Can we Use Twitter for Teaching & Learning?

Twitter is a social networking tool that allows users to connect with people and explore topics of interest (#hashtags). There are more than 330 million monthly active users and 145 million daily active users on Twitter. Twitter users can read and write short messages (up to 280 characters) that are organized by hashtags (e.g., #education). While you might think that Twitter is just for celebrities and people who want to share photos of their lunch, it is actually one of the most popular professional learning tools for K-12 teachers.

If you are struggling to get students to engage in conversations or to get full class participation, you might consider giving Twitter a try. It is a great tool for backchanneling, synchronous or asynchronous communication, and even conducting research.

Let's take a look at this tool:

Impact On Student Learning

Twitter functions characteristically as a social network linking effective tools including learner-based, assessment-centered as well as knowledge-based online tools for instructors and students without the constraint of time and space. This is a great community-based tool to promote students’ learning, and thus improve their academic competency multiculturally, multilingually, entertainingly, educationally, effectively, and efficiently.

Accessibility

Twitter provides users with less information about accessibility, especially for individuals who are physically disadvantaged. However, Twitter has been aware of the issue of accessibility since 2013, and the Twitter blog mentioned some thoughts about improving the accessibility of Twitter.

Accessibility features of Twitter:

Twitter Overview Video

Twitter for Teachers

Infographic shared with permission from the USC Rossier School of Education

Twitter & the SAMR Model

Dr. Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR Model offers a lens for examining how technology is adopted in a classroom. As you strive to incorporate online tools into your classroom, we encourage you to use this model as an analytic tool.

Substitution: Students use a Twitter hashtag to engage in a discussion (instead of engaging in a face-to-face discussion).
Augmentation: All students engage in the discussion over an extended period (e.g., 1-2 weeks).
Modification: Students critically analyze the archive of the discussion.
Redefinition: Subject matter experts are invited to join the discussion and share their expertise.

Learning Activities

Here are some examples of how to use Twitter in class:

Math: Students learn about improper fractions as mixed numbers and use Twitter hashtags (e.g.,#6thgrademath, #improperfractions, #mixednumbers) to connect with subject matter experts and host a public Twitter chat about the topic.

Science: Science instructor conducts group discussion regarding climate change in the 5th-grade classroom using the hashtag #greenhouseeffect,#extremeweather, #mothernature, #PlanetCrisis, #ClimateAction and #endangeredspecies on Twitter chat before group discussion. Students can learn from science experts on Twitter regarding focused topics by means of shared comments and feedback, and bring information engaging in group discussion afterward.

English/Language Arts: Teachers guide students to create picture books from Storybird, and then share their products on Twitter, using hashtags #storybird, #picturebooks, #Englishreading, #Englishwriting, and #comments4kids, inviting the public to give comments and offer their thoughts. Students revise their picture books based on the feedback they receive.

Astronomy: Instructor conducts astronomy classes for students exploring Mars using Twitter hashtags. For example, students type #MARS, #Marslanding, #NASA, #Curiosityrover, and #Astronomy for a Twitter chat.

Sports: PE teacher provides students with information about baseball, basketball, and the history of the NBA, as well as MLB, before peer discussion. Students examine relevant Twitter hashtags, including #MLB, #NBA, #mlbhalloffame, #nbahalloffame, #chicagocubs, #nbabraves, #nbaplayoff, and #mlbstars, to expand their knowledge of these topics . They learn how to become a baseball or basketball expert by giving and receiving comments through Twitter chat. Students use collected information to engage in peer discussion about why baseball and basketball bring joyfulness to American life.