8 of the many ways to “Tweet” like a bird in Class.

“Twitter” is a kind of an online social networking and microblogging that lets the user read and send “tweets”, which is a 140-character long. I must say that “Twitter” is such a powerful social networking tool. We can definitely use its advantages to the fullest especially in conducting classes. Students will be engaged in using social networking such as “Twitter” in learning because education evolves as technology improves from time to time.

However, there are debates on how we can implement “Twitter” in class since it only offers a 140-character microblog. Well, whichever side you take, whether you (as teacher) agree or disagree, I must say “Twitter” offers you numerous ways to incorporate this powerful social networking into significant and lasting lessons in class.

1. Ask students to follow issues.

Teachers can incorporate a bit of technology in class by asking students to follow issues they are most interested in. Students can subscribe to different accounts from all perspective such as news, cultures, foods, health, and so on. This is also true to English classes wherein teachers can ask students to simply follow hash tags that are related to learning English. In this regard, students will have the opportunity to maximize the use of English especially in reading comprehension.

How to incorporate Twitter in an English classroom? Click.

2. Upcoming important dates.

Teachers can simply use “Twitter” to set up a feed only dedicated exclusively to important due dates, change of schedules, tests, quizzes, school events, and assignments.

 3. Important questions.

Students can simply tweet their questions on unclear readings, lessons in class, and clarifications. This is also a good way to practice students especially in English classes wherein they can maximize the use of the target language in conveying inquiries to their teacher. For teachers, they can simply use “Twitter” to post up sample questions for upcoming exams or quizzes. Also, teachers can post important resources related to topics in class.

 4. Update syllabus or course plan.

Emails sometimes filter important messages as junks or spams resulting to students’ failure to know the important changes and announcements regarding any updates on the course plan. However, with the use of “Twitter”, it keeps a permanent record of any information so students won’t have any excuse for missing out such important information or changes.

 5. Play Vocabulary.

Language teachers, such as English teachers, can post day-to-day challenges asking students to give antonyms or synonyms and definitions for any words posted. To add, teachers can ask students to unscramble scrambled words or anagrams.

How to use Twitter to learn English?  Click.

 6. Write poems, dialogues or short stories.

In your writing classes, such as English writing class, you can ask students to write their own poems, dialogues, and poems in small chunks, as they have to update their writing daily. Students can also follow their classmates’ mini stories or poems.

7. Take and share important notes.

Students can tweet and share their own notes or any review materials to their peers in case some of them miss the class or the lecture. In this case, students are able to help each other achieve a successful goal in class.

 8. Easier means of research.

By typing key words into Twitter’s search box, twitter provides wide range of microblog and related hash tags to their research topics allowing students access research ideas, opinions, and related readings. This would enable and facilitate students do their research on certain topics or studies.

In conclusion, teachers can ask their students to write a 140-character or less outline of the things they have understood or learned in class or even tweet questions that can be answered in the proceeding class.

Here’s a videos on how you can incorporate “Twitter” in class.

Want to save your literature class using Twitter? Click.

Do you want to know more uses of Twitter in class? Click or here!