone is absent, students don't come to me to find out what they missed; instead, they ask a homework buddy (or check our class website). Twitter user @raganmd suggests asking students to fill out contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, personal website URLS) on a website called Jump Scan, and then generating the QR code for each Jump Scan profile. I could easily see this working with my homework buddies program; the information auomatically ends up in your phone!
40. Twitter user @mrrobbo suggests attaching QR codes to physical models. For instance, on a classroom skeleton, attach QR codes with informational videos/links about each part of the body.
41. Twitter user @mrrobbo also suggests creating a "choose your own adventure" story experience for reading students. (I'm thinking of those RL Stine books I used to read in elementary school; some of them were "choose your own adventure" stories.) Create an exciting sentence for a story, and then ask readers to make a decision. If they choose option 1, scan code #1. If they choose option #2, scan code #2. Brilliant!
42. Twitter user @NigelKirkham said he an audio file in his public Dropbox folder and created a QR code for the public folder's link. Scanning the code enabled users to listen to the file!

Ideas #35, 39, 40, 41, and 42 were found on @TomBarrett's Google docs presentation on ways to use QR codes in the classroom.

These are all the ideas I've been able to find so far, but I think it's an excellent starting point! If you have any other ideas for using QR codes in the classroom, I would love it if you left them in a comment! You could also scan this QR code and leave a comment on The Teacher Garden Facebook fan page. :)
Happy QR-ing!



P.S. There's a great website I just found out about (courtesy of commenter #1, Matt) that is centered around using QR codes in the classroom! Here's the link in case you'd like to check it out!

I've done posts about using Facebook in the classroom, but I know that it is still a bit of a hot topic. Because of all the scandals that arise on Facebook from those few unprofessional co-workers, lots of schools are being forced to crack down on social networking tools in the classroom. Because of the strict social networking rules in lots of districts, many teachers are wary to use even a Facebook fan page in their classrooms, for fear of violating a policy.

The bad news is, if you abandon social networking in your classroom, you will miss out on lots of teaching and discussion opportunities. The good news is now, though, is that there are alternative social networking websites besides just Facebook. For one thing, there's Twitter (which has a multitude of uses in the classroom; read more about my thoughts on that here). But Twitter doesn't exactly have the user interface or multiple capabilities that Facebook has.

Even more good news: there's a new social networking site out there that was created specifically for schools.

My Big Campus is a social networking site that is only available for students, school staff members, and parents. Just like Facebook, My Big Campus features notifications and comment sharing via "walls." Also like Facebook, My Big Campus allows for instant messages and posts on discussion boards, which enables students to collaborate online. Unlike Facebook, however, My Big Campus gives teachers the ability to group her students by class and/or period. The teacher can also upload documents (homework, notes, pictures, videos, etc.) and assign quizzes. One nice feature is that My Big Campus will grade the quizzes you post and gives you the option to export those grades to your computer and/or other online gradebook system. Another nice feature about My Big Campus is that students can submit homework online through this application. Some of you may remember a post I did about creating your own classroom website. In that post, I mentioned Class Jump (which reminded me of Blackboard), a no-frills way to post classroom documents and allow students to submit work. The ability to submit assignments through My Big Campus reminds me of Class Jump, but Class Jump doesn't have all the discussion features, so I think My Big Campus is definitely the way to go!

In addition to the ability to submit assignments online, My Big Campus allows teachers and students to easily see which assignments are past due and which are upcoming. The teacher has the ability to easily see which students still need to turn in work, which sounds like a real time-saver to me!

Another feature of My Big Campus is that the teacher can actually post comments and give grades to an assignment -- all online. The more I look at My Big Campus, the more I'm convinced that it will help schools transition to a paperless system!

Finally, there is an app for this. Connect your smartphone to My Big Campus and take a piece of the classroom with you wherever you go.  The My Big Campus app is free, too, which is an added bonus in my book!

Administrators, if any of you are feeling uncomfortable with this description of My Big Campus, rest assured that you have a lot more control with this online tool than you do with Facebook. As an admin member of your school, you can join My Big Campus and link up to your teachers' pages. You can manage their content and decide what everyone is allowed to post in each class. Perhaps you dislike the idea of an instant messaging feature for whatever reason; you can disable this feature on one class or all of the classes in your school -- it is completely customizable.

My Big Campus requires school staff members to submit the name of their school upon sign-up. I suppose this is so parents and students can more easily find their teachers' webpage. This feature probably also prevents the general public from overtaking My Big Campus and using it as the next Facebook, which also keeps this website a bit safer than a run-of-the-mill social networking opportunity!

When signing up, the teacher has the option for the basic, standalone (and free) version, or he/she can sign up for the integrated version. The paid version (which does not list a price...there is only a link to request a quote) allows teachers to post content from regularly-blocked sites to My Big Campus and has a few other nice perks. Once one teacher in the school has created a profile using My Big Campus, he/she can hand out the invitation code so that other teachers, students, and parents can easily find and connect with that school's sites.

