Module 2: Twitter

Twitter is a social networking site that simply answers the question, "What are you doing?"  The tweeter is only allowed 140 characters, so the tweet must be short and sweet!  :)  It is intended to form a community, share resources, research people worldwide.  People who use Twitter must cut to the chase and think about what they want to say before they say it.  Hashtags are identifiers.  A hashtag will keep you connected to a group, such as a class, a cohort, etc.  Educators can use Twitter as a means of communicating, a way to collaborate with other educators around the word and a way to connect to other classrooms.  Another way that Twitter can be used is in the classroom as a means of collaboration and communication between the teacher and the students.  Just like in the video, the teachers asks the questions and the students tweet the answers as they are being displayed on the "electronic chalkboard."  The students who are shy participate more readily when they can tweet versus oral lecturing and volunteering in class.  The feel as if they have "found their voice." I suppose I'm old school, but I feel this totally takes away from communicating.  Yes, it's good in some ways, but in my opinion, I wouldn't use this method all the time.  I think about how the students already lack communication skills.  That is one thing that is vital when they find a job in the future.  By allowing them not to have to communicate, I feel this would do this an injustice for future ventures.  Just my opinion.