Social Networking and Twitter

Here is the link to my twitter account.  I will be adding some educational lists shortly. @timmeredu111 How can teachers use/teach social networking tools in the classroom with or without a  computer  or device?        Social Networking tools, such as twitter can be a valuable educational asset within  the classroom in facilitating student development.  Twitter comments can be used across  numerous subjects and strands within our educational practice.  Using twitter "lingo",  students can ask general questions in class, or even address them to specific students  using @ signs.  In guided reading groups, students can comment on chapters of books,  and generate follow up topics or questions for research purposes using # hashtags.  All of these can be accomplished, without the need for a computer or personal device.      The key to transitioning to this type of communication into the classroom, is first  teaching students how it works.  Programs like twitter or instagram or meant to share  short messages and pictures.  Both utilize @ symbols and # hashtags to direct the  information to a particular person or group, and to share this information with specific  groups, that is later searchable.  Once students understand how this works, they can  begin to use it more in the classroom, both on the computer or personal device, and  through more traditional classroom learning.         During Literature Circles, a student can direct pose a question during the discussion,  and target it to members of his or her group.  Science presentations on Biodiversity, can  use hashtags to list the specific plants and animals that will be discussed during the  presentation.  All of this can be done without a computer.  Twitter itself can be used to  ask a teacher questions when preparing for a math test, or share information on Canada  using hashtags, that peers can later search and learn about.  Most social media  applications use this type of system (twitter, instagram, delicious, soundcloud, etc), and  teaching students this type of lingo, can open a lot of doors for students to explore  different forms of social media to enhance their learning experience.