Twitter This, Twitter That

I'm going to level with you all. I am still not entirely sure what the draw of Twitter is. However, having looked further into this social network, I realize it may in fact be very useful in the world of education. Twitter is all about information. Information about what you are doing. What your friend is eating. What your mother-in-law is complaining about. It's all new information delivered to you instantly. So naturally, there must be a place for Twitter in the field of education, because that's exactly what education is. A constant flow of new information. Now although I think we can all agree that Twitter is well suited as a purely social outlet, I think that if maintained properly a teacher's Twitter page could be quite useful. For instance, a teacher could tweet that she is looking forward to her third periods’ Industrial Revolution presentations tomorrow, or that she hopes none of her students forget to study for the Chapter 8 Test on Friday. Parents and students who follow, let's say Miss VanGildenhauf, can remain connected with what’s happening in her classroom by doing something they would otherwise still be doing, Twittering. Twitter can also be used to keep fellow teachers in the circle of communication. A simple tweet about a teachers meeting at noon or that an important education bill just passed in the senate can help teachers stay informed. Now, I'm not saying that every teacher needs to rush out and get a Twitter account so that the world doesn't pass them by. However, I do think that if a teacher wants to continue making their classroom "transparent", so parents and the community can see what exciting and enriching things are happening within, Twitter may be an excellent tool. Another and maybe just as useful aspect of Twitter is that teachers can gain further insight into the lives of their students by following the students' parents. Now, instead of just the classroom having glass walls, so does the home. Teachers could then understand why Jimmy hasn't been at school for two weeks, or why Amy has burst into tears for the past three days. This capability can allow educators to teach better and care more because they understand each child on a deeper level. So why is this technology different from other communication methods? Because Twitter is entertaining. People want to follow people. So why not the person students see the most, and parents hear about the most? Their teachers! Twitter is just another example of how we are living in a world where we are more and more connected. So if we are living in a more connected world, shouldn't our education be just as connected? Interesting thought, huh? Go ahead, tweet that.