January 28, 2008
A Professor's Tips for Using Twitter in the Classroom
Twitter at first seemed like a bad idea to David Parry, an assistant professor of Emerging Media and Communications at the University of Texas at Dallas. For those not in the know, Twitter is a service that lets you micro-blog your life by dashing out very short notes (140 characters max) to a select group of friends or other subscribers, who can receive them as text messages on their cell phones. Mr. Parry’s first instinct was that Twittering would just encourage students to speak in sound bites and self-obsess.
But then he gave it a try, and he now sees Twitter as a useful classroom-communication tool.
How is that? He outlines several “Ways to use Twitter in Academia” on a post on the blog AcademHack.
Last semester he required the 20 students in his “Introduction to Computer-Mediated Communication” course to sign up for Twitter and to send a few messages with the service each week as part of a writing assignment. He also invited his students to follow his own Twitter feed, in which he sometimes writes several short thoughts each day. Yesterday morning, for instance, he sent out a message that read: “Reading, prepping for grad class, putting off running until it warms up a bit.” Last week, one of his messages included a link to a Web site he wanted his students to check out.
The posts from students also mixed the mundane with the useful. One student twittered that she just bought a pet rabbit. Another noted that a topic from the class was being discussed on a TV-news report.
The immediacy of the messages helped the students feel like more of a community, Mr. Parry said in an interview Monday. “It was the single thing that changed the classroom dynamics more than anything I’ve ever done teaching,” he said.
One downside: Some students have to pay a small fee for each text message they receive, and that means all this Twittering can add up to real money. Students can avoid such charges by setting their Twitter account so that they receive e-mail messages instead of text messages, but that eliminates much of the point of the service.
Should more professors use Twitter? Have you tried it in your classroom? —Jeffrey R. Young
Posted on Monday January 28, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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I’m biased because Dave sits down the hall from me. I also use twitter and have found it sets up an interesting social situation. Of the students who twitter I feel closer to them, like I know what’s going on and can anticipate more how to prepare and respond to them. It’s like the class is split in this new way – centered around whether they practice microblogging or not.
— Dean Terry Jan 28, 03:05 PM #
SMS and email aren’t the only two ways to get your twits. Twitter.com has a web interface that’s accessible via mobile devices, and for those of us who still use computers, a slew of third-party desktop apps (Twitterific, Twhirl, and Snitter, just to name a few) have emerged.
Twitter’s also great for keeping in touch with colleagues, and finding out what’s going on at events you might not be able to attend. For instance, a large contingent of educators & technologists have created a live ELI 2008 backchannel thanks to Twitter.
— Ryan Brazell Jan 28, 05:16 PM #
What Ryan said.
The twitter wiki: http://twitter.pbwiki.com is v. useful for finding 3rd- party apps, tips, and the like.
Also, this semester I’ve found that the 140-character limit helps me reflect on class session.
— Jason B. Jones Jan 28, 07:39 PM #
I can see interesting potential Twitter applications and the possible community effect, but I also can’t help but think of what would/will happen if this spreads…Joe Student takes 15 hours (5 classes), with an average of 50 students in each. Three of his profs require students to use Twitter, leading to hundreds of microblog posts to Joe’s phone or email each week. Seems like the novelty would be short-lived?
— Nancy Jan 28, 10:22 PM #
One of the nice things, is that you can choose to follow/unfollow at will. Of the people you are following, you can also set notifications off (meaning you won’t get IMs or text messages, but it’ll still show up on your page on the web). I’d like to see this more as an “option” than a requirement.
— Robert Rowe Jan 29, 12:12 AM #
As a youth pastor, I use it with my youth group. There’s definitely a stronger sense of community since we started using it.
— Josue Sanchez Jan 29, 12:55 AM #
The feeling of twenty people scattered all over the globe, going through each day together, more together than husbands and wives usually do, is great if the 20 people are witty, interesting, thoughtful caring people. It makes me imagine a half dozen such groups of colleagues, organized along very different dimensions, I would also enjoy going through each day with. I have organized by graduated students and going though 20 diverse careers daily is informative and tremendous fun though there is a cost of hearing about mundane hassles.