I'm anxious to know how your experience with My Big Campus goes! Leave me a comment and let me know!

If you haven't heard about Pinterest, or are just too confused about it right now to try it, read on! I want to explain Pinterest and why it can be a useful tool for your classroom.

What Is It?

Pinterest is basically a series of virtual corkboards onto which you can "pin" ideas. One of the fabulous things about Pinterest is that it's online, so no matter what computer you're on, if you have access to the internet, you have access to your boards! I know for sure that there is a Pinterest app for iPhone, too, so people with Apple smartphones can take their Pinterest boards and ideas with them wherever they go. Also, anyone can see your Pinterest pins, and you can see everyone else's. I know that sometimes that "no privacy" thing stinks, but in this case, it may be a good thing. Users can browse pins in whichever category they choose and "repin" to their heart's delight. Not being limited to only yours and your friends' ideas has made this website the prime site for creative inspiration.

How Does It Work?

When you log onto Pinterest, you have a profile, much like you do on Facebook or any other social networking website. Your profile contains all your boards, which contain all your pins. You get to decide how many boards and pins you have, what you name your boards, and what pins you place on each board. Pinterest users have already pinned thousands of great ideas onto their Pinterest boards, and you can access their ideas by either "following" their boards or doing a search across ALL boards in Pinterest. You can "repin" others' ideas and/or add your own new pins from whatever website you want.

If you're trying to add a new idea to Pinterest, you'll type in the URL (or use the special "Pin It!" button that you can place in your internet window's toolbar), select a picture from that page that you'd like to use to best capture your idea, and pick the board onto which you'd like to pin it. You canalso upload your own pictures. It really is that simple!

When you create a board, you have the option of making the board one where only you can contribute or opening it up to the public so that anyone can contribute to it. Be aware that there is currently no "private" option, though, so don't pin anything you wouldn't be comfortable with others seeing!

How Do I Use It In the Classroom?

Personal Use -- You can use Pinterest to make your teaching life easier! Pin all those teacher-blogs you've been following. Pin all the bookmarks you've got saved and visit regularly. Pin classroom pictures. Pin lesson plan ideas. ...Are you getting how versatile Pinterest is?! I have been able to pin SO many fab teaching ideas from other educators on Pinterest. It really does make life easier! In case you'd like to see 'em, here are my classroom boards:

• Decorations
• ELAR
• Gifts
• Holidays
• Management
• Math
• Miscellaneous
• Organization
• Science and Social Studies
• Technology

And I'm sure the list will grow even more in the days to come!

I used to clump all classroom-related ideas into one board labeled "classroom." But I found SO MANY ideas that I wanted a way to organize it more efficiently. So now, I have several classroom Pinterest boards.
Student use/resources -- You can actually incorporate Pinterest into classroom projects and activities! Here are the ideas I've found (or imagined) so far:

