X/Twitter Usage in Schools

 

My Twitter Page

Using X/Twitter in the classroom

When I think about using Twitter in my future teaching practice, I always think about how I've seen many teachers from my own childhood experience and my field experiences. Many times I often see teachers use Twitter to showcase what students in their classrooms are up to, such as special projects they are working on or unique field trips they are taking. It was a unique way to showcase the school community and document the content that students were engaging with, as well as be a firm way for parents to see what was going on with their own children at school.

In my own teaching practice, I am not sure if I'd use Twitter in my classroom for the students, as I think there are both upsides and downsides to using it. I find that the user interface for Twitter can be difficult to navigate as an adult, and I can only imagine how difficult it could be for a child to use. Furthermore, while I was finding various school communities and education gurus to follow, I could often find non-education posts very easily, some of which would not be appropriate for elementary students. There is also the ever-present danger of being online, and although it is encouraged and expected for students to utilize technology and be taught the dangers of being online, I feel like it would be incredibly dangerous for students to use independently. However, I think it is, with the permission of parents, an acceptable and great tool to use to communicate with parents and even other teachers on what is going on in the classroom and at school.

Maybe with older students I could see Twitter being a safer tool for students to utilize. It would be a fantastic tool for students to use to blog, or respond to in-class prompts where they can also respond to their classmates' tweets and responses. From a technical perspective, it could also be interesting to study algorithms and seeing how the front page changes and improves based on what the students like and interact with, so long as it remains appropriate. 

Overall, I do think Twitter can have purpose and use in the classroom, although personally I would not utilize it myself.



Comments

  1. Kira BerrySeptember 24, 2024 at 12:39 PM

    It is lovely to keep the parents apprised to what is happening with their children but you are right such a public forum opens everyone up to concerns of safety. How creative to use it as a learning tool to study the aspects of a social application. I wonder how you would set boundaries to ensure the students stayed appropriate?

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