Twitter
Tweaching: Teaching & Learning in 140 Characters or Less
Tweaching: Teaching & Learning in 140 Characters or Less






Stephanie Park Gerald
@geekpark
Educational Technologist

Teaching & Learning Technologies
University of Kansas Medical Center
Presented by
Objective of This presentation..
To explore the potential of Twitter in education.

We will look at:

Perceptions of Twitter
What makes it valuable in Education
6 Ways to use in Education
Discussion
Perceptions of Twitter
interest & affection

"Coolest thing ever"




- Have an account
- Use an app outside  of
   the website

skepticism & disregard

"Dumbest thing ever"




- Don't use it
- Exposure from news
valuable to
Education?
http://unescochair.blogs.uoc.edu/22042009/open-interview-with-jack-dorsey-is-twitter-useful-for-education/
it is a TOOL based on communication.
It is a TOOL to learn about people.
It is a TOOL to find information.
1 - Opt-in Notification system

For large groups that are wanting first-response
notifications of events, announcements, etc.

Example in School of Medicine at KUMC.
 Students choose if they want the notifications
 they will be the first to know, on mobile device
 easily communicate to entire class instantly

http://twitter.com/utmedschool/
2 - Polling Utility

Give students an assignment to find out what others
think of a particular subject. Students can poll the twitter community

Instantly Poll your students and get responces back, especially if you teach distance students, you can create a syncronous discussion

http://twtpoll.com/r/weatr6
3 - Monitor words and/or grammar

Give students keywords to track and find additional information

Have students find grammar mistakes in tweets. They will be able to see the importance of sentence structure and puncuation.

http://twitterfall.com
4 - Network with other professionals in your field

Twitter is an excellent way to find out what others in your field are up to, as well as an easy way for you to communicate with them. (from all over the world!)

Have your students find and interview (over twitter) a professional. They can write about what they have learned.

There are lists of professionals on twitter everywhere. Just google it!


Elearning professionals listing:
http://c4lpt.co.uk/connexions/
5 - Track a Conference

Just about every conference today will have a designated hash tag for tweets. Participates can tweet about what they have learned.

Have your students follow live conferences in your field and find a subject that intersts them for an assignment you create.

SIDLIT Tweets:

http://twitter.com/#search?q=sidlit

6 - Create a Backchannel for further discussion

During lecture, encourage students to "pass notes" or tweet
about the lecture content. This will give your students the opportunity for more comments and more expression.

"Dr. Rankin, professor of History at UT Dallas, wanted to know how to reach more students and involve more people in class discussions both in and out of the classroom."

   - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8


So, if you teach in a field 
that involves learning about 
communication
people
or finding information
you can use twitter.
not the toolbox, but just a tool
every tool has a purpose
use it correctly
Practices to Keep in Mind When looking at the 6 Uses

 - Use hashtag keywords

 - Go beyond twitter.com, and utilize 
   other twitter apps

 - Have a valid reason for using twitter   
   with your content and use
Discussion


Have you used twitter in education? How?

What other ideas can you think of as a use for twitter?

Questions, Comments?