1. Ask students to collect ideas/pictures about something in particular that you're studying. Maybe your kindergarten students are studying the letter "a" and will focus on collecting as many "a" items on their personal Pinterest board as possible. Maybe your secondary English students are studying hyperbole, and they need to collect as many real world examples of hyperbole on their board as possible. The beauty of Pinterest is that you can use it to pin anything, so no subject is off-limits!
2. Pin boards full of examples for students to access at home or during class.
3. Pin boards full of educational YouTube videos.
4. Pin boards full of quotes for bellwork or journal writing.
5. Pin boards full of images for bellwork or journal writing.
6. Pin boards full of images to act as anticipatory sets. You could project them in class with the click of a couple buttons, and students can even comment on them to start a discussion.
7. Create a collaborative board and allow ELAR students to pin images of books they liked or would like to read.
8. Create a collaborataive board and allow science students to pin experiments they'd like to try.
9. Create a collaborative board and allow history students to pin historical figures, events, and monuments they'd lik to study (or are studying).
10. Create a collaborative board and allow math students to pin images of careers that use math (to answer the age-old whine of, "why do I hafta knoooowwww this?")
11. Create a collaborative board and allow technology students to pin images of tech tips, tools, or websites that might be useful to everyone in the class.
12. Create a collaborative board and allow music students to pin the images of their favorite artists or albums.
13. Create a collabortive board and allow art students to pin images of their favorite artwork...or upload their own! 
14. Create a collaborative board and allow students to pin images of subjects they'd like to study in any subject!
15. Create a collaborative board and allow students to turn in assignments...? I'm not sure about the logistics of this one, since I know every student would be able to see every other student's work. So, obviously, this wouldn't work for exams. But book reports, projects, presentations, or little homework assignments might work. Since there would probably be no images available, students would need to take a screenshot of their work and then upload it to Pinterest with the link to their actual work and their name at the bottom of the pin.
16. Create a collaborative board and have every student add the pin that connects to his/her online portfolio. It would be an easy way to keep track of everyone's portfolios, and students could check out other student's portfolios for inspiration or motivation.
17. Create a collaborative borad and allow students to pin images of things they're interested in...it might be interesting to have links and visual reminders of how to connect with students. (It might be easier to make lessons relevant if, say, I understand that Hannah Montana is out and The Biebs is in!)
18. Students could take advantage of the Apple iPhone app for Pinterest by using it to snap pictures of things in their day-to-day lives and pin them to a specific board. For instance, let's say that your kindergarten class (the one that's studying the letter "a") has a classroom set of iPod touches and a school-wide wifi connection. Why not send your students on a scavenger hunt for all items beginning with "a"? They could work in pairs or teams and walk the school grounds with the Pinterest app open. When they see an "a" item, all they have to do is snap a picture of it with the built-in camera on the app, and add it to the appropriate Pinterest board. When the students come back to class at the end of the hunt, the teacher can access the boards on her computer and project the results on the wall for everyone to see and analyze.  OR you could make it a competitive scavenger hunt and give each pair/group their own board!
19. Ask students to collect and organize information for, say, a research report. Let's say the students are studying Egypt and must write and present a report over Egypt to the class on x date. Why not use Pinterest to organize ideas? While surfing the web, students could pin useful articles and detailed, accurate pictures onto their Pinterest board. There's no more bookmarking tons of websites or writing down URLs on paper. Users can access Pinterest boards from any electronic device with internet capabilities, so their research is saved and accessible in a variety of places outside the walls of the school. In the event that a resource doesn't have a picture (a requirement for a pin), just take a screenshot and upload it!
20. For group projects, group members can share ideas via collaborative Pinterest boards.
21. Twitter user @teach46 suggests using it for getting-to-know-you activities! I love the idea of students collecting images that tell me (and fellow classmates) more about their individual personalities, family life, hobbies, interests, etc!
22. Twitter user @teach46 also suggests having students pin their personal goals. It would be interesting to have such a visual image of goals at the beginning of the year, and it could it updated whenever the students find a new goal and/or cross off one on the list.
23. Another idea from Twitter user @teach46: use Pinterest in the ELAR classroom by having students create character charts that represent their favorite character in a novel they're reading! I really love this idea, too!
24. Track extra credit points.  For instance, I had an on-going extra credit opportunity in my secondary English class last year. My students were able to earn 2 bonus points every time they brought in a picture or example of something we'd learned in class. If the students had been paying attention, they would've realized they could've earned infinite bonus points in this because examples of our lessons were EVERYWHERE in public! Any time they saw a vocabulary word, author, concept, literary device, etc. that we had studied, they could earn bonus points. My catch was that no two people could present the same example; the first student to get that example to me was the one who got the points. If you had a collaborative Pinterest board (perhaps labeled "Extra Credit" or "Real Life Examples"), students could post those examples to the board and write their name in the description in order to claim the points. Other students would then not only know what examples had already been presented, but they would also be able to access all these real world examples and see how that subject pertains to life outside the classroom walls.
     

How Do I Get Started? 

• Go to www.Pinterest.com. 
• In the middle at the top, there's a big, red button that says, "request an invite." Click on it. 
• Enter your e-mail address into the text box and click "request invitation."
• You should get an invitation to Pinterest in your e-mail's inbox very shortly (if it doesn't happen, e-mail me and I'll send you a request!).
• Click on the link in your e-mail to activate your account. Once your account is activated, you can begin! 
• In the top, right corner of your Pinterest home screen, you'll see three options. The left one will say "add," the middle one will say "about," and the right one will say your name.  Click "add." A pop-up will appear that gives you 3 options: add a pin, upload a pin, or create a board. If this is your first pin, you'll want to create a board.
• Give your board a name and select a category for it. If you want this to be a board only you can pin to, mark yourself as the only contributor. If you want the public to be able to add any pin to this board, mark "me + contributors." Click the red "create board" button, and you're done!
• Once you have a board (or two), you can begin adding pins. You can use the "add" button on the top, right corner and click "add a pin" or "upload a pin" when you find something you'd like to pin. 
• Check out Pinterest's Help section for more concise instructions! :)
• Click on your name (in the top, right corner of the page) and "settings" to adjust the settings. 
• If you have questions, please leave me a comment and I'll see if I can help you!

I'd love to know more of your ideas for using Pinterest in the classroom! I know that once you get the hang of it, you'll want to pin 24/7 like I do! Be careful...it's addicting! :)

Source

I blog about a lot of social networking sites that I think could be valuable tools for classroom use. I am aware of the controversy that sometimes surrounds social networking sites, and I see a lot of teachers refrain from using social networking to avoid "trouble." If you are someone who avoids social networking, let me assure you that the positives can far outweigh the negatives if the tool is used correctly. 

