Imagine this: Your student is mindlessly scrolling Twitter, when suddenly your Tweet comes up reminding them of the test tomorrow. Now, your student is being productive and using the Quizlet link you included in the Tweet to study for the test. This is the power of Twitter in the classroom.
Why Twitter?
- Students love social media and Twitter is likely your best option.
- Students are more likely to scroll Twitter than school websites. This means they’re more likely to stumble onto your Tweets both in and out of school.
- Many students are already on Twitter, so they don’t need to sign up for yet another app.
- You can run your Twitter account from your computer (unlike most social media apps).
What Should You Post?
The possibilities are endless, but here are a few samples to give you an idea of what you can do.
Other ideas:
- pictures of anchor charts, bulletin boards, and whiteboards.
- articles relevant to classroom content or discussions
- shout-outs for amazing work
How is it Done?
I don’t post from my personal Twitter account. I create a new account each year and I don’t follow anyone else or interact with anyone else. If you follow other people, their Tweets may show up on your students’ Twitter feeds and you do not have control over that. Keep it simple and use this only as a way to communicate information to your students.
(Birthdate is not shown to the public – this is my profile screenshot when I’m logged in. It’s also not my real birthday)
On the first day of school, I include a page about my school Twitter account. It gives my account handle, what to expect, and what’s expected of the students. I do not tolerate Inappropriate comments or any other inappropriate online behavior.
Keep your account info on the front board year-round in case someone decides to join later in the year.
Do not make Twitter a requirement. It may get to that point in the future, but where we are now it’s just not feasible.
A Warning About Twitter
Some people make a living out of stalking teacher profiles and preying on struggling students. I have random people liking my posts sometimes. When I click on their handles I’m often met with a. quick bio about how they offer tutoring services or sell professionally written academic essays. This is more likely to happen during the first week or so you begin posting. I open up the likes for each post and go to the homepage of any suspicious-looking handles. Clicking the three dots to the right of their name will give you a drop-down menu. Select “block” and they won’t be able to see or interact with any of your future tweets.
Promoting Positivity Via Twitter
Social media has a way of making our teenagers feel insecure, less than, and anxious in general. This summer I’ve been researching different ELA-related Twitter accounts for my students to follow. Each account I promote – a new account each week – offers uplifting quotes, tips on writing, easy-to-follow grammar mini-lessons, author quotes, and more. My hope is to show students all the positive interactions that Twitter can create and help them move beyond the celebrity, drama, and fake news that sometimes fills their social media feeds. Check out my TpT resource to recreate the bulletin board display below in your own classroom!
How do you use Twitter in the classroom? Let me know in the comments – I love hearing from ya’ll!
