Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Yes I tweet my students, don't you?

I was talking to a teacher the other day and a student walked by and thanked me for the help on their college essay last night and said they would tweet me later. The other teacher looked at me funny. I explained that I follow and exchange tweets with my students. They were skeptical.

I love tweeting with my students. Most of the time it is school related, but sometimes I chime in on their random thoughts. It's a way to connect with students in an open environment. It's meeting students where they are and giving them access to me outside traditional means. I have my school account, @MrProvenzano, and that is what I use to communicate with students, parents and other district admins. This connection has had a positive impact on my teaching relationship with my students.

Do you tweet your students? What have you noticed since you started?

3 comments:

  1. Until I starting seeing their twitterfeeds, I had no idea how important my class was to letting them take a break from the social and emotional roller coaster that is their lives.
    And sometimes, I help with school too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I tried Twitter with my students, a class account, but it didn't take off. It's probably because of Facebook. Not only do students at my school love Facebook but many students and families friend a bunch of teachers and our Principal.

    I have over a hundred students as Facebook friends. Our district is small and siblings and parents friend us too. Many students ask questions, submit assignments, or share ideas with me through Facebook. I also get to share things and I get a glimpse into their world. Plus they know their teachers and parents are there so it must be safe and reassuring.

    It's been very positive.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Nick,
    I do tweet my students. I mentioned some of the results in my presentation at #ecoo11 (which I've put on mzmollyTLsharespace.pbworks.com as well). I see lots of benefits. I'm aware of what's going on in their lives in ways that impact the class atmosphere. I've been able to teach them about online privacy in a much more meaningful way ("Miss, how did you know about ... oh riiiiiight, Twitter!") They get help and I get help quickly. For example, I needed to know the names of the student council members for a late form - I sent out a tweet and a few minutes later, I had my answer.

    ReplyDelete

Please post your thoughts here. Thanks!