I have recently signed up for Twitter and although I don’t seem to be using it often or have much interest in Twitter as I do for other social media tools, I have been thinking about ways that it could be useful in my future elementary classroom.

If Twitter was introduced to the right age group and discussions were had with students around privacy and proper use of the app, I think it could be used as a useful tool with incorporating curriculum and different subjects into the classroom. My initial thought is that it opens up too many possibilities for privacy issues and  viewing sensitive content.  Therefore, I would probably steer away from using Twitter in my classroom. That being said, I have made a list of the pros and cons when thinking about using Twitter in a higher grade classroom:

PROS

Inspiration:  Twitter has so much information on different topics that it could be used as a tool for students to explore different topics.

Engagement: Using Twitter in a classroom could provide an opportunity for students and teachers to communicate. It also allows students to connect with community and in their school, as most schools have their own Twitter account.

Concise Writing: As there is a limit of characters allowed per tweet on Twitter it makes students become concise writers, which is an important learning skill.

CONS

Distraction: Social media can turn into a distraction for students, however clear rules about when and how Twitter should be used can be established.

Bullying:  Social media opens up a space for students to bully or to be bullied. That being said, using Twitter in a classroom could provide a lesson to students about cyberbullying and how to treat others with respect.

Overall, I think that there are positives and learning opportunities that come with using Twitter in a classroom, but I believe the concept of Twitter can also be applied to a classroom without using the actual Twitter app. One example that I read about was that a English Language Arts Teacher used a bulletin board related to a book that they were reading and students were asked to make “tweets” with a limit on characters and post it to the bulletin board. I thought this was a great way to introduce the idea of Twitter and how it works without having to fully rely on the Twitter app.