What’s the point of Twitter?

Here  are Laura Doggett’s nine great reasons why teachers should use Twitter –

1. Together we’re better

Teaching can be a lonely business. In a school where lessons are long and lunchtimes are short, not enough conversations between teachers I work with are about learning. We simply don’t have time. Twitter can be like a virtual staffroom for me, which I can step into when it suits me: in the queue at the supermarket or waiting for for the kettle to boil. I know that within seconds I can access a stream of links, ideas, opinion and resources from a hand-picked selection of global professionals.

2. Global or local: you choose

Whilst some Twitter users will not tolerate many overtly egotistical self-publicisers (some celebrities have come under fire for using the service just to broadcast banalities to their flocks of fans), there is no doubt that Twitter users have the potential to reach very large international audiences. In educational terms this is a real eye-opener: before using Twitter I had only limited understanding of educational systems and practices in countries like Australia and the US. It’s now possible for me to actively compare what’s happening in schools in my county with others on different continents. GPS-enabled devices like iPhones and the advanced web search facility allow searches which tell you what people are tweeting within a certain distance of a location, so if the other side of the world isn’t your bag, you can stick with your own patch.

3. Self-awareness and reflective practice

Excellent teachers reflect on what they are doing in their schools and look at what is going well in order to maintain and develop it, and what needs improvement in order to make it better. Teachers on Twitter share these reflections and both support and challenge each other. Reading about other educators’ experiences has made me question my own practice on a number of occasions, and whilst the resulting changes may only be incremental they are nonetheless important steps in the journey to improvement.

4. Ideas workshop and sounding board

Twitter is a great medium for sharing ideas and getting instant feedback. Its speed and instanteity means you can gather a range of opinions and constructive criticism within minutes; which can help enormously whether you are planning a learning experience, writing a policy or putting a job application together. Just this week, Doug Belshaw (@dajbelshaw) shared the experience of preparing for a job interview and used Twitter during interview to demonstrate the intellectual and professional clout of his impressive network.

As a further example, I tweeted whilst writing this post:

Within minutes various kind followers had responded with suggestions, including:

Whilst Twitter users do not have to use it synchronously like instant messanging software, the tool does lend itself well to quick responses.

5. Newsroom and innovation showcase

Sitting down with a newspaper is not a luxury I have the time to enjoy every day. Twitter helps me stay up to date on news and current affairs, as well as on the latest developments in my areas of interest:  school leadership, technology and languages. By following leading individuals and organisations, Twitter users can stay right at the bleeding edge of innovation and creativity, and literally be among the first to know when a new product is launched, article is published or opinion is voiced.

Whilst very innovative folk, teachers equally spend far too much time reinventing the wheel. Twitter helps me to be smarter about my work by sharing resources, ideas, training materials and policies with other schools. Just this week I am putting together a policy recommendation for staff at my school about ensuring their personal details on Facebook are secure. Several colleagues (including Alex Blagona @blagona and Sacha Van Straten @svanstraten) have been kind enough to share work they had already done in this area. I no longer have to start from scratch and will share my finished policy with any educators who would like it. It’s a bit like the principle of  ’paying it forward’ on a big scale.

6. Professional development and critical friends

One of the best things about training days is the break out time between sessions, when teachers can get together to talk about what they are working on or struggling with. Twitter enables me to have that kind of powerful networking capacity with me all the time. It’s just a matter of finding the right people to follow. As @melaniemcbride said:

“Following smart people on Twitter is like a mental shot of expresso”

Since cash for cover is not always readily available, days out on expensive courses can’t be a regular thing for most teachers. I love to have access to learning on tap through Twitter as it doesn’t require large chunks of my day, or any financial outlay in order to have an impact. Twitter is also a source of healthy debate, and I have learned that if I am going to make a point I can’t be halfhearted about it; as there will be people who disagree! I have grown in confidence when it comes to my own convictions, and now take that back with me into school.

7. Quality-assured searching

I trust the people I follow. I hone and develop the list of people whose insights I value. Drew Buddie (@digitalmaverick) has mentioned several times that he believes his network to be more powerful than Google, and I am beginning to see why. Once your Twitter network grows past a critical mass, you can ask them detailed questions and get higher quality information back than a bog-standard Google search would generally provide, with the inbuilt assurance that it is a respected member of your network providing the information. On a broader scale, Twitter searching provides information about time-linked trending topics that Google cannot.

8. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Expressing yourself in 140 characters is a great discipline. I have become better at saying what needs to be said in my professional communications with less waffle and padding, and I refuse as far as possible to use txtspk. I previously read somewhere that every professional email could in theory be written in just five sentences. That seems luxuriously long!

9. Getting with the times has never been so easy!

There is no good reason why teachers shouldn’t stick with the times, engage with the technology and keep up with the kids. We need to be able to speak the same language and inhabit the same communities (both real and virtual) as our students in order to motivate them and relate to them. Twitter is anything but complicated! You simply visit Twitter.com and create your account. A little light searching using key words for your areas of interest will soon yield a list of interesting people to follow. There are plenty of websites offering advice on getting started and how to avoid a few common beginners’ faux-pas.

Nine great reasons why teachers should use Twitter – Laura Doggett.

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Predictors of Success for Adult Online Learners: A Review of the Literature.

February 11, 2010

Here are a few of the highlights from  Elizabeth A. Gruenbaum’s research review:

Design Model Characteristics and the Impact on Performance and Learner Satisfaction
High-quality course designs should include certain features within their makeup. Cercone (2008) suggests that course design models:

• connect new knowledge to prior learning
• maintain collaboration and social interaction between students
• promote a self-reflective environment
• include current or immediate applications
• advance self-regulated learning.

These components in the design of a class lead to deep learning as opposed to just surface learning (Fink, 2003; Majeski & Stover, 2007). Deep learning permeates across all age groups and all types of learners.

Implications for Online Instructors: Practices to Promote
Teachers may need to provide varying levels of support and guidance for their undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates, for example, may require more explicit support that will help them self-monitor (Artino & Stephens, 2009).

• Providing reflective prompts is one way to support all online learners (Davis and Linn, 2000).
• Making specific and clear syllabi and assignments with progressive calendar deadlines may encourage task completion and improve self fulfillment (Liu, Bonk, Magjuka, Lee, & Su, 2005; McLoughlin, 2002).
• Other strategies that have improved self-efficacy in both undergraduate and graduate learners, are to provide students specific performance feedback on a timely basis (Bangert, 2004; Wang & Lin, 2007), as well as assist students in identifying and setting challenging yet reachable goals (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2004).

In regard to online discussions or discussion board prompts, undergraduates in particular may benefit from instructor assistance, or scaffolding in such a way that promotes critical thinking.

• Some examples of instructor-enhanced scaffolding within the prompts includes modeling a response to the prompt, requesting clarification, reinforcing students’ ideas, correcting misunderstandings, and asking for consensus within areas of disagreement (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2001; Shea, Li, Swan, & Pickett, 2005).
• These practices may improve learner interaction; increase satisfaction; increase retention; and facilitate critical thinking and self-regulation in students (Shea et al., 2005; Whipp, 2003).

Implications for Online Instructors: Approaches and Techniques
Instructors should consider different approaches and techniques that they may utilize to maximize students’ success. Online learning models may incorporate both asynchronous and synchronous communication tools.

• Asynchronous tools include applications such as email, discussion boards, newsgroups, and conference rooms where users are allowed to contribute at their leisure, but are not required to be online at a specific time. Asynchronous forms of learning lend more to self-reflection and deep learning as posited earlier (Hiltz & Goldman, 2005; Jaffee, Moir, Swanson & Wheeler, 2006).

• Synchronous tools include chat rooms, webcasts, desktop video, and audio technologies. These tools are used to simulate real-time teaching strategies, like meeting with groups of students or delivering lectures or presentations. The synchronous activities may help foster a sense of community to facilitate learning a complex body of knowledge (Schwen & Hara, 2004; Vrasidas & Glass, 2004).

Three different types of learning experiences may be fostered within an online community. These approaches are 1) expository learning, 2) active learning, and 3) interactive learning. The type of learning provided may determine the way the learner acquires knowledge.

• Expository learning is a conventional approach to learning where the information is given to the student through a lecture or via written material.
• Active learning involves the learner having control over how and what she learns. Learning is inquiry-based, such as working on manipulation of artifacts, simulations, web quests, or games (Zhang, 2005).
• Interactive learning emphasizes collaborative learning activities where the learning develops from interaction with others or other knowledge sources within the course. Teachers may be facilitators in such learning (USDOE, 2009).

In determining which approach to use and when, the instructor should

1. remember what has been said thus far about learning and best practices,
2. consider the student group to be served, and
3. consider how the learning should best emerge.

Think of using technology as a tool to foster deep learning and critical thinking skills (Fink, 2003; Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000; Majeski & Stover, 2007).