I, too, used to be wary of using social networking in my classroom. Although I am a self-proclaimed "tech-junkie," I understand the risks involved if it is not executed properly. I was browsing the internet one time, reading random articles and blogs over technology in the classroom when I came upon an article that took my view of social networking and turned it upside down.

I wish I could remember the article, the author, or the website where I read this, because I would love to give proper credit. Since I have not been able to find this website again, I can do no such thing. The thoughts expressed below were not originally mine, but I am writing this post in my own words. Behold:

Social Networking for the Classroom?

Yes, social networking (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) sites have caused problems for kids and teachers in the past, and yes, those problems can still arise today. I'm not denying that.

But I urge you to think about this: What kinds of negative things can students do with pencil(s) and paper? They can tune out of a discussion in order to doodle. They can make paper airplanes and fly them in class to distract other students. They can wad up paper and throw it at people in the room. They can throw pencils, which could really hurt someone.  They can use their pencil to scribble inappropriate and/or mean comments to pass around the room.

Kids use paper and pencil for "bad" things in the classroom all the time. But teachers haven't taken those tools away, have we? No, because we recognize that educational potential value of these objects. So what do we do instead? We teach our kids how to use these materials responsibly, and we begin this teaching at a very young age.

If we teach our students how to use things like social networking and texting in a responsible, academic way....couldn't we do immense good with these things?  Then students would be learning in their own ways, with their own devices.

Welcome to teaching in the 21st century. :)

If you read Facebook in the Classroom {Part 1} an are interested in learning more on the topic, you're in the right place!

This post will show you how to set up a classroom Facebook page, step-by-step. It's easy, trust me!

How to Set Up a Class Facebook Page


Step 1: The first thing you must do is go to www.facebook.com. If you don't have or want a personal Facebook account, don't worry; you can create a page and then link it to a "business account, " as per Facebook's FAQ page here. I've had a personal Facebook since college, though, so I'm not familiar with the process of creating a business account. Sorry!

Step 2: Sign into your Facebook page and then go to the Facebook "Create a Page" webpage. It should look like this (click to enlarge):



Step 3: Selecting the "company, organization, or institution" option.

Step 4: In the "choose a category" drop-down menu, select "education."

Step 5: In the "company name" box, type the name of your page. For instance, I might type in "Mrs. K's English class."

Step 6: Click the "I agree to the Facebook Pages Terms" box, and then the "get started" button.

Step 7: You'll be taken to a screen that looks like the one below.

Upload a photo to be your profile picture, and then click "continue."

Step  8: Facebook asks if you want to invite friends or import contacts. If you invite friends, that means the friends you've accepted on your personal Facebook page have an opportunity to connect with your classroom page. This is optional, of course. I have never done this, as I don't "friend" my students on Facebook, but that's just a personal choice! If you "import contacts," that means Facebook will take e-mail addresses from the address you type in, and will send invitations to those e-mails. This could work well if you have an e-mail list of all the students and parents in your class(es), but it's not necessary. Most kids are proficient enough in Facebook that they don't need a lot of instruction to find you. ;)You can choose to skip both these options if you want.

Step 9: The next screen you'll see looks like this (again, click to enlarge):


You can enter some information about yourself. But don't worry: you can always edit this information later, so it doesn't have to be perfect right now!

Step 10: You finally get to see your page! It will resemble this:


As you can see, I opted out of uploading a profile picture or putting any identifying information, since this is just a page I'm using to write this tutorial. Yours may look different, depending on how much information you submitted in the earlier stages of this tutorial.

From here, you can just the "edit info" in the top middle of the page to customize your fan page even further.

Things to Consider:

1.  If you'd rather your students not see your profile in any way, you should opt to "always comment and post on your page as [name of page], even when using Facebook as [your name]. This means that if you comment on anything on your page, the comment will display as being from "[Name of Your Page], instead of from your personal Facebook page. Do do this, click "edit info" and "Settings." Click the first box on the page and click "save changes."
2. If you want to place an age restriction or filter on the wall comments, you can do so by clicking on "edit info" and "manage permissions."
3. To access videos, notes, and other applications (like discussion boards), click on "edit info" and "apps."
4. You must have 25 "likes" before you can add a custom URL to your page. It's kind-of a pain, but there must be some sort of good reason behind it. Until you get 25 "likes," your URL will have a rather long string of numbers in it that is easy to mess up if you're trying to type it into a search bar. To allow students to find you in the beginning, it's best to just have them search for your page name. Facebook's search features are usually pretty accurate, especially if you put some identifying information (school name, town, state, etc.) on the fan page. 

Those are all the tips I have for now. If you have any questions, let me know! I'd be happy to help you in any way I can!

