Twitter

  Our class has a Twitter account!  I've recently been trying to expose the students to as much technology as I can, so that they can see the appropriate ways to use it.  Beyond just using the ipads and laptops, I want to expose students to technology that is at their fingertips.  This week I introduced Twitter. Beyond simply being a social network, Twitter offers a wonderful way to make connections. We have teamed up with Mr. McGee's 4th grade class at OQS. Mr. McGee's class have been using Twitter for the past few months to share with the world things that they are learning.  We will now be partnering up and commenting on each other's posts in order to share our learning experiences.
  Starting this week I will be asking students to write one sentence to show me what they have learned. These sentences will not only be chosen as the daily tweet, but it will also give me insight into students' knowledge and understanding of the topic at hand.  For example, today I asked students to write a Tweet about what we have been working on in reading class.  Three or four students wrote about "writing across their hand," a note-taking technique. A few others talked about using post-it notes to record their thinking. But then I had a few students who simply wrote that they were reading nonfiction books.  As their teacher, this quick insight allows me to see how much of the information they are obtaining and who might need extra support. 
   Have a Twitter account? Follow us at @LanniWestDBS!