I posted a message to TechRhet this weekend that I thought would yield a fast result. I needed to gather a list of comp/rhet blogs for a project, and I want to make sure I didn’t leave anyone out. I…
Category: Teaching with Digital Tools
What Are Kidwatching, Microblogging, and Podcasts?
Soon NCTE will be launching an online site for members that will include many cool features, including an online glossary for English teachers. My assignment this afternoon was to come up with 3 definitions to add to the collection as…
My Top 3 Tips for Teaching with Twitter
So you’re ready to dive in and try Twitter in the classroom. Let me share these tips that can make sure your classroom experience is a smooth and effective. Create separate logins. Audience and purpose shift from message to message.…
Classroom Activities Using Twitter
Since Twitter is a communications tool, there are infinite ways to use the site in the English classroom. These two excellent videos provide introductions to using Twitter with students that are polished enough to share at staff meetings and professional…
Resources You Need to Teach Effectively with Twitter
Tuesday, I argued that Twitter is a great classroom tool. Students can publish their ideas immediately to a ready audience of readers. This authentic audience and purpose makes Twitter one of the many ways that teachers can engage writers in…
Is Twitter Classroom Worthy?
I have a confession to make. I spend more time sending out Twitter updates (commonly called tweets) than I do on email these days. Why is it a confession? Twitter has gotten a bad reputation in some circles. The College…
Text + Image = Tagxedo: The Next Generation of Word Cloud Fun
I’ve been a Wordle addict for a while. The online tool takes any text and creates a cloud of the words based on their frequency. It makes for some fun analysis activities that goes beyond the norm in the classroom.…
Piecing Together the Copyright Puzzle
Figuring out copyright can be like piecing together a puzzle. You have a good idea how it’s supposed to work in the end, but all the little pieces can be confusing to piece together. I’ve posted links to 15 sites…
What’s the Trick to Building Community in the Classroom?
Online or off, getting students to talk to each other is a tricky task. I’ve had my happy share of classes where discussion took off, but I’ve also had my quota of classes where not even bribery with cookies and…
Why You Should Try Twitter in the Classroom
If you’re even slightly interested in how you might use Twitter in the classroom, take a look at William M. Ferriter’s essay “Why Teachers Should Try Twitter” from Educational Leadership. The article explains, “For educators who use this tool to…