P.S. Check out The Teacher Garden on Facebook! The Teacher Garden

Promote Your Page Too

Hello, again! If you've been following me through my Twitter in the Classroom series, welcome back! If you're just stumbling onto this link, you may want to consider visiting {Part 1}, {Part 2}, and {Part 3} before reading this post.

In any case, here is our discussion topic for today:

• How Do I Set Up a Classroom Twitter? 

How do I Set Up a Classroom Twitter?

Step 1: Get an account by going to www.twitter.com. You'll see a page similar to the one below (click on it if you need to enlarge it). Notice the area with the circle around it. All you have to do is enter in the required text in those three fields and click the yellow "sign up" button.

From there, follow the step-by-step directions until your Twitter is completely made. You may have to check your e-mail and confirm your registration through an e-mail link (I don't remember, since it's been so long since I've signed up!).

Step 2: Once your account is made, you get to do a little bit of customization. When you go to your home page, you should see your username a small but colorful picture of an egg in the top, right-hand corner. Click on that and a drop-down box appears. It will be similar to the picture below, but keep in mind that my Twitter account has already been customized, so some of the things on my website will not appear on yours (yet!).

Once you click on the "settings" link, you will be taken to a page with 7 different tabs running across the top. The default tab is "Account," and it should list your name, username, e-mail address, etc. You may want to toggle with the time zone changes if they aren't already correct.

At the very bottom, you should see an option to "protect my tweets" (shown below). It is entirely up to you on whether or not you check this box. Let me tell you what it means: if you check the box and indicate that you want to "protect your tweets," that means your tweets are private and hidden from the public. If you "protect your tweets," every user that wants to see your updates must request to follow you, and you must approve of them (one-by-one) before they have access to your tweets. I can see the pros and cons of each side of the argument, so it's really up to you on what you'd like to do.


Step 3: If you want to connect your Twitter account to your cell phone (so you can text updates to Twitter without accessing a computer), you'll want to take a look at the "Mobile" tab. Type your phone number into the phone number field and click "start." Twitter should send you a confirmation text (or two) to make sure that your account is successfully connected to your cell phone.

If you ever are unsure as to how to get someone's updates sent to your phone, mention someone in your tweet, etc. you'll want to refer to the "Twitter commands" column on the bottom, right-hand side of the "Mobile" page. You'll see the beginning of them pictured below.


You can memorize those commands, print a copy, make a note of them in a note-taking application on your phone...whatever. But to do more than just update your Twitter status with your phone, you'll need to know those commands. To get some more answers about Twitter and your cell phone, check out the FAQ page created specifically for Apps, SMS, and Mobile Devices.

Step 4: Update your profile by clicking the "profile" page. You can see in the picture below that I've filled in some of the fields, but not all. It is completely up to you what you display and what you keep to yourself.


I will say, though, that the more information you provide, the easier it is for others to find you. So if you want your students to find you, you may want to put "Mr./Mrs. X's Class Twitter at BlahBlah Junior High School" or something in the "bio" section. This ensures that students/parents/families from your class are connecting to the correct Twitter. This is also the place where you can replace your profile picture and get rid of that silly egg. :)

Step 5: Click on "design" to see options of how to change the background of your page. If you ever had a MySpace page back in the day, this will be pretty simple for you. You can either choose one of their 19 premade designs, or you can upload an image of your own. You use the search terms "free Twitter background" if you're looking for a unique pattern or picture. Keep in mind that students who access your page from their cell phones (either by text or by application) will not be able to see the background you've chosen. So I wouldn't stress about this step; it's definitely not that important!

Step 6: Get acclimated with the website. If you click "home," you'll see a blank box at the top underneath the heading "what's happening?" If you want to send a tweet to your followers, type something into that box. A "tweet" button will appear underneath the bottom, as well as a character count so you can keep track of how long your message is. Keep in mind that you cannot send out tweets that are longer than 140 characters!

You'll see some tabs right underneath that, and then you'll probably have a blank spot. This blank spot will be filled with status updates once you start following other Twitter users. Look below for an example:

In the picture above, you'll notice that my "Timeline" tab is highlighted, and that means I'm viewing tweets of users I follow. @AngelaMaiers is the first tweet on the feed, and @ASCD is the last tweet you see on the screen (I could scroll down for more). You'll see the tweets of whomever you follow. Keep in mind that, unlike Facebook, there is no "hide" feature. If you're following someone, you will see all of their tweets until you decide to stop following them.

If you click on the "@Mentions" tab, you can see a list of tweets that were meant for you. The other tabs are pretty self-explanatory. Just play with them a little bit and you'll get the hang of it!

Searches are conducted at the very top of the page. Feel free to experiment with it by typing in "Teacher Garden" and see what pops up!

