Utilizing Twitter in the Classroom

Why Twitter attracts me:

1. Connects locally, state, nationally, and globally

2. Connects industry to business to classrooms

3. Educates anyone willing to read < 140 characters

4. Exposes creativity and individualism 

5. Tracks trends and news

6. Challenges a new type of writing (short and sweet)

7. Professional digital portfolio for an individual, business, or program 

8. Accessible through computers, tablets, and phones

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The social media platform of Twitter presents opportunities to digitalize the classroom that teachers did not have ten years ago. The best part is that we can individualize Twitter to fit our program and classroom needs. Specifically looking at school based agricultural education utilizing Twitter in each part of the three circle model, which consists of of SAE, classroom instruction, and FFA can fully maximize Twitter's full potential.


The first step to fully utilizing Twitter is to understand the lingo that accompanies the platform. Hashtag (#), retweet, direct message, and the list goes on. To help learn the platform I am going to reference a blog titled: "Mom This is How Twitter Works". This blog uses visuals and explanations to describe how Twitter functions and how to use each individual part.

Below I compiled a list of my own and of other Twitter users suggestions on how to use Twitter in school based agricultural education broken down into the three circle model categories.

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE):
- Use twitter as a promotional tool for each type of SAE project so underclassmen can understand their options
- As a teacher, posting required parts of degrees that students often forget they need
- Posting pictures as a student can serve as an archive for when a picture is needed later on for a degree or promotional material
- Assign students to each week post a short story on their SAE project
- Students can use twitter as a vocabulary builder. As each student goes through their SAE project they can tweet the different words they learned that pertain individually to their project.

Classroom Instruction:
- Send our reminders for upcoming homework, projects, quizzes, and exams
- Use as a current events resource 
- As an assignment go on a scavenger hunt. This can be used in any subject.
- Bring a speaker in to train students on being professional with social media handles
- Have a discussion on twitter as an assignment to engage other FFA chapters, industry professionals, and Ag teachers

National FFA Organization:
- Create a hashtag and tweet out local, state, and national events the program is involved in to connect with families, friends, supporters, the school, and community
- Follow the state and national FFA handles to keep up on FFA news and promote your chapter on their accounts by being retweeted
- Take a poll obtaining opinions on a potential event or meeting time
- Sync with blogs, school webpages, Facebook, etc.
- CDE teams and individuals post supplemental material they are using to study on Twitter

Here is a list of generic uses that can be tailored towards any program of ways to use Twitter in the classroom:

Glossophobia

Any guesses on what Golossphobia means?

Falling glass? No. 

Fear of lip gloss? Getting closer. 

Fear of the tongue? CORRECT!

Golossophobia is a Greek word for 'the tongue' which is needed to speak. The fear of the tongue is a fear the 70% of Americans have, public speaking. Thankfully, I do not fear conducting a speech publicly, what I do fear is public speaking effectively, clearly, and engaging enough for the audience to take something away.

To teach public speaking to an audience of high school students:

1. Create a powerpoint of pictures of famous people and have students go to the left side of the room if they think they are a public speaker and the right side of the room if they think the person is not.

2. For each picture one student from each side will state why they chose the side they did

3. The student will then sit and I will play three short video clips and each student will write down what they do and do not like about each speaker in the video clips

4. Share the likes and dislikes in small groups and create a list of qualities they all liked about the speaker to share with the class

5. Have students share out loud the qualities they liked and make a collaborative list

6. Discuss the idea of style and type of speeches that can be given (impromptu, prepared, etc.)

7. In the student's small groups have them stand up and give them a topic to practice impromptu. Each student will have 30 seconds to give their mini speech

8. At the end of class have the students each pick a partner and for next class have them create a 1-2 minute prepared speech on their partners SAE project to share with the class without using any materials 

The points above open the door to introduce the idea of public speaking as a CDE option. It also allows students to see the diversity and importance of public speaking in a multitude of careers.

The following public speakers are ones I find engaging and effective:

1. Barrett Keene - Leadership Consultant 

My first encounter with Barrett Keene was at the FACE Youth Conference held by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Barrett is passionate and charismatic and embraces the ideal of being effective while being engaging for hours at a clip.

Here is a link to when Barrett talked at the Florida's National FFA Convention: 

2. Kevin Hart - Comedian

I enjoy listening to and watching Kevin Hart. Be aware though he can be explicit but as a public speaker he can bring an audience to tears laughing. He is a stand up comedian that I can watch for hours and he does not use props. He uses facial movements, noises, and gestures to accompany words. I want to refer to another blog that I thought captured what Kevin Hart does very well: https://alexrister1.wordpress.com/tag/kevin-hart/

3. Robby Novak - Kid President

The Kid President is a eleven years old and engages people through pep talks aired on YouTube by SoulPancake.

The three public speakers above are all different in age, experience, style, and each have identifiable strengths and weaknesses. What they all do well though is effectively engage and relate to large audiences with confidence and poise.