Twitter in @education

For about two years now, in the back of my mind I've been trying to think ways to further integrate technology that us teenagers commonly use and take for granted with school. This latest little idea might actually catch on.

The issue is mostly simplicity. Most teachers don't like using technology because it takes more effort for them to learn how to use it and since they aren't familiar with it, every time they use it takes effort. However, using pen and paper isn't necessarily the most efficient way to do things and for schools like mine who are trying to take a 'green' initiative, using 200+ pieces of paper per student in making assignment pads isn't much of an achievement.

The solution could very well be found @Twitter. Twitter is hands down the simplest, most open-ended and easiest to use social networking platform out there. When you get down to it, it's just a box, 140 characters and an enter button. So how would this apply to teachers and our classrooms?

Teachers would have their own Twitter accounts. To keep spammers away, the account would be locked so only students could be added as the teacher's followers. Teachers could then post assignments daily on their Twitters for students to view in their newsfeed or directly on the teacher's page. Direct Messages could be sent containing notices if say grades are low that quarter or if the student wants to as the teacher a question. With or without smart phones, teachers can post to Twitter from an application or from a text message on the go.

Students would see these updates daily considering, in my case, close to half of our school now has an active Twitter account. Even if they don't, checking a twitter account is much easier and faster than the school's current service (in my experience).

Check out my blog at christhurber.tk