Step 7: Allow students to connect with you by disclosing your Twitter username. If a student or family member does not want to register with Twitter but just wants to read your updates, he/she can access your page (if the tweets are unprotected) by typing www.twitter.com/ [insert your username here] into their web browsers. For instance, if I wanted to give people the exact link to my Twitter account, I would tell them to visit www.twitter.com/TeacherGarden. You can search for your students and begin "following" them first, in order to make it a little easier for them to find you.

If a student want to connect his/her cell phone to Twitter, just have them follow Step 3, and pay particular attention to the tips and commands located in the right column of the "Mobile" page.

Now...that wasn't too painful, was it? :) I wish you the best of luck in using Twitter in your classroom! If you have a free moment, leave a comment and/or send me a tweet about how your Twitter in the classroom experience is going!

If you've been following my Twitter in the Classroom series, you know it's time for {Part 3}! (Catch up {Part 1} and {Part 2} here, if you need to!)

Here are our {Part 3} discussion topics, if you're ready:

• Tweet Suggestions (For Teachers)
• Twitter Projects/Activities (For Students)

Tweet Suggestions (For Teachers)

Here are some suggestions for things you can tweet to your student/parent audience:

1. Reminders about assignments that are due or upcoming quizzes/exams/projects. 
2. Reminders about snow days, picture days, sporting events, field trips, spirit days, etc. 
3. School events and/or their outcomes (plays, musicals, art shows, academic meets, etc.) -- especially ones where your school won/did well or is playing a rival!
4. Hints about how to complete an assignment or project.
5. Bonus points that can only be aquired through Twitter. (I've tweeted, "Go to the class website and scroll to the bottom of the page. The first student to describe to me the newest object at the bottom of that page gets 5 bonus points." The purpose of this, of course, was to get students to view the class website and the newest important tool on it!)
6. Helpful websites that could assist them academically (StarFall, CliffNotes, Online Calculator, etc.)
7. Apple/Blackberry, Android apps they might find helpful. (I recently tweeted about Flashcards+ and Sundry Notes!)
8. Books you recommend (I always have some students who have a hard time finding something interesting to read. I read books from my classroom library and tweet short blurbs to interest students in the book!)
9. Vocabulary words/definitions in a Word of the Day (#WOTD) format.
10. A poll to help your classroom/planned lessons (I recommend using Twtpoll!)
11. Exit ticket answers. (If students ask a question on an exit ticket, you could answer it on Twitter. This allows everyone to benefit from the answers without taking up any class time. Afterwards, you could copy/paste the updates and post the dialogue on your classroom website so those that couldn't access Twitter at the time can still get the knowledge. (For instance, I did exit tickets after an introductory lesson about courtroom trials, since my students would be conducting a trial about the characters in a book we'd just read. Some students were still confused on the process of the courtroom, and I gave them a chance to anonymously ask any question they still had. I answered these questions on Twitter, and it was a hit!
12. Motivational/inspirational quotes

Twitter Projects/Activities (For Students)

For all of these activities, there are a couple of ways you, the teacher, can keep track of students' answers and assess, if need be.

1. The main way is to create a hashtag just for your class. For instance, I might specify #MrsKEng1 for my 1st hour English class. From that point forward, if I wanted to find my students' tweets, I just type #MrsKEng1 in the search bar and read away! (Certain Twitter apps allow you to save search terms for quick retrieval. Just something to check into!)
2. Another option is to create student lists. You can create a list for all of your students, and then divide them by class and/or subject. When you want to read their tweets, just click on the name of the list on your right sidebar. 
3. Ask students to "mention" you in every single classroom-related tweet. 

With that in mind, here are some projects/activities I've thought of that use Twitter in the Classroom:

