Let’s face it, almost all students are using Twitter at some level, or at least are familiar with it. This is a platform that is often underused by educators but is well adopted by students. If you are unsure as to how you could use Twitter in your classroom or are looking for inspiration, below are seven ideas to get you started.
Live Tweet a Field Trip
Students can’t always make field trips, and that isn’t any fun. Use your smartphone to tweet pictures and commentary about the field trip so students home sick can stay a part of the class. You might even have some parents who want to keep an eye on what is happening during the trip as well, so don’t forget to tell them about it.
Create Subject Hashtags
In most districts, you will have multiple teachers teaching a subject, or in primary grades a grade level. Create a custom hashtag for your subject or grade in the district and use it to collaborate with students throughout the district or school. For example, in a high school, all of the students are working on a history module about the Civil War. Have students tweet facts or quotes they find interesting through their research using your custom hashtag. Then they can see what students outside of their class find interesting.
Invite Guest Tweeters
Have industry leaders or local leaders tweet @ your account, or use your custom classroom hashtag. This lets students hear information from multiple sources and can help define you as a connected professional in your subject.
Communicate with Students After School
Engaging students after school with a tool that they are likely already paying attention to is a great way to send subtle hints and or reminders. Create a Twitter account just for your students, and tweet homework reminders, tips, and hints throughout the week. The best part is that with tools like HootSuite, you can set this all up during your normal school day, and even schedule these tweets to go out well in advance.
Have Students Design your Twitter Page
As art takes on new technological avenues, allow your students to design your social media background and profile images. This skill is often overlooked and is something that they can take into the real world to help their future employer create a professional image for their company.
Live Tweet Class Readings
When one of your student’s assignments is to read a chapter or book, one idea is to have them tweet an interesting fact or plot twist. Instruct your students to add a custom hashtag, and review everyone’s tweets about the book at the beginning of class.
Use Twitter to Find Influencers in your Subject
Almost every subject will have key influencers, who are probably more active on Twitter than you think. Have your students seek out these key influencers Twitter accounts, and bring them back to school. Then visit these accounts in the classroom to see what you can learn.
What do you think about these ideas? Are you a teacher or educator that incorporates Twitter or other forms of social media into your classroom? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.