How to use Twitter in the classroom

1. How to use Twitter in the classroom By: Samantha Slifer

2. Instructional Objectives • Learner will know and understand what twitter is • Learner will know and be able to recognize a twitter handle • Learner will be able to send a tweet • Learner will be able to reply to a tweet • Learner will be able to recognize what a hashtag is and be able to understand how to use it • Learner will understand the concept of following and will know how to follow someone • Learner will be able to recognize good uses for twitter in the classroom

3. Do you have a twitter or know how to use Twitter? • No, I do not have a twitter or know how to use twitter. • Yes, I have a twitter or know how to use it Example:Twitter handle, hashtag, tweet, reply to tweet, follow someone.

4. Information about twitter and how to use it

5. What is twitter? • Twitter is a social media website that allows users to send and read messages up to 140 characters. These messages are known as tweets.

6. Creating a twitter account • Go to twitter.com to sign up! • In the new to twitter section write your name, email and password. Click sign up for twitter. Note: You may only have one account for a given email.

7. Creating your user name • You will create your user name or twitter handle. This is the account that others will see you as on twitter. This is your @ name. • After you created your handle, click “create my account”

8. Your home screen

9. How to compose a tweet • There are two places where you can compose a tweet. You have 140 characters to write whatever you would like to tweet. You can also tweet a URL or picture. • You can tweet to someone by writing their twitter handle in your tweet (@srta_technologia)

10. Exercise 1 • Compose a tweet to me : @srta_technologia. Note: I will reply back to your tweet when I receive it.

11. How to reply to a tweet • If you want to reply to someone’s tweet you will do the following: • Click on the details/expand part of their tweet • Click on reply or type into the reply section

12. Excerise 2 • Reply back to one of my tweets! • You may also reply if you are on the user’s page. If you run your mouse over the tweet, reply or favorite will come up. Note: I will retweet or favorite your tweet that you reply to.

13. What is a hashtag? • A hashtag is a trending topic on twitter. When you search for a hashtag, all tweets that have that hashtag in it will come up. You can search for a hashtag such as #edchat or create your own for your class. You can search for all the trending hashtags on the top bar by clicking discover. You can search for a hashtag by typing the hashtag into the search bar on the top. • Check out #edchat!Check out the PBL chat #pblchat • Check out the flipping the classroom chat #flipclass

14. Exercise 3 • Search for the hashtag #edchat. Tweet me an interesting URL involving educational technology and use the hashtag #edchat. Note: I will reply back to your tweet when I receive it.

15. Quiz 1 What is an example of a twitter handle? What is an example of a hashtag? • Srta_tecnologia • Srta_tecnologia @ • @srta_technologia • #edchat • Edchat • #Ed chat

16. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. Please remember that a twitter handle has an @ symbol for the username: @srta_tecnologia. Please try again.

17. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. Please remember that the @ symbol is BEFORE the username. Please try again.

18. Correct! Great job! Please return to the quiz slide to answer the second question.

19. Correct! A hashtag has the #symbol in front of it and does not have anyspaces! Please continue to learn how to follow a user.

20. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. You must include the hashtag symbol (#). Please try again.

21. Sorry, your answer is incorrect. While you have included the hashtag (#), there are no spaces while writing a hashtag. Please try again.

22. Following a user • If you would like someone’s tweets to come up on your newsfeed, you would follow them. To follow someone you go to their page and select follow. When you are following someone, the follow button will be blue.

23. Exercise 4 • Follow me on twitter! @srta_tecnologia • By visiting my page Or Clicking on my Handle in a feed Note: I will follow you back!

24. Quiz 2 • Which color is the follow button when you are following someone? • Blue • White • Red

25. Correct! Please continue to learn about how to use twitter in the classroom!

26. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. When you are not follow a user their button is white. When you are following them, it is blue. Please try again.

27. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. When you unfollow a user, the button turns red. When you are following a user, the button is blue. Please try again.

28. How to use twitter in the classroom

29. Log in/out & DM Compose tweet Guide to home screen Find users or hashtags Your feed: what you the people you follow are tweeting Who tweeted at you or followed you Suggested followers Trending topics #hashtags

30. Review of Twitter • What is a hashtag? • A hashtag is a “trending topic” on twitter. It is a searchable item that can be used to connect user’s ideas to a central topic. Example : #maet for Master of Arts in Educational Technology at MSU. • How do you follow someone? • You follow someone by clicking the follow button on their page. When you are following them the button will be blue.

31. Twitter in the classroom • Twitter has many educational uses. 2 reasons that I have used twitter in the classroom, as a teacher, is to tweet the homework assignment and to have the students reply to me in the target language.

32. Tweet homework • I would tell my students that I would tweet the homework assignment. For my students who did not I have twitter, I would post the assignment on blackboard for them. • You can also tweet the weekly assignments at the elementary level to keep the parents involved!

