Twitter for Educators.. Really?

Using Twitter for educational purposes is currently a hot topic of discussion on various websites, blogs, wiki’s, etc. It is also being covered in news media and professional educational journals. And why not? The buzz is warranted as this fairly new and popular micro-blogging tool is proving to be instrumental in bringing pedagogy into the 21st century.
Some critics argue that it’s a waste of time; some say that twitter’s 140-character limit renders it useless. However, the ever-growing community of teachers and professors across the world that are using it say the tool is enhancing their teaching.
Twitter is helping promote student collaboration outside the confines of the school day. It is serving as a useful tool for reminding students about upcoming class activities or major school trips and events. Since many students have cell phones and can access twitter at any time wherever they are, it is also serving as a priceless anytime, anywhere, learning tool. Perhaps one of the best benefits of the tool is increased student motivation for learning.
Students whose teachers use twitter are more excited about and engaged in the content of their coursework.
It is not just the students however, that are reaping all of the benefits of this tool. Twitter is also helping facilitate professional development for teachers and improving the overall experience of being an educator.
Listed below are the sources of this information along with other great resources discussing the uses and benefits of twitter in education.

http://www.nea.org/home/32641.htm
This is an article published by the National Education Association. It provides an overview of twitter and the benefits it offers educators along with examples of specific applications from various teachers. Some of the topics presented are collaboration, keeping students thinking outside of class, facilitating discussion, collective storytelling, and global sharing of ideas and information.

http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_twitter_to_break_down_classroom_isolation
This article discusses five advantages for teachers using twitter in education. As the title suggests, the overall theme is that twitter helps break down teacher isolation. The author states “Teachers often need suggestions for curriculum and management issues, which working in the isolation of their classrooms becomes difficult at best. Twitter removes this isolation, as teachers are able to send short messages to mentors or other teachers asking for suggestions.”

http://cooper-taylor.com/blog/2008/08/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-education/
This is a blog outlining fifty ideas for using twitter to improve teaching.

http://mrslwalker.com/index.php/2009/03/29/nine-great-reasons-why-teachers-should-use-twitter/
Laura Walker is an e-learning coordinator in England who published this website to outline nine excellent reasons for using twitter in education. Once again, the overall theme is about increased collaboration for students and teachers alike. She emphasizes twitters ability to help create global networks of professional educators. Walker claims that by following teachers in different types of schools and in other countries, one can receive a greater awareness of the teaching practices being implemented around the world.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/06/15/tweeting-your-way-to-better-grades.html
This is a US news article about students using twitter to improve their study habits and ultimately, their grades. The viewpoints of four separate instructors are quoted along with explanations on their use of the tool. Opposing arguments against the tool are also presented, with Internet safety being the primary concern.

http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/
In this blog, the author describes the teaching experiences encountered when twitter was incorporated into his class. A comprehensive list of the benefits he noted while his students were using the tool is provided.

http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/twitter-for-educators/
This site provides instructions for setting up a class twitter group and includes ten ways to use the tool effectively. The author writes that twitter can “engage students, improve communication, collaboration, and community in the classroom, and promote writing.”

http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dhn2vcv5_118cfb8msf8&skipauth=true
Finally, here is a Google slideshow presentation that outlines 25 ways to use twitter in the classroom.