Resource: Twitter
Company: Twitter, Inc.
Cost: Free
Device: Apple, Android, Chromebooks, Internet-capable devices and computers.
SAMR Model: Redefinition
Description
Twitter is a social media platform that allows for users to create 140-character posts that will be posted on the user's timeline. Teachers can use Twitter to share content, videos, links, activities, or happenings with families or students. Teachers could create a unique hashtag that allows users to find her/his classroom tweets easily, or use the hashtags to respond to one another's tweets. Twitter can also be used to follow along with classrooms, students, or events happening around the world.
Differentiation
Twitter can be used by every student no matter what level of learning they are at. Twitter would allow teachers to interact with their students through tweeting at each other. A teacher could ask a specific student a question aimed at their current learning level and the student could respond. Students can create short snapshots of their learning through their 140-character tweet, share their content created through different platforms, or learn from and with other students either in the same class or around the world. Students can practice their reading, writing, and listening skills with Twitter as well as learn how to be safe on the Internet.
Comprehension
Twitter offers real-world opportunities for students to build comprehension skills. Students can demonstrate their comprehension with their tweets. They could answer their teacher's direct questions, respond to a prompt from their teacher, classmate, hashtag, or other Twitter user.
Students also can build comprehension skills by reading, listening, or watching authentic material that can be found on Twitter. Students can build critical thinking, 21st century, and critical literacy skills when determining if the material they interact with on Twitter is credible or not.
Possible Downfalls
Twitter is a social media platform, therefore, there are a lot of precautions, guidelines, and rules that need to be set into place. Teachers need to ensure that students are kept safe while navigating Twitter. This can be done by creating private accounts. Students should not use their real names, pictures of anyone's faces, or any other identifying information. Students could create a pseudonym for their username or use initials at the end of a tweet. In order to ensure safety, students profiles could be set to private and only allow approved, trusted users to follow. Teachers and students could work together to create a list of approved, trusted, and appropriate users to follow.
These are possible Twitter prompts that a teacher could create that are aimed at specific literacy learning strategies. Students could follow the hashtag or teacher account and respond in their own Twitter account, or the classroom account and end their tweet with their initials.
These tweets were created by me, Ellen Isaacs.
Twitter, Inc. (2017b). Twitter photographs. Licensed under https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271?mt=8
Twitter, Inc. (2017a). Twitter (7.3.2) [Web application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271?mt=8
Twitter (2017). Twitter [Website]. Retrieved from www.twitter.com