As we enter our classrooms again we must remember the digital footprint we have left behind as Ruth Cohenson (@tearoof) reminds us in this Tweet! If you have been using Twitter as often as I have, then you must have 1000s of tweets in as a little as a few months! Imagine for a minute where your online thoughts, images, and conversations have traveled? I am a part of various Nings and social media sites that I carelessly lose track of, however, I try to leave positive footprints wherever I go in case my students happen to run across my digital path.
One area you may have left a digital footprint is on this weekly series, What Did They Tweet?, in which I post some of my favorite tweets, which either are thought-provoking like Ruth’s tweet or provide a useful link. Below are a few more tweets I found interesting this week. Click on the images (including the one above) to see the original tweet and add these individuals to your Personal Learning Network (PLN). Moreover, you will find links and snapshots of their blogs by clicking on their names! If you enjoy this series, you may want to subscribe to receive regular updates or check out previous posts by clicking here!
Surprises from Students- Good
I look forward to a new school year, because this means I get to become inspired and awed by my new batch of students’ ideas and creativity. Never cease to become amazed by your students! Here’s an amazing student’s work courtesy of Steven Anderson (@web20classroom). Eleven year-old Adora Svitak blogged, The School Principal Just Friended Me, which is better than some of my own blog posts.
Another inspirational tweet about a student came via DigitalMaverick. The student in this case was his own daughter!
Surprises from Students- Bad
Some of our teaching days will force us to encounter unpleasant surprises from students. Phil Hart’s tweet reminded me of the change that is still needed within schools who have students who use violence as a means of expression. I remember teaching in the US and volunteering at some of these schools including alternative schools. I volunteered in several of the programs to help students find more productive ways of expressing the violence, abuse, and pressure they deal with daily. Phil Hart, Jo Hart, and I discussed ways to motivate the violent students in schools. Our discussion reminded me that this issue is a global issue!
Cool Use of Wordle
A new tool you may have heard some buzz about is Wordle. Although I have seen several tweets on using Wordle in the classroom, this link provided by Matthias Heil really excited me! As the EFL 2.0 site explains through a slide presentation of various Wordle hints the student guesses the topic. The educator can create their own Guess the Wordle presentation or use one of the ones from the Guess the Wordle wiki! This type of activity would make introducing the lesson of the day very engaging for students! I love when I find fantastic links to use in my classroom like the one provided by Matthias!
Have you missed my previous favorite tweets of the week? Just click here for the posts!
Challenge:
If you are a blogger, write a post extending any of these tweets! Let me know if you’d like to host the post here!
Would you like to recommend a favorite tweet for next week? Please contact me to share your favorite Tweet! Please mark the tweet as a favorite so that I can find the tweet!