1. Schedule a chat. For instance, I might specify the #MrsKEng1 hashtag and assign a start time of  7 pm. Ideally, at 7 pm, students would log on and use the search box to find our class's hashtag. We can then have an online discussion of classroom topics outside the walls of our classroom. Whether you make this an actual assignment or an extra credit activity is, of course, up to you. You could discuss anything from an in-class topic to a President's speech on television to a movie you all went to see!
2. Peer-to-peer tutoring. Encourage parents/students to tweet questions. Other students/parents could check the hashtag and answer peer's questions. We learn best when we teach! I'd definitely suggest monitoring this activity to ensure that all questions are answered accurately.
3. Exit ticket. At the end of class, ask students to whip out their cell phones and tweet a quick exit comment/question to the cyber-world. Hopefully, these tweets generate a discussion or other students answering their peers' questions. (Of course, you would want to make sure all students had access to texting before you proceeded with this experiment. I've heard that you can use Google functions to text, but I haven't tested it yet.) You also get a quick evaluation of who understands the material.
4. Summary of the day. Whether you've just taught a math lesson or you've just finished another chapter in the class novel, students can tweet a 140-character summary of the day's lesson. In order to make assessment easier, you might consider having students either tweet this as a "reply" or include the class hashtag. (Just so you know, both options lessen the number of allowed characters/tweet.) Students could "re-teach" the jist of today's lesson. 
5. Short answer quiz questions. Of course, <140-characters/tweet is a short short answer! But if you're able to explain/answers something in such a short and concise manner, you're probably more likely to understand it.
6. Twitter as bellwork. This feeds off the last suggestion, but immediately upon entering the room, there will be questions or a discussion prompt on the board (or tweeted by you). Students must respond to the question(s)/discussion prompt while you take care of those mundane "house-keeping" duties (attendance, lunch count, etc).
7. Summary of text. After reading a chapter in a novel or expository textbook, ask students to tweet  summary of what they just read. 
8. Timeline report. Follow a celebrity or company and track their tweets over time. Then write a report over their day-to-day life. This could work as a biography project or even for a business class. 
9. Find students in another school/state/country with whom your students can tweet back and forth. It would be challenging to convey all information in 140-character segments, but that might create more concise writers. 
10. Create a class story. One student can start by tweeting the beginning line to a story. Students then take turns to tweet a class story, one line at a time. This collaborative project works on writing skills, creativity, and sharing.
11. Getting to know you. As a back to school activity, ask students to describe themselves in 160-characters or less. If students' Twitter usernames weren't easily recognizable, you could even play a game where students must guess which student belongs with which tweet!
12. Character tweet. After reading a novel, students can pick a character from the story and tweet, say, 5 status updates throughout the day. Each status update should be written in the 1st person format, as if the student were actually the character. 
13. Historical tweet. Feeding off the previous suggestion, you could ask students to pick a person from history and impersonate them on Twitter throughout the day. What would Abe Lincoln have to say if Twitter was available during his time? A website called Historical Tweets might help with this!
14. Hashtag timeline. Monitor the hashtags over a period of time to see the trends of our society. This would be great for a history or current events class. 
15. Hashtag quick write. On a random day, write the current trending topics on the board. Ask students to write about a curtain hashtag either individually or as a group. They could write their thoughts, create a story, etc.
16. Personal story. Using the 3 parts of a story, ask students to write an entire story in 420-characters or less (140 for the beginning, 140 for the middle, and 140 for the end). 
17. Micro-research paper. Ask students to create a micro-research paper using the Twitter guidelines. The intro paragraph must be 140-characters, the thesis must be 140-characters, the first paragraph.... you get the idea. Each part of the micro-paper must comply with Twitter character count rules. 
18. Spelling race. Tell students a word in class and see who can tweet the correct spelling the most quickly. (You could also do this for math problems, science/history trivia questions, etc.)
19. Vocab race. Tweet a word and see who can reply with the correct definition the most quickly...or vice versa.
20. Vocab sentences. Tweet a word and ask students to reply with a tweet that uses that vocab word correctly in a sentence. 
21. Synonym game. Call out a word and ask students to tweet synonyms.
22. Book club. Students tweet book blurbs in an effort to get other kids to read great books.
23. Attendance. Some days, give yourself a break from taking attendance and do it on Twitter. My suggestions: use the bellwork response tweets as a way to take attendance. You may still need to double-check this one because of two main reasons: 1) present students could text the bellwork question to an absent classmate, who would then tweet the bellwork in a timely manner. 2) Present students who don't participate would be counted absent. :-/

 I'm all tapped out of ideas for now. What suggestions do you guys have? 


Continue: Twitter for the Classroom {Part 4}

If you haven't already read Twitter for the Classroom {Part 1}, it might be worth looking at! :)

But if you've read it and are ready for more info about this amazing little classroom tool, read on!

Our {Part 2} discussion topics:

• Why I Advocate for Twitter in the Classroom
• 5 Personal Success Stories from Using Twitter in the Classroom

