Pleased to Tweet Ya!

Err meet ya?  For the longest time I've been a Twitter "lurker," if you could even call it that.  I've sat in on a few teacher chats, perused some Twitter pages/ archives, checked out the latest gossip on several of my favorite celebs (Sorry, I'm not sorry!), but I just haven't been able to muster the strength to jump aboard the Twitter Revolution.  Tweets seem to come flying in and out of cyberspace, appearing for a few brief moments and then disappearing into the dark abyss. Being the organized, methodical, and seemingly conservative girl I am, I really didn't find this tool to be practical in my day-to-day life.

But...I just secured an interim 3rd grade position at my alma mater [Yep, I am THRILLED to pieces!], and the wheels have started to spin at full force.  While I know that my position as a long-term substitute is to continue with the procedures already put in place by the current teacher, I can't help but fantasize about my future classroom.  Mhm I feel one HUGE step closer to my dream, so it's only fitting that I begin to contemplate the possibilities.

And, that brings me to Twitter.  I've mentioned in previous posts just how much I love the idea of shooting a quick tweet out to parents periodically throughout the school day.  Right now, I'm comfortable with this potential use of Twitter, given support from administration and parents.  I have to be honest, though, as an elementary school teacher, I would not be comfortable with my students using Twitter directly.  For example, the recommendations put fourth in this article: 60 Inspiring Examples of Twitter in the Classroom, are just that...truly inspiring, yet, perhaps, more applicable in a secondary classroom or college setting.

Sure, it would be great to post bulletin board-"esque" updates on Twitter, or invite students to share questions, generate concise synopses of classroom topics, or track their adventures on a field trip, but said tasks would warrant (I believe...) individual Twitter accounts for students.  I just don't think I can go there yet.  Nevertheless, I'm really liking how teachers use a single classroom Twitter account to connect with students and teachers from around the globe.  If nothing else, will ya please take a peak at this kindergarten teacher's implementation of Twitter with her students?  These littles are tweeting with another classroom in Texas!  Students are given a voice on Twitter by using sentence strips to  record potential tweets, followed by a Twitter bird to signify their intent to post.  The tweets are then secured to a classroom bulletin board for the teacher to push out onto Twitter.  I can't help but smile at all of that sharing and connecting :)

Do you think any of the uses I've mentioned are realistic to implement in your own classroom?