Video Clips

I used Google Video and a new video searching site, Teacher Tube to find a tutorial and a subject area lesson. I am a general studies teacher so I chose to find a video on a Math lesson and a tutorial on the infamous Smart Board. I would use the tutorial for a professional development day of some sort. What I was really excited about though, was the Teacher Tube Video on Equivalent Fractions. It is a video lesson going through the examples, definitions, and all applicable skills regarding equivalent fractions. I would love to show this in my classroom! First of all, it is a break from the monotonous text book and oral reading. The children will be engaged by the use of technology as well as the different presentation of the lesson. We so often here about how learning styles vary form visual, auditory, and tactile. I feel with the video you are reaching more of your students as opposed to the rote routine. Also, you could post the link to the lesson on your classroom blog! Students could revisit the lesson for studying for a test, review, and if they are absent, they can see what was discussed in class as if they were there!

How Tweet!

Twitter is without a doubt everything everyone claims it to be. If you have easy access to your computer than you as well have easy access to everything and everyone else your interested in and knowing about. It is like a constant page from our "back in the day newest form of technology", the pager! Instead, though, it is quicker, faster, and way better! The immediacy and access you have to the unlimited amounts of information there is mind boggling, but it is there if you want it. Who wouldn't want it?!?! At first I didn't realize the difference between Twitter and AIM but now it is plain as day and Aim is kind of like those old pagers, don't you think?

Why Can't We Use Twitter for Educational Activities?

I read the article "Can We Use Twitter for Educational Activities?" by: Gabriela Grosseck and Carmen Holotescu (http://www.scribd.com/doc/2286799/Can-we-use-Twitter-for-educational-activities). I liked this article because it provided in depth uses and explanations of Twitter as an educational tool. Not only will it engage students but it is an innovative an unique way to promote writing with activities such as collaborative writing. Not to mention that you can collaborate with classrooms across the world! It also requires the skill of writing concisely, where Tweets are usually no more than 140 characters. Students will learn to get to the point with a sufficient summary. It provides an opportunity to further the instruction outside of the classroom by sending "Tweets" to cell phones too. Students can work on projects on Twitter and receive updates as they go. This is beneficial for the instructor as well, not to mention if the classroom is set up through Twitter the teacher can send updates on homework and tests and such. It is a new and exciting way to to stay connected with your students and engage them in active learning. Knowing our students' love for technology, I think of the old saying, "If you can't beat'em, join'em." Well why not get on the same page with you students and try incorporating the use of Twitter in your classroom. One would be surprised to see what your students' know and how familiar they will be with this tool. This could enhance learning in so many ways!

Another article I found was a PowerPoint in google docs on 19 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom (http://docs.google.com/Present?) . They tell you how to use Twitter to "gather real-world data," use "twitterfall.com," use "historicaltweets.com," "twitterpolls," and "Word Morphs." As I said previously the possibilities are endless and it is so easy to do! You can go on a field trip through "twideo" or speak to the experts ("NASA , NASA Fellows (teachers who work on NASA projects.) They're Twitter-friendly")

What I want to know is, why not use Twitter in the Classroom?