Beginning to Set Up the Twitter Environment in The Young Classroom

Photo Credit: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/collection/more-printables/printables-prek-k


           After days of exploring Twitter with your students, brainstorm some things that they might want to Tweet about to show others what they are learning.  Talk about giving others a "glimpse" into their classroom.

START SMALL! Explain to students that they will be creating a Tweet to post on our Twitter Wall (outside of the classroom on a bulletin board).   

           In her blog, Beth Holland, from EdTech explains that starting on paper “allows the teacher to focus on the writing process within a familiar context, while providing students with the broader audience of the school community. Students gained experience with posting, tagging and commenting without any of the concerns often associated with ‘being online’” (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland).

           I suggest continuing to practice on paper over and over again.  Students at this age are just simply learning the process of writing.  Practicing writing in the form of a Tweet is a super way to incorporate pop culture in teaching literacy.  Students are learning the importance of writing to communicate and spread ideas, as well as the importance of reading what others write too.  Post student “Tweets” on paper so that they can be read by others in the school community.

           Beth explains that, “what's important is that we introduce all children to social media in appropriate and meaningful ways, regardless of their age, such that they can connect to a global audience and develop as empowered, networked learners” (http://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland).


           Once you feel that students are comfortable tweeting on paper,  you can decide when to move to actual Tweeting from your class account.  At this age, I would suggest a certain routine to follow when Tweeting from the class account.  For me, I will allow certain times of the day to be times when students can come to me for a "Tweet approval".  The student must verify that their tweet can be typed on the class account and the student will ALWAYS tweet with a teacher.  You may also Tweeting with a teacher through center time too.  It is important that the teacher is there for support and help when the students are tweeting online. 

###Hashtag Talk: When you are working on a project with the entire class, have students help decide on a hashtag to keep all of the information easily accessible.  You could allow students to come up with hashtags and vote for the hashtag that would go at the end of each student's tweet.