Monday, July 12, 2010

Thing #5 Tweet, Tweet, Back, Back


I've used Facebook for the past year and a half. Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with classmates, planned class reunions and even reconnected with cousins and family. It's a great social networking tool that has even helped me stay in touch with my students who have went to college. Though I don't use it everyday, its nice tool to keep in touch with my friends and family I don't normally see or talk to.

I've heard alot about Twitter, but have not logged on and played with it until now. The thing that I am hesitant about and almost scared is following people you don't necessarily know, even though you may have common interests. I see Twitter as a more useful tool for conferencing with back channeling. What a GREAT new concept for a classroom. Students who are shy and/or afraid to ask questions can easily get answers with a click. Students can also compare notes and comment to the teacher without talking out loud. I think its an excellent concept! Of course the con to back channeling is keeping the students focused on the class and not Twittering with friends. Teachers could go one step further by having a homework time with students on Twitter. Students could log on with the teacher or as a study group to get help with homework. No more excuses for not having it finished because of questions!

I will have to play with Twitter more to get used to it. As a counselor I can see it as a valuable tool to keep students abreast about credits, changes in class schedules or questions about scholarships. In the meantime, I'm having fun with Facebook!

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