Why I Advocate for Twitter in the Classroom

• Twitter is free to use. It doesn't cost anything to register or use on a computer. The only way it would cost money if you're using the texting feature is if you don't have a text messaging plan. The only way it would cost money if you're using it on an application (on a mobile device) is if you opt to purchase the app that costs money. There are plenty of free Twitter apps available!
• Twitter is easy to use. Everything is pretty self-explanatory, so even the students who aren't proficient in technology can muddle their way through Twitter. If a user is having a particularly hard time figuring Twitter out, he/she can explore the Twitter FAQ section. 
• Because the limits are set extravagantly high (250 direct messages/day, 1,000 updates/day, and 2,000 followers before error messages occur), there's no way a teacher would ever "go over" the allotted limited, like what might happen if you're using a paid subscriber service through another company. 
• Because the limits are so high, parents, grandparents, and other family members can follow the class Twitter with no repercussions. This helps entire families stay connected, even though they may be states away!
• Students who don't have the Internet at home can use a computer to set up his/her Twitter one time, and then he/she can access it via cell phone and text message or mobile device and app.
• Students or parents who are worried about getting tweets during school or sleep hours can manually set which times to allow Twitter to send updates. 
• There are features to ensure that students who do not want to be contacted by people beyond the "approved followers list" will get the privacy they need. 
• Because it's a social networking site, students can find each other on Twitter and collaborate online -- both for assignments in my class and for other classes!
• Because it's a social networking site, students can follow other educational Twitters or students from across the world to gain cultural, educational, or career insight.
• Students can easily reply to you. If you tweet something that doesn't make sense, a student can reply immediately and ask a question. When you tweet something that requires an answer, students can answer via reply tweet. (This has come in handy for me on several occasions!)
• Shy kids get a voice. A kid who might be too shy to ask/tell you something in class may have no problem voicing it online. (There is something about a keyboard and a screen that makes humans automatically become a little more courageous.)
• Today's society does not have a long attention span. Twitter's quick, 140-character messages are perfect for sending out small but important doses of information!
• There are several Twitter-based projects for classroom use that I think would work well to teach and engage students. {Learn more about those in Part 3!}
• Teachers can relay a wealth of information via text, picture, or video link. {Learn more about these in Part 3!}

 5 Personal Success Stories from Using Twitter in the Classroom

1. When I taught 8th grade, I had a young lady who was involved in pretty much every club, sport, and organization the school had to offer. Every Thursday night, I had a habit of tweeting a reminder to study for the vocab quiz that would take place the following day. At the end of the year, this student revealed to me that my Thursday night updates were very helpful to her. She would inevitably be on the bus, coming home from yet another after school, extra-curricular event, and her phone would buzz. It would be Twitter, sending her a message from with the reminder about the quiz. She would immediately study the words the rest of the way home...and she nearly always made an A or a B on the quizzes! I like that she was able to use our classroom updates as a reminder/calendar service of sorts. 
2. Also when I was teaching 8th grade, I had a boy who would sit in the back corner of the room and refuse to participate in anything. Most days, I had to wonder if he was even conscious. I'd learned a long time ago that asking him to sit up or participate would just lead to a verbal escapade...which would then lead to me sending him tot he office to calm down...he would get In-School Detention (which did nothing for him), and come back to class the same as ever. This was one of my "pick your battles" moments. My class was reading a novel, and although the novel was on his desk, I was pretty sure he wasn't listening or following along. One night I sent a tweet to the effect of, "if you're bored with the novel, hang on! Tomorrow's chapter gets exciting!" Class the next day came and went, and he never said a word. But that night, I tweeted to my students to ask them what they thought of that "exciting" chapter. He actually replied, "I don't like reading, but you were right. That chapter was good!" ...And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I teach. :) I would have never even know he was paying attention had he not sent me that message. It renewed my spirits and I was able to use Twitter to draw him into the classroom novel discussions. 
3. Also while teaching 8th grade, I had a parent who was very concerned about the well-being and success of her son. Her son rarely opened up to her, but she was desperate for a glimpse into his personal and school life. I helped her connect to the class Twitter, and she was able to see all of our state updates. Doing this helped ease the tension between her and her son because she no longer had to pry information out of him (about my class, anyway)! 
4. I was  having trouble with my classes saying rude things. I genuinely believed those students meant no harm in saying what they did; they simply didn't know or didn't think about how bad the words sounded before letting it escape their lips. So I was on this kick about tweeting "life lessons" and "character motivations." One Tuesday night, I randomly tweeted that our first "Wednesday Challenge" would begin the next day. Their first challenge was to say something nice to every person they talked to that day. No students reply or mentioned it in class that morning. I spoke to a fellow teacher at the end of school, and she said one of her students (we'll call him "R") said something strange in class. He's normally a very quiet kid, but today, he was complimenting all the girls. The coworker asked, "what's gotten into you today, R?" He smiled and said, "It's part of Mrs. K's Wednesday Challenge!" ....Are you getting those "warm 'n fuzzies" yet???
5. One evening, I tweeted something about challenging my students to do something nice for a stranger over the weekend., and included a #PayItForward hashtag. One of my kids replied, asking what "pay it forward" means. I got the opportunity to explain the concept. That term would probably have never come up in my day-to-day teaching, because, let's face it, I'm too swamped trying to cover the massive English objectives to be concerned with teaching my students the "pay it forward" concept in class. But social skills are an issue, and they need to be taught! So I was able to squeeze in that little "mini lesson" to all that followed the class Twitter. And even though I replied to that one student about the meaning of "pay it forward," all the other students could read the reply, so I felt like I was explaining it to them, too.  

Continue: Twitter in the Classroom {Part 3}

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  

What Is 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:

• @Barack Obama
• @ChickFilA
• @Sephora
• @ESPN
• @DallasMavs

 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}