— Richard Tabor Greene Jan 29, 06:52 AM #
Are people simply over-obsessed with online and computer mediated socialization?
— Bob Jan 29, 08:30 AM #
We are becoming twitter pated.
— Mark Jan 29, 10:08 AM #
What about old-fashioned face-to-face conversations in the classroom? Plus, students checking their text messages during class is often alienating and distracting to the group proceedings. And, as the article notes, text messaging costs an additional fee (monthly or per message).
— Lisa Loderhose Jan 29, 12:14 PM #
I like the idea of using something like Twitter during class as a backchannel. Classroom response systems (“clickers”) let instructors ask their students multiple-choice questions and receive instant feedback, but the multiple-choice format can be limiting. Students could use something like Twitter to send questions to the instructor at any time during class. In a large class, having some kind of aggregator (like a TA who checks the Twitter-stream) would be useful. This kind of backchannel could really change how large lecture classes work.
I’m glad to know that there are desktop apps that allow one to Twitter. That gets around the cost of sending text messages.
— Derek Jan 29, 04:54 PM #
I wonder how the number of mesages to follow will work on a section of 350+ students? will it split into sub groups, turn into noise or overwhelm the classtime available. eventually it seems to be about shelf space in the mind.
— Patrick Goff Jan 30, 07:39 AM #
I feel Twitter’s 140 character limit has helped me to become a more concise and effective writer.
— Brian Christiansen Jan 30, 10:45 PM #
Very interesting article. I am interested in using twitter for my students who are on placement all over the country but because of the nature of their placements in rural settings, I am not so sure how it will work with issues of access and connection
— sarah stewart Feb 1, 03:19 PM #
Dr. Kritsonis Lectures at the University of Oxford, Oxford, England
In 2005, Dr. Kritsonis was an Invited Visiting Lecturer at the Oxford Round Table at Oriel College in the University of Oxford, Oxford, England. His lecture was entitled the Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning.
Dr. Kritsonis Recognized as Distinguished Alumnus
In 2004, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis was recognized as the Central Washington University Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies. Dr. Kritsonis was nominated by alumni, former students, friends, faculty, and staff. Final selection was made by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Recipients are CWU graduates of 20 years or more and are recognized for achievement in their professional field and have made a positive contribution to society. For the second consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report placed Central Washington University among the top elite public institutions in the west. CWU was 12th on the list in the 2006 On-Line Education of “America’s Best Colleges.â€
Educational Background
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis earned his BA in 1969 from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. In 1971, he earned his M.Ed. from Seattle Pacific University. In 1976, he earned his PhD from the University of Iowa. In 1981, he was a Visiting Scholar at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and in 1987 was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.Professional Experience
Dr. Kritsonis began his career as a teacher. He has served education as a principal, superintendent of schools, director of student teaching and field experiences, invited guest professor, author, consultant, editor-in-chief, and publisher. Dr. Kritsonis has earned tenure as a professor at the highest academic rank at two major universities.
