Twitter: The Ultimate Engagement

     It happened this week; I am now a convert to twitter because it is quite an effective way to teach writing skills.  Posts must be brief, so it is inherent that they be meaningful and inspirational as well.  Hence, superior writing and more engaging posts are inevitable.
     Twitter  is ideal for timid students who would not otherwise ask questions or express opinions about class discussions, projects, assignments and debates. One student in a video entitled "Academic Excellence in 140 Characters" described how with twitter she expresses herself  "without feeling judged."   A impressive guide entitled  "Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: A resource of educational web tools and mobile apps for teachers and educators"  contained innovative classroom twitter ideas and was my favorite resource because it was so  incredibly thorough.  Ideas were organized into categories as follows: communication, organization, resources, writing skills and twitter exercises.  Students already are accustomed to sharing messages via cell phones.  Twitter can be an extension of that as a learning tool when used for example to write poetry, to write a bit of a story. to debate, to discuss, to summarize or to play games.  A plethora of  additional options are included in the aforementioned guide. The creativity of  several teachers using twitter to spark debates, implement pen pal writing activities and share photos was emphasized in an associated press news article entitled "Twitter Gaining Acceptance as a Classroom Tool."   Parental concerns about twitter  regarding privacy were effectively addressed according to the article.
     A picture, such as the one below, might be a twitter story starter as students imagine being in the picture writing about a destination, snacks  animals, friends, family, feelings, jokes and anything else pertinent to the learning objective.       

     Twitter is not only an attractive way to maintain engagement in a lesson, but it is a very practical professional development tool as well.  For example, ideas and advice are immediately available any time from experts via the chats or by "tweeting."  So twitter becomes an ideal "personal learning network."  Moreover, twitter is a quintessential way to be mindful about up-to-the-minute ideas, developments and any other matters related to education