Blue Valley West High School

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As promised last month, let’s discuss how Twitter is being used by educators.  (Click here for “What is Twitter?”) 

Ideas from a variety of sources (see resources below).

1.  Use to summarize topic/content viewpoint,
2.  Tweet dialogue between characters of a novel or historical figures.
3.  Use twitterpoll to collect viewpoints.
4.  Share announcements to your students and parents.
5.  Communicate/follow experts.
6.  Monitor where students are in their learning by tweeting a question/answer.
7.  Combine with Google Earth to receive updates on various regions.
8.  Share resources – send hyperlinks.
9.  Twitter as storytelling.
10.  Professional Development – add to your network/followers creating a strong professional learning network.

For more information:
Laura Walker’s, Nine Great Reasons Teachers Should Use Twitter
21 Ways Teachers are using Twitter and Twitter Reading List

What would be the best way to start using Twitter? 
Begin by creating an account and follow someone in your content area or an educational organization. 
Examples of professional twitter accounts-
http://twitter.com/Britannica
http://twitter.com/voicethread
http://twitter.com/dwarlick
http://twitter.com/pbslearningnow
http://twitter.com/ASCD

How is the library using twitter?
Currently, the BVW library has a twitter account that connects to our web page.  As we update twitter, our web page will show the new post. It is a neat way to make announcements to classes or provide quick links to students while they are working in the library.

http://splashurl.net/ - Want your students to be able to view the web page address from the projector?  Type in the web page address & it will show up in bigger font.

http://www.tinychat.com/  or http://todaysmeet.com/  Create a chat room for your students to communicate. 

http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/ Word Mosaic

http://www.mediacloud.org/ Analyze and visualize data from a variety of news sources.

Shout’em

Want to quickly set up an online discussion with students?  Try Shout’em. Similar to Twitter or an online chat room, students can create online discussions monitored by you.   Jenny Johnson recently had her students use Shout’em as an online class discussion of thesis statements.  The following links show the discussion between her students in Block 1 and Block 3 classes.

http://bvwjohnson1.shoutem.com/

http://bvwjohnson3.shoutem.com/

For more information about Shout’Em - 15 Minute Guide to Microblogging in Education

Jenny Johnson collaborated with the Library Media Specialists for her HCA II classes to use a microblogging site - Shout’em! 

All students logged into the blog and a few students at a time entered their thesis statement.  Students used valuable communication and critical thinking skills as they collaborated with their peers to provide suggestions and input for how each student thesis could improve. 

Students were able to receive instant feedback from their peers and exchange ideas.  The interactive nature of the activity provided an engaging and relatable process for students to connect with the curriculum.

Twitter, Tweet, Tweets, - What is Twitter and how does it relate to education?   Watch the following Common Craft video, Twitter in Plain English…  Next month, see what educators are doing with Twitter….

Let Me Google That For You http://lmgtfy.com/  Ever get a question that could easily be answered? Go to the URL, type in the question.  It records your question along with the links to a tiny url you can then send out.  (Funny! Humor category.)

Pixton http://pixton.com/  Make your own comics.

Jeopardy Template  http://jeopardylabs.com/build  Build a Jeopardy template online.

Viddler http://www.viddler.com/ Another place to find and post videos.

Mashups, Remixes, and Web 2.0: Playing Fast and Loose with Shakespeare

ProQuest

ProQuest, an online resources through the library web page, offers over 5,000 magazines and newspapers.  These resources can be accessed anytime, anywhere with the correct password (available in the library).  Need to buy a washer and dryer? Search Consumer Reports for the most recent review.  Fan of Sports Illustrated, but don’t want to pay the high price for a subscription?  Set up to have ProQuest deliver the newest articles to your email. 

Honors Communication Arts I
Matt Bolch, April Burkhardt, Joe Geist, Kim Lilley

By collaborating with the HCAI teachers, the library media specialists converted the library into a museum-type experience for all HCAI students.  Students were able to explore artwork (prints) from the Renaissance as they begin their Shakespeare unit. 

Students downloaded provided podcasts (The National Gallery, London) to their iPods or library mp3 players.  They also explored online museums and the art books to gain a deeper understanding of the culture. 

Attend conferences without leaving your classroom or home. 

Many conferences are developing virtually so participants can interact online at a specific time or view the archive at their convenience.  Great presentations can be forwarded or posted on a blog for others to enjoy.  Check out some of the following links. 

K12 Online Conference begins in October.  You can view the archives here from the past year to 2006.  Sessions can be downloaded to your iPod or to your computer including Student Creation of Digital Documentaries, Asking Bigger Questions about Assessment, and presentations by David Warlick.

Smithsonian Education Online Conference Series

7th Annual Online Conference Illinois Teaching & Learning

Below is an example of an online presentation (although lengthy) about effective use of Powerpoint.  (It was rated as one of the best visual presentations given – but you decide…)


How to Create a Great PowerPoint - Take 2.0 from Alvin Trusty on Vimeo.