A Synergy Effect of the Interconnection between Teaching and Tweeting

Today's ESL/EFL teachers are often asked to think about using various educational tools or technology in classroom for the purpose of the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and learning. So, how they can use those tools in an actual classroom setting is a big concern many teachers have in their mind. I think encounter with the twitter world will open a gate for teachers to lessen this concern.

[Twitter: www.3dcart.com]

As mentioned in Teachers Guide to the Use of Twitter in Classroom,twitter can be a good "social networking platform in classroom." While tweeting or twitter chatting, teachers are more likely to get closer to other teacher groups whose interest areas are similar or the same as well as to their students struggling for successful language learning anytime anywhere. In other words, the sustainable interaction between teachers and teachers, and between teachers and students will keep both of them awake to language learning after class as well as during class. 

Given this, I will be able to get newer and more input from "the latest news, resources, links, researches, and mores (quoted from Using Twitter for Teachers' Professional Development" related to the target language learning which are updated around the clock from other teachers' or learners' tweets.  Considering the value of the input data, I will be able to retweet some important or interesting parts of them related to the lesson topics or objectives so that the students can read and reply with comments whenever they want. This whole process should be a valuable moment for me to develop myself as a teacher and keep students interested and engaged in their learning.

Also,I wish to "suggest people, organizations, or magazines to follow" in classroom as proposed in the subsection How To Connect With Students On Twitter in The Teacher's Guide to Twitter. Explaining why they are meaningful to follow, I may encourage the students to enhance their critical thinking, and build up relevant knowledge and skills for the current and future courses. Sometimes, I think I can assign the students a task like Mod 6 of attending a twitterchat in order for them to listen to others' voices and speak out in their own voices in real-time online chatting contexts.

[Guide to Tweitter: www.edudemic.com]

In short, I firmly believe that this interconnection between teaching and tweeting may create a synergy effect on teachers' own professional development as well as students' active engaging in language learning.  

Let's Chat! Twitterchat!

Today, I joined a twitter chat #connectedpd whose topic is a new community-sourced professional development in teaching and learning. I could find current professional development-related sources and information online.

 

[Twitter Chats: pjsandcoffee.net]

Unfortunately, however, today is Friday, so just few people joined and shared their information and thoughts. Despite this fact, everything I experienced there was totally new to me, and it made me desire to be more involved in this twitter world continually.

Every new step takes a lot of pains, but I am so happy to step into the new Twitter world because I can get much more input from others' thinking and suggestion on a certain topic related to educational technology and ESL/EFL learning. In this sense, I believe the virtual online space of the Twitterchat gives me a good chance to share people's ideas and thoughts, develop my own opinions, and sometimes ask and answer some questions. It would serve as a great foundation for me to grow as a good professional educator.

Next time, I wish to join other twitterchats where I can see more participants and find interesting topics. Anyway, twitterchatting was a great experience!