• With expository instruction, the technology is conveying the content.
• With active learning, the technology is allowing the learner to be in control of the learning by investigation of information or of problems.
• With interactive learning, the technology is mediating the interactions of learners and allowing learning to emerge (USDOE, 2009).

Implications of Findings for Online Instructors

• Additionally, the study found that active learning strategies enhance learning and foster self efficacy and intrinsic motivation, as Shea et al. (2005) and Whipp (2003) say are necessary for critical thinking and deep learning.
• Interactive learning is another trend that will prompt learner reflection and assist with developing a sense of community, as noted by Schwen and Hara (2004) and Vrasidas and Glass (2004). Instructors should focus on this trend to promote the community feeling that students tend to express they feel is lacking within online courses.
• Students say online learning is what they turn to for flexibility and because of their busy lifestyles (Green & Azevedo, 2007). As a result, instructors should change their teaching styles to be just as flexible and accommodating to all learners by incorporating the various strategies discussed and by being easily accessible to students.

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Behind Every Name There is a Person:

• Respect the privacy of your classmates and what they share in class.
• Ask classmates for clarification if you find a discussion posting offensive or difficult to understand.
• Avoid sweeping generalizations.
• Back up your stated opinions with facts and reliable sources.
• Understand that we may disagree and that exposure to other people’s opinions is part of the learning experience.
• Be respectful of each other. We’re all in this together.Before posting a comment, ask whether you would be willing to make the same comment to a person’s face.
• Keep in mind that everything you write, indeed every click of your mouse is recorded on the network server. On the Internet there are no take backs.
• Keep in mind that you are taking a college class. Something that would be inappropriate in a traditional classroom is also inappropriate in an online classroom.

Online Communication:

• Be aware that typing in all capital letters indicates shouting.
• Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Both can easily be misunderstood!
• Review all discussion postings before posting your own to prevent redundancy [and repetition].
• Check your writing for errors by reviewing what you’ve written before submitting it.
• Acronyms LOL, etc. and emoticons smilies are commonly used online, but be careful not to overuse them.

via Netiquette: a handy guide for online students | eLearning Blog Dont Waste Your Time.

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Protecting Reputations Online in Plain English –

You may want to share this video with your students on the long-term risks of sharing inappropriate information on the Web.The video encourages viewers to “think before you click” and offers tips for being responsible with photos, video and stories.

Points include:

• Why photos are permanent on the web
• Future consequences of sharing inappropriate info
• Tips for protecting reputations personal and friends
• What to do when inappropriate info is shared

via Protecting Reputations Online in Plain English –

The eLearning coach describes 10 cool ways to learn online now. Consider these ideas to put some fun in  your online course

1. Learn through Visual Search Engines

How would you like your search engine to show results in a collage? Spezify does just that. It’s a visual search engine that draws content from all over the Web, particularly social media sites. Your collage might show a book from Amazon, a YouTube video and a page from a blog or web site. You drag the results to navigate the page and then click the graphic to view the media. Although the results might not be as robust as with conventional search engines, it’s a lot more fun. Other visual search tools include: viewzi, Kart00 and search-cube.

2. Learn from Word Clouds

How can you search for something on a site when you’re not sure what’s there? Though Word Clouds aren’t new, have you used them as a learning tool? If you go to Wordle and enter a site’s url or feed url, you can use the word cloud as an index to the site. Look for words of interest and then search for those articles or pages.

You can also use word clouds as the basis for writing a poem, for studying another language and for comparing two pages of information. Janet Clarey compared two articles from this site using word clouds. You can also create tag clouds with TagCrowd and you probably figured there had to be a tweetcloud.

3. Ask a Question

Although Question and Answer sites aren’t new on the Web, we’re now at a point where there are enough experts online and enough Q&A sites to make finding an answer more feasible. Some sites crowd-source the answers while others use mentors to answer questions in their area of expertise. These sites are also great for browsing through when you’re in procrastination mode.

Here are a few: Amazon’s Askville, Yahoo Answers, Answerbag, Gotta Mentor, BlurtIt, and WikiAnswers. For answers to eLearning related questions, try one of the LinkedIn eLearning Groups with a high membership, like The eLearning Guild or Instructional Design & E-Learning Professionals’ Group. FYI: You can always shoot me a question through the contact page and I’ll answer or crowd-source it.

4. Think Visually

One of the best ways to learn is to look at things from a new perspective. Prezi can help you do this. It is one of the most innovative tools for creating nonlinear presentations. Check out their Showcase.