33. Tweet to start conversation • I would tell the students that I would want them to reply to me (or email me) the answer to an open ended response that was personalized. I would want to have a conversation and allow students to see eachother’s responses. You can also create a class hashtag so all students can see responses and ideas. • I would also reply to students’ questions about things in class if they were to be confused or miss class. (Information is censored to hide student’s identity)

34. Using Twitter for different content-areas English/Language Arts Social Studies Science Mathematics World Languages Art/Music After you have viewed the desired content-areas, go to things to keep in mind...

35. English/Language Arts • Have students create blogs and tweet the links • Tweet the links to a reading and have students respond in tweets • Creative writing • Create characters • Compile and edit pre-existing stories based on tweets • Create a story/poem via individual students posting tweets and students have to write what happens next • English/Language Arts Edchats: #engchat #engsschat 7pm EST-Mondays • Teachers to follow: @webenglishteacher, @tomboulter, @realgeoffbarton Social Studies Go to things to keep in mind... Content-Area List

36. Social Studies • Have students role-play and tweet quotes from historical figures • Elections • Have students follow political figures • Have students retweet relevant events • Tweet famous doctrines or court cases that the students can look at • Have students follow museums and look at archives • Social Studies Edchat: #sschat- 7Pm EST- Mondays • Teachers to follow: @wsusocstudies, @gregkulowiec, @wchsroper Science Go to things to keep in mind... Content-Area List

37. Science • Tweet videos to labs and demonstrations that the students can watch • Tweet chemical reactions and have the students tweet back the solutions • Tweet pictures of muscles and have the students identify them • Tweet energy problems and have the students solve them • Tweet pictures of rocks, stars or moon phases and have students identify them • Science Edchats: #scichat, #elemsci, #middlesci, #scistuchat • Teachers to follow: @lesliesamuel, @mrporterscience, @porchdragon Math Go to things to keep in mind... Content-Area List

38. Mathematics • Tweet equations, proofs, puzzles and word problems for the students to solve • Tweet statistics and have the students find the null hypothesis, range, median,etc • Tweet information and have the students find the slope and axis • Tweet Sudoku's and other fun games for the students to solve • Math Edchat: #mathchat-7:30PM EST-Thursday • Teachers to follow: @colintgraham, @mrhonner, @tesmaths World Languages Go to things to keep in mind... Content-Area List

39. World Language • Tweet a personal question in the target language and have the students answer • Tweet pictures of different places in a city and have the students identify them in the target language • Tweet authentic realia and have the students respond • Edchats: #langchat: 8pm EST-Thursdays, #wlteacher, #flteach • Teachers to follow: @alenord, @DiegoOjeda66, @lrosen Art/ Music Go to things to keep in mind... Content-Area List

40. Art/Music • Tweet authentic materials such as a composition or art piece. Have the students identify the author and give a response • Have students tweet artist and musician biographies • Art: • Have students identify the different time era of a piece/type of art it is such as realism, cubism, etc. • Have the students identify shadows, focal points, mood, etc. • Music: • Have students identify the measure/chords • Have students tweet songs that correspond to specific time • Art Edchat: #artsed • Art Teachers to follow: @artwithmsb,@misterbremer • Music Edchats: #musedchat- 8PM EST-Mondays, #mpln, #musiced, #mustech • Music Teachers to follow: @brianjagde, @ohiostmusicman Content-Area List Go to things to keep in mind...

41. Things to keep in mind... • All teachers can create a class hashtag to continue conversation! • Teachers can use twitter to connect with the school community and parents • Teachers should only tweet or direct message things that they would tell students in a face-to-face situation • Teach students to be safe online and with their tweets

42. Quiz 3 • What are some appropriate ways to use twitter in the classroom? • A. Tweeting works and having students identify author/give a reaction/solve a problem. • B. Tweeting questions and having the students give responses • C. Tweeting content-related pictures • D. All of the above

43. While these are all good ideas, please re-evaulate your response to select the most correct answer. Please try again.

44. Correct! Please continue on to the final quiz!

45. Quiz 4 • What are some appropriate ways to connect with other teachers/students through twitter? • A. Following Teachers, engaging in edchats, creating a class hashtag • B. Tweeting about how much you hate your job and complaining about specific students • C. Tweeting to your friends about how wild your weekend was

46. Correct! Continue to see other useful information and links

47. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. This behavior is inappropriate and not professional. Please try again.

48. I am sorry, your answer is incorrect. You should keep your professional life and personal life separate. Keep your teacher twitter for educational purposes only. Please try again.

49. Other helpful links or ideas • 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom • http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom • 60 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom • http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/60-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-classroom-by-category/ • Twitter for Teachers • http://twitterforteachers.wetpaint.com • Search #edchat and see what other teachers are doing. • I like to follow @teachingwthsoul, @classroom20, @smartedservices, @edtechtalk, @21stcenturytch, @simplek12, @mrspal, @web20classroom, @edu_trendsand @flourishingkids, for good ideas on how to use twitter and other web 2.0 tools!

50. If you have any questions... • If you have any questions you may: • Tweet to me @srta_tecnologia or • Email me: slifersa@msu.edu • I hope you enjoyed the presentation!