Twitter!

I have used Twitter as a professional development tool. I have connected with hundreds of educators (and others) all over the country and world. This past year, I have delved into Twitter "chats" and learned even more!

I constantly think of ways that I can connect with parents and the community about what is happening in our classroom. I began to think about how much Twitter has helped me connect and thought I would try it with my 2nd graders.

Note...I did try a daily "Kinder Tweet" in my kindergarten class. It was great writing practice for the kids, but they did not understand the concept of Twitter at all. I also found that parents were not connecting. For this particular class and group of parents, they did not use Twitter. 

I decided that since Twitter has helped me become a more global and connected educator, that I would try to use it to help create more global and connected students in my classroom. This especially resonated with me due to our geographical area.  I did not grow up in the "north woods"; however, as I live here longer and longer I realize that many of the children and families that I work with do not have the opportunities to travel and have "cultured" opportunities (for lack of a better word). 

Little did I know that my students would not only become more connected, they would become excited and LEARN! 

We created a class Twitter account on the Smartboard. I thought I would "teach" the kids all about Twitter, how to use it, internet safety, etc. What I did not anticipate was how engaged the students would be. The most genuine and engaging learning took place during that discussion. We also had an incredible discussion about internet safety, what information to share and not to share, etc.

So far, the kids absolutely LOVE Tweeting. We are also following other 2nd grade classes around the world. We have met some of them via Skype - amazing! Students also think it is "so cool" to follow their favorite sports teams (even though some of them like the Bears...) and pop stars. I hope their excitement continues!