Expressing and organizing your ideas in mind maps is another approach to expanding or changing your perspective. Try these free online mind mapping tools, some of which are collaborative: Mindmeister (check out their Public Mind Maps), Xmind and Mindomo.

5. Hang Out with Professors

We now have lots of options for taking free online college courses. Imagine a great lecture with no tests, papers or deadlines. That’s right. Check out UC Berkeley Webcasts, which has a mix of video and audio lectures and MIT’s Open Courseware, which consists of PDF lecture notes and some multimedia presentations. OpenLearn has a Learning Space with lecture notes and discussion forums. You can also reuse and remix their content to create your own courses in their Lab Space. Other open university courses are at Carnegie Mellon and Tufts University. Don’t forget the lectures from University of Oxford and Stanford on iTunesU.

6. Watch Documentaries

If you like to learn from documentaries, you can catch some free ones at Get Docued, Free Online Documentaries and Free Documentaries.

7. Tune In to Big Ideas

Discuss, watch and get inspired at some of the sites that promote new and innovative ideas. You’ve probably seen the videos at Ted, but what about Big Think, Fora.tv and Ideas Project?

8. Learn through Twitter

Do you ever search through tweets to discover the latest resources and conversations? Real time search is very now. For example, I just searched for ‘elearning’ (I know I’m boring) and got directed to a great discussion about how to help learners get the most from eLearning. You can search directly on Twitter, but they say the results are less than stellar. Other real time search engines that get better reviews are Twazzup, Tweetzi, IceRocket (searches other social media too) and TweetScan.

9. Hop Into a Debate

Learn about all sides of an issue through online debating. Debategraph uses a visualization tool to show the complexity and multiple aspects of world issues. You can start at the Gallery to pick an issue. Then select Stream View (the small print below) to see the visualization. You can then explore the issue and add your own viewpoint. Also, check out Debate.org, where you read the debates and vote on a winner.

10. Create a Mashup

Mashups let you combine and remix information, media, content, web applications and services. Making a mashup helps you perceive information in new ways and is a learning experience in itself. Two mashup platforms are Pipes and Scrapplet. Pipes is an aggregator tool for manipulating and remixing content and data from around the web. Scrapplet uses a drag and drop approach for mashing up content, particularly from social media sites.

via 10 Ways To Learn In 2010: The eLearning Coach.

Read college-level open textbooks that are available for free online. Over 400 titles are listed, some with peer-reviews, at http://collegeopentextbooks.org/textbooks/textbooksbysubject.html

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Here is an excerpt of some of David Hopkins tips to help educators encourage all students to participate at a required level.

• How about: Technology needs to be carefully and clearly explained to students telling students to submit using the digital drop-box and explaining to students the steps necessary to submit yield very different outcomes,
• Define required levels of student participation in the course number of entries per week, length of entries, number of replies to someone else’s work, etc,
• Take an active role in moderating discussions and providing feedback to students in a way that serves to model the behaviour you ‘re expecting from them make them feel valued; if they spend the time writing it, you spend the time reading it,
• Use announcements that allow you to outline and point them to key activities that must be completed announcements will bring in those who may not have found it the first time, and Students wont know you’re involved in the course unless they can see evidence that you’re present use postings, add new announcements, and provide feedback on assignments.

via Encouraging students to participate in online discussion | eLearning Blog Dont Waste Your Time.

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Renee Robbins suggests mastering  five things to be an excellent online course instructor.  These are basic tips for any online course. To read the full text on each tip go to 5 Easy Tips for Teaching Online Courses

1. Don’t bombard your learners with material.

The number one problem that most online courses have is they aren’t broken down into manageable pieces.

2. Talk with your learners instead of at them.

When leading an online course it is important to have a good deal of contact with your students.

3. Manage your learner’s expectations.

Let your learners know from the beginning of the online course what you expect from them.

4. Engage your learners whenever possible.

Teaching an online course has benefits beyond what the classroom provides.

5. Provide constant feedback.

Online courses can make learners feel very isolated. In addition to doing what I described in step #4, make sure to provide your learners with increased feedback.

via Online Courses – 5 Easy Steps to Teaching Online Courses.

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You enjoy the interaction in a regular classroom and are now wondering – How is teaching online different?

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Teaching Excellence differentiates between practices associated with “teaching” and practices associated with “managing” your online class.  

Some key questions in this article:

• What does the research suggest about how practices should change when teaching online?
• Why is your presence an important component of an online learning community?
• Do the time-tested Seven Principles of Good Practice change when teaching online?

Teaching Practices – printable version

OTLRGchapter3.pdf (application/pdf Object).