Using twitter to create little
education communities and sub-communities is really cool. It creates a
marketplace of ideas for teachers to share and discuss. The best part is it is free. As
teachers we borrow a lot of what we do as far as teaching content, management,
and creating our own personal philosophy and pedagogy. So, creating online
education communities is something that is really amazing to me. This
profession is rough, and not for the faint of heart. We need to help each other
out. The possibilities are endless, I feel like I am barely touching the
surface when it comes to using social media as an educational tool.
Never in a hundred years would I have thought to engage with
my students on social media. To me interacting and creating engagement with my students on social media
would be akin to having an awkward run in with a student in a public setting. Coming
into this class I felt that people tend to be zombies when it comes to social
media. We are just stuck in our own little worlds, ignoring what’s going on
around us. I am guilty of doing that, without question. But, using twitter and
social media to engage with our students! What? That’s utter madness! But, it’s
not! I feel like it’s opened up Pandora’s Box as far as the possibilities for
my future classroom and students.
I was brainstorming some ideas I could do
with my future students. I am coming from this at a K-2 perspective, I think it
would be really cool to see how different kids at the same grade level work on
the same content. As a teacher I could post and share my kiddos work with other
K-2 teachers from across the country. They would be working on the same
content, thanks common core! Kids from Washington could see kids from Maine’s
interpretation of the same literature unit. Another idea I thought of would
be having kids have digital pen pals from other countries. You could use
twitter, blogs, or Skype. I really think this would be really beneficial for
the students because it would show the students there is another world beyond
the classroom to explore. Hopefully, it would trigger some curiosity and
inspire some of them to learn. It would create a sense of connectivity to other
cultures and customs. Students can go anywhere in the world with just a click
of a mouse, or a single keystroke. 1st graders in Spokane can
connect with 1st graders in France. As an educator using technology
to bridge gaps and create a more global community really excites me. #nerdingout
I am #nerdingout as well. Love your ideas on how to incorporate technology and global community into the K-2 setting. I wonder with all the stigma surrounding early childhood and screen time how much resistance we will be up against as Kindergarten teachers trying to implement technology in the classroom. Having communities, like ones on twitter, will hopefully provide personal and professional support in that resistance (if any).
ReplyDeleteYou're right Evan, Pandora's box has been opened! I agree with both you and Lisa on #nerdingout. I can't believe I considered myself 'tech savvy' before taking this class. It's amazing to think of all the possibilities technology creates for the classroom. Even for the younger kiddos, I think it's great to expose them to the world around them. To the point Lisa noted about the stigma surrounding early childhood and screen time, I think resistance is inevitable but knowledge is key. Last week I likely would have been part of the resistance, but thanks to Mr. Utecht's class, I am much more enlightened.
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