Twitter in the Classroom: Learning 140 Characters @ a time
Using Twitter to Enhance Collaborative Learning
After initially dismissing Twitter as just another social networking time suck best suited for self-absorbed celebrities, more and more professors are giving it a second look. And that’s a good thing because, used properly, Twitter can make classroom projects more collaborative, creative, and engaging.
In the past 12 months alone, Twitter use has grown by an astounding 422%. Innovative professors can use Twitter to help make “dull” course materials suddenly take on new relevance.
Students and faculty can use Twitter to monitor trends in real time, develop professional networks, and increase personal involvement with course material. For example, one of the most popular ways to use Twitter is to ask students to summarize key points of a reading in a tweet and then use that as a launch pad for classroom discussions.
The possibilities are endless … all it takes is a little basic know-how, some creative ideas, and the willingness to try something new.
In Using Twitter to Enhance Collaborative Learning, Professor Kerry Ramsay introduces faculty members to the fundamentals of Twitter and lead participants through an inspiring discussion of the many inventive ways that Twitter can be utilized to improve college teaching and learning.
During this seminar, you will learn:
- How to get started with Twitter
- Which people and groups to follow
- What TweetDeck is and how it saves time
- Exciting ways to apply Twitter to your college courses
- How “140 character” messages can work well with assignments
- Strategies to develop a Twitter following
- Twitter applications for research and assignments
- How Twitter can be leveraged to increase classroom participation and discussion
- Ways to use Twitter in both large and small classroom settings
- How to apply Twitter for your own teaching, research and networking purposes
Who will benefit?
This audio online seminar is appropriate for anyone interested in teaching with Twitter, including:
- Faculty members in all disciplines
- Instructors
- Lecturers
- Distance educators and online faculty
- College administrators
- Instructional designers and trainers
As faculty members, it is important to seek out new and relevant ways to engage students. This seminar will show you the most effective ways to start using Twitter in your courses.
If you have any questions contact Customer Service at 800-433-0499 or (608) 246-3590 or email us at support@facultyfocus.com.
Professor Kerry Ramsay is an educator and communications professional who uses social media to create collaborative learning environments for her post-graduate students.
She was recently recognized with the Innovation & Excellence in Learning-Centered Teaching Award at Loyalist College and was an invited speaker at the 2009 Teaching Professor Conference in Washington, DC.