I started using Twitter years ago when I was in 12th grade. I continued to use Twitter throughout my college years. In the mornings and throughout the day, I would "Tweet" about what was happening throughout the day and whatever I was feeling. I would retweet my follower's tweet if I liked something they tweeted. My followers included my friends, and I followed my favorite sports teams and celebrities. During my younger years, I felt that Twitter was a Social Media platform for us "younger" people. I did not follow any family but my cousins and my brother. Twitter for me was a way to express my feelings and not have my "nosey" family members commenting and keeping up with my every move. Although, I did not post anything that would jeopardize my character as a young lady and embarrass myself and my family. I just felt that Twitter was a platform at the time for my friends and me to communicate and vent throughout the day. Let's face it when our older family members discovered Facebook, including our aunts, uncles, mothers, church members, etc. everyone sent a friend request. So, my friends and I never allowed them to follow us on Twitter because it was just something we could have for ourselves.
Well as I have gotten older, I faded out of wanting to use Twitter daily. I've grown to love Instagram! I have recently started to use Twitter again for this program. I have been following some great educators, professional organizations, and recently begin following Apple and Google for Education; which I did not know existed. I also follow some educational technology resources organizations and companies. I still do not use Twitter daily, but I check my Twitter weekly sometimes twice a week to check out the new trends and see if there is anything new relating to technology in the classroom I can try.
After, reading this week's readings, I understand how educators can use Twitter with teachers, students, and parents. Educators can keep parents and students updated on upcoming assignments due dates, quizzes, and test. Educators can communicate and share valuable resources with their colleagues via Twitter. Also, educators can discuss a topic or new technology resource they learned about during a professional learning meeting via Twitter by having a Twitter thread discussion using a hashtag while Tweeting their thoughts and opinions so that everyone that is using the hashtag can view all Tweets when clicking on the hashtag.
Honestly, most teachers in my district use Remind 101 to remind students and parents on upcoming assignments and due dates; which sends the message to their cell phones. Although, I see the way Twitter can be used to communicate with other colleagues, parents, and students: I choose not to use it in my classroom.
Well as I have gotten older, I faded out of wanting to use Twitter daily. I've grown to love Instagram! I have recently started to use Twitter again for this program. I have been following some great educators, professional organizations, and recently begin following Apple and Google for Education; which I did not know existed. I also follow some educational technology resources organizations and companies. I still do not use Twitter daily, but I check my Twitter weekly sometimes twice a week to check out the new trends and see if there is anything new relating to technology in the classroom I can try.
After, reading this week's readings, I understand how educators can use Twitter with teachers, students, and parents. Educators can keep parents and students updated on upcoming assignments due dates, quizzes, and test. Educators can communicate and share valuable resources with their colleagues via Twitter. Also, educators can discuss a topic or new technology resource they learned about during a professional learning meeting via Twitter by having a Twitter thread discussion using a hashtag while Tweeting their thoughts and opinions so that everyone that is using the hashtag can view all Tweets when clicking on the hashtag.
Honestly, most teachers in my district use Remind 101 to remind students and parents on upcoming assignments and due dates; which sends the message to their cell phones. Although, I see the way Twitter can be used to communicate with other colleagues, parents, and students: I choose not to use it in my classroom.
Podcasts
I have never used podcasts for educational purposes as an educator and as a student. I was excited to learn ways to incorporate podcasts into education. I usually listen to an inspirational podcast that Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts does once a week. I enjoy listening to her podcast to gain some positive inspiration during the week.
I listen to a podcast that covered Google Forms, and the purpose of the podcast was to provide instruction and personal productivity with using Google Forms and show some advanced features. The podcast was uploaded by Ed Tech Tutorials and was developed by Anne Anderson, Puget Sound ESD. However, I found the podcast to be very informative, especially to those who do not have experience or advanced experience with Google Forms. I would encourage teachers to listen to this podcast, especially if they would like to implement the use of Google Forms in their classrooms with their students.
I read the article Why Should We Podcast with Students? Learning through SAMR, Bloom's & 4C's by Jeffrey Bradbury. In the article, I learned that students could use a podcast to demonstrate their learning. I am excited to try podcasts with my students in the future. I already have an idea for my math students. I would like for my students to create a podcast explaining to other students how to solve equations and explain the methods used to solve their equations. I would also like for my students to use a podcast to summarize their projects when they have completed a project, instead of submitting a written summary. For example, if I were teaching students how to solve Linear Equations using Substitution in math, I would like for students to create a podcast explaining how to use the substitution method to solve linear equations. Another example, once students have completed their project over finding the volume and surface area over solid figures, I would have students create a podcast explaining the product they created while completing the project and explain to their listeners the entire process of their project, including how to find the surface area and volume of the 3D figure they created. Students would need to explain in great detail as if the viewers did not know the topic at hand.
As I continue to look for ways to incorporate podcasts into math class, I will also allow students to use podcasts to review a technology resource they have used in class and one they would like to use in class to get their honest feedback on how the resources are beneficial to them. In the article that I read, it discussed that podcasts allow students to communicate with others. I believe that students will put forth their best effort when creating a podcast because others will listen to their podcast and not only their teacher. Another benefit will be for students to put their critical thinking and creativity skills to use as they think of creative ways to demonstrate their learning for their podcast. Lastly, allowing students to collaborate with others is a great benefit to using podcasts for learning, because students not only get to work with their peers, but they learn how to respect each other's opinions and differences. Plus, they learn how to work as a team to create a product that helps each other exhibit their learning in a fun and creative way that fits and meets their learning styles.
Furthermore, I believe that podcasts can be used with students that have different learning needs and be beneficial to them because, with the Web 2.0 tools that are being used in this generation, children are fluent to creating videos to post on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. The students will enjoy using the podcasts, and they can use their learning styles and creativity throughout their activity, which gives them the confidence and freedom to think critically while completing their assignment.