To Tweet or Not to Tweet – Twitter’s Use in Secondary Education

Attendance ID 4089 – Room 1160

Matt SlocombSocial Studies

West Fargo Public Schools

Metro Tech CampJune 2015

Introductions

Matt Slocomb• HS – Beach, ND - 1999• Undergrad – NDSU – 2003• BS – Social Science Education and Sociology• MS – College of St. Catherine – C and I – 2007 • Ed Specialist (Spring 2016 – Hopefully) – NDSU – Doing research in the fall

– Using Twitter in Secondary Education• West Fargo HS and Sheyenne HS Teacher• Strength and Conditioning Coach – WFHS – Former Football and Wrestling• Advanced Sociology, Advanced Psychology and World History• Teacher for 11 years• Also taught ED 481 at NDSU – 2011-2014• Married (Melodie) – Children – Natalie (4) Jude (2)

What do you think of when you think of social media and Twitter?

Overview - Objective

• Background• Overall Vision• Key Lit. Review• Tips• Questions

Background – Terminology

• Social Media• Twitter, Handle, Tweet, Chat, Hashtag, Direct

Message• Web 2.0• 21st Century Skills• 4 C’s• PLN’s

Background – Terminology

• Twitter Handle – ID – Starts with @• Example - @mrslocomb• Hashtag – Sorting Tag – use # in front of

whatever you want to tag as important

• #ndedchat #pblchat • #SCOTUS• #Weddingfail, #dadfail – Jimmy Fallon -

Thursdays

Background – Twitter

https://about.twitter.com/company

• Incorporated April 19, 2007• 302 million monthly active users• Many (80%) active users are on mobile• 500 million Tweets sent per day

Background – Twitter Usage

• Celebrities• Marketing• Entertainment• Public Office Holders• Educators• Individuals

Background – Twitter Usage

Background – Twitter Usage

Background – My goal

Castro, C., & Andrade, A. (2011). Teaching chemistry in a social learning environment: Facing drivers and barriers. ICERI, pp. 3377-3385. arXiv:1204.3164

Use Twitter to encourage engagement in curriculum and improve performance more learning

• “The development of a technological basis in education is a social demand and therefore its adoption in a systemic way is no longer a matter of choice” (Castro and Andrade, 2011, p. 3377)

Background – My Study?

In short – is Twitter an effective educational tool?

Specifically…1. Use of Twitter related to academic

performance – 2014 GPA vs. 2015 GPA2. Twitter vs Discussion boards – engagement3. Student perceptions of Twitter – Likert Scale

Key Literature – Changing Dynamics in Education

Holotescu & Grosseck, 2009; Zhang 2009; Walmsley 2014; Journell, Ayers & Besson, 2013

• Traditional methods challenged• Power shift – teachers to students• Interactive learning everywhere, anytime,

with virtually anyone• Obstacles – Knowledge, Access, Restrictions• Manifest vs. Latent Functions

Key Literature – Blended Learning

Sancho & Vries, 2013; Mindel & Verma, 2006; Kazu & Demirkol, 2014; Smith, 2014; Swindle, Ward, Whiteside-Mansell, Bokony & Petit, 2014

• Used for a while• Wikis, blogs, e-portfolios• Some success, some neutral findings• Blended = better student perceptions• Consider access and equality issues

Key Literature – Blended Learning

Key Literature – Teachers Modeling Use of Web 2.0

McLean, 2014; Herbert, 2012, Archambault et al., 2010

ED ChatsPLN’sProfessional Dev.“Standing on the shoulders…

Web 2.0 in Courses

Alias et al., 2013; Balubaid, 2013; Grosseck, 2009; Ebner et al., 2010; Kassens, 2014

Limited researchInformation sharing“Amateurishness”Management issues

Twitter in Courses

• Improved student perceptions (Bicen, 2014)• Social presence (Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2009)• Efficiency (Ferguson, 2010)• Reading (Williamson, 2013)• Twitter vs. LMS discussions (Junco, Helberger & Loken, 2011)• 2.29 vs 5.12 – 7 pt. Likert Scale – Engagement• 2.28 – 2.79 – Overall GPA• Kassens (2014) – Economics – Tweeting State of Union –

increased content performance, perceptions

Main researcher – Rey Junco

http://blog.reyjunco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/USATodayFriendReq08182010.png

• “…we have research evidence to show that there is a positive relationship between student engagement in social media… and student engagement and success in the classroom and beyond.” Rey Junco

Methodology

Use existing data from Fall 2014 studentsCompare to Fall 2015 students

Same class, same book, same notes, same tests, same assignments, same projects, same town, same schools, same instructor, etc…

Different students, different school year, website discussions versus Twitter discussions

Manage discussions through Tweet Deck

Tips I Have

• Use TweetDeck or another tool• Select Hashtags (#)– specific, unique, not too long or

confusing• Post questions somewhere else (Website?)• Follow key people• Participate in edchats• Set up lists for classes• Be aware of privacy levels• Rey Junco, Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul• Eric Sheninger “Principal Twitter” (presenting at a

conference in Bismarck at the end of June)

Concerns I Have

• Confidentiality?• School/personal accounts? – staff and

students?• “Trolling” “Hijacking” Hashtags• Access (Smartphones, Internet)• Tech issues (not working)• Usage level among students

Try it out

Create an accountUse Tweet DeckFollow some key people

Questions/Insights?

How have you used Twitter?Have you heard of others using Twitter?What questions do you have?

Thank you

Matt Slocombmslocomb@west-fargo.k12.nd.us701-356-2050@mrslocombwww.mrslocomb.wikispaces.com