Books – Articles – Lectures – Workshops
Dr. Kritsonis lectures and conducts seminars and workshops on a variety of topics. He is author of more than 500 articles in professional journals and several books. His popular book SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: The Art of Survival is scheduled for its fourth edition. He is the author of the textbook William Kritsonis, PhD on Schooling that is used by many professors at colleges and universities throughout the nation and abroad. In 2007, Dr. Kritsonis’ version of the book of Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning (858 pages) was published in the United States of America in cooperation with partial financial support of Visiting Lecturers, Oxford Round Table (2005). The book is the product of a collaborative twenty-four year effort started in 1978 with the late Dr. Philip H. Phenix. Dr. Kritsonis was in continuous communication with Dr. Phenix until his death in 2002. In 2007, Dr. Kritsonis was the lead author of the textbook Practical Applications of Educational Research and Basic Statistics. The text provides practical content knowledge in research for graduate students at the doctoral and master’s levels. In 2008, Dr. Kritsonis’ book Non-Renewal of Public School Personnel Contracts: Selected Supreme and District Court Decisions in Accordance with the Due Process of Law is scheduled for publication by The Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York. Dr. Kritsonis’ seminar and workshop on Writing for Professional Publication has been very popular with both professors and practitioners. Persons in attendance generate an article to be published in a refereed journal at the national or international levels. Dr. Kritsonis has traveled and lectured throughout the United States and world-wide. Some recent international tours include Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo, England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, and many more.Founder of National FORUM Journals – Over 4,000 Professors Published
Dr. Kritsonis is founder of NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (since 1983). These publications represent a group of highly respected scholarly academic periodicals. Over 4,000 writers have been published in these refereed, peer-reviewed periodicals. In 1983, he founded the National FORUM of Educational Administration and Supervision – now acclaimed by many as the United States’ leading recognized scholarly academic refereed journal in educational administration, leadership, and supervision. In 1987, Dr. Kritsonis founded the National FORUM of Applied Educational Research Journal whose aim is to conjoin the efforts of applied educational researchers world-wide with those of practitioners in education. He founded the National FORUM of Teacher Education Journal, National FORUM of Special Education Journal, National FORUM of Multicultural Issues Journal, International Journal of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity, International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, and the DOCTORAL FORUM – National Journal for Publishing and Mentoring Doctoral Student Research. The DOCTORAL FORUM is the only refereed journal in America committed to publishing doctoral students while they are enrolled in course work in their doctoral programs. In 1997, he established the Online Journal Division of National FORUM Journals that publishes academic scholarly refereed articles daily on the website: www.nationalforum.com. Over 500 professors have published online. In January 2007, Dr. Kritsonis established the National Journal: Focus On Colleges, Universities, and Schools.Professorial Roles
Dr. Kritsonis has served in professorial roles at Central Washington University, Washington; Salisbury State University, Maryland; Northwestern State University, Louisiana; McNeese State University, Louisiana; and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge in the Department of Administrative and Foundational Services. In 2006, Dr. Kritsonis published two articles in the Two-Volume Set of the Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration published by SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, California. He is a National Reviewer for the Journal of Research on Leadership, University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). In 2007, Dr. Kritsonis has been invited to write a history and philosophy of education for the ABC-CLIO Encyclopedia of World History. Currently, Dr. Kritsonis is Professor of Educational Leadership at Prairie View A&M University – Member of the Texas A&M University System. He teaches in the newly established PhD Program in Educational Leadership. Dr. Kritsonis taught the Inaugural class session in the doctoral program at the start of the fall 2004 academic year. In October 2006, Dr. Kritsonis chaired the first doctoral student to earn a PhD in Educational Leadership at Prairie View A&M University. He lives in Houston, Texas. About Prairie View A&M University: Ranked No. 27 on Black Enterprise magazine’s list of “Top 50 Colleges and Universities for African-Americansâ€, Prairie View A&M University was founded in 1876 and is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools. A member of the Texas A&M University System, the university is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research and service. During the university’s 130-year history, nearly 48,000 academic degrees have been awarded. For more information regarding PVAMU, visit www.pvamu.edu.— William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Feb 27, 12:24 PM #
As a college and grad student I often felt overwhelmed to the point where I didn’t participate in class.
Twitter offers a medium that helps those who hesitate and lose the opportunity to provide input during a classroom session. Now students can write thoughts and share resources in real time.
Sharing even seemingly banal aspects of their lives is potentially distracting when Twitter posts arive every few minutes or less.
Yet, an awareness of select details regarding our colleagues’ lives is what draws us to each other and helps us to feel more comfortable with each other over time, forming a real community aided by virtual sharing.
I have just started using Twittering more actively after having registered this past fall. I am happy to read about the application’s usefulness in more structured settings and look forward to learning more about it.
— Cecilia Pineda Feret Feb 29, 11:02 PM #