This year, I've started using Twitter with my students/parents to keep them updated on what is going on in my History class. I have wanted to do something like this for a while now (in addition to using Blackboard)-I thought I would have to keep in contact only through email, which is often a bit clunky. However, through another project I was working on, I discovered just how easy and effective Twitter can be.
Starting at the beginning of this year, I tweeted regularly and encouraged both students and parents to either follow me or just check what I've posted regularly. One way to encourage its use was adding my twitter site onto my email signature. As a result, I've been pleasantly surprised at how many students and parents are staying abreast of developments and upcoming work.
One of the great things about Twitter is its mobility. Using the Twitterific app enables me to update it from anywhere at any time. I was a bit apprehensive about the 140 character limit, but it has forced me to be more concise with my posting (which is good) and with tools like Twitpic and Yfrog, photos and even videos are easy to upload. Another major aid in Tweeting is Goggledocs. Googledocs has been recently updated, allowing you to easily upload all document types and share them with anyone without forcing users to have a Google ID. Teaming Googledocs up with Tiny.cc lets you turn long websites into short ones, which easily fit into Twitter.
Basically, Twitter has helped my class run much more smoothly and keep my students (and their parents) better informed.
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