Yellow Brick Road Activity

Yellow Brick Road ActivityI Am "Twitter-Savvy“

• Corner #1 - Under Construction (Complete Novice)

• Corner #2 - Rocky Road (Knows a Little)

• Corner #3 - Yellow Brick Road (Not Quite an Expert)

• Corner #4 - Highway to Heaven (Expert That Can Train Others)

Ask a Stranger…..

• Do you have a Twitter account?

• Does your school and/or district have a Twitter account?

Welcome

Objectives• School Information and Demographics• Planning and Guidelines• Implementation and Ongoing Project

Management• Challenges• Impact• Next Steps

About Forest Heights Elementary

• NASA Explorer School• Year- Round School of Merit• 2010 Federal Fresh & Vegetables Grant

Winner• 2009 Gold Medal Winner-USDA Healthier

Choice School• 2008 State Winner DHEC Champions of the

Environment

Forest Heights Demographics

• 469 Students (Child Development- 5th grade)• 92% Free or Reduced Lunch Eligibility• 92 % African- American• 5% Hispanic• 2% Caucasian• 1% ‘Other’

Why School Climate?• A positive learning climate in a school for young children is a

composite of many things. It is an attitude that respects children. It is a place where children receive guidance and encouragement from the responsible adults around them. It is an environment where children can experiment and try out new ideas without fear of failure. It is an atmosphere that builds children’s self-confidence so they dare to take risks. It is an environment that nurtures a love of learning.

Carol B. Hillman (20th century), U.S. early childhood educator. Creating a Learning Climate for the Early Childhood Years, Fastback Series (1989).

Why Twitter?

Planning Points to Ponder• Who will train the teachers how to use Twitter?

• How should the accounts be set up?

• What kinds of info can be "Tweeted?"

• Who are teachers allowed to "Follow" and who should be allowed to "Follow" them?

Who Will Train the Teachers?

How should accounts be set up?

Adjusting the Settings

Protecting Your Tweets

Settings – Twitter Notices

Updating Your Profile

What Kinds of Information Can Be “Tweeted?”

• Let others know what is going on in classrooms- open invitation to visit

• Resource sharing• Request/provide assistance –removing

teacher isolation, broadens support base• Notification to others of positive events in

classes-share ownership of all students

• Quick updates, uplifting quotes • Classroom management tips/tricks• Emergency alerts• Meeting reminders

Twitter Screen CapturesTwitter Screenshots

Twitter Screen Capture

Who are teachers allowed to "Follow?"• Year One

– School Principal and Curriculum Resource Teacher

– Other Forest Heights teachers– Educational leaders

• Year Two– Parents– Other Richland One teachers and administrators– Other elementary teachers

Who should be allowed to "Follow“ teachers/administrators?

• Year One– School Principal and Curriculum Resource Teacher– Other Forest Heights teachers

• Year Two– Parents– Other Richland One teachers and administrators

• Year Three– Educational leaders– Other non-district elementary teachers

How do we use it as teachers?

Has Twitter been useful?

Fostering Collaboration

Great for sharing resources!

How do we use it in the Media Center?

Tweetdeck

Twitter in the classroom?

Posting “Tweets” in Class

Tweet Wall for Student Paper Posts

Are students using Twitter?

• Pew Research Center’s last survey indicates that 43% of all teenagers that take their cell phones to school text in class at least once a day-

• 64% of teenagers with cellphones have texted in class• Survey of 1,000 students – 42% of high school

students were using Twitter (July 2010)

• Source EdWeek- May 19,2010 and Twtrcon (http://bit.ly/9MXlHr)

Challenges • Twitter doesn’t automatically refresh- we

use Tweetdeck• Keeping messages to the character limit-

great exercise in restraint• Monitoring followers- students have tried

to ‘follow’ us• Getting technophobes to give it a chance-

most are sold after first tweet

Impact

• Communication across grade levels has increased

• An improved air of collegiality is in the building

• The number of staff complaints has decreased by 30%

Next Steps

• Continue project management• Continue Twitter and Tweedeck training

sessions for new or novice users• Possibly use Twitter Media to post photos or

videos• Possibly include parent access to view

school/teacher “Tweets”• Possibly allow other people in K-12 education

to “Follow” Forest Heights teachers/administrator/CRT

What’s Next in 1st Grade?

Contact Information

Elizabeth KohutRichland County School District OneColumbia, SC

Twitter: @tech4rcsd1E-Mail: ekohut@richlandone.org

Wiki Access: rcsd1handhelds.pbworks.com