With the Coronavirus closure for the next two weeks, many authors and their publishers have granted permission via Twitter for teachers to record read-alouds of their books! I knew immediately which book I would select: Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein! This fantastic book details a group of twelve 12-year-olds who are locked in the most technologically advanced library of all time with 24 hours to escape... and the winner gets to be the Mr. Lemoncello spokesperson! I read this book several years ago when it was a WCFL Battle of the Books title. It's fast-paced, funny, and full of puzzles - a perfect read aloud! Listen along with me as I read two new chapters each day, and check out this cool video Mr. Grabenstein put together all about Mr. Lemoncello's Library! UPDATE 6/11/20: Per the publisher guidelines, I removed the link to my read aloud folder at the conclusion of the school year. I hope you enjoyed listening while I read all 56 chapters aloud! It was fun reading to you, even if I discovered that I was not meant to be a voice-actor, HAHA! Thank you for listening!
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So the last time we talked about Twitter, I gave you a brief overview of hashtags, as well as a few to be sure to follow. And if you are anything like me, you probably found the Twitter feed a little overwhelming. Today I am going to introduce you to a couple of tools to streamline your Twitter experience! The first tool is an website and app called Flipboard. Once you have your Twitter account, you can sign into it on Flipboard. Flipboard takes your news stream and makes it easier to read... more like a magazine. Here, look! This is the #tlchat stream on Twitter: This is the same #tlchat on Flipboard's website: Much easier to read, right? Flipboard has an app, too! Make sure you check it out for your iOS or Android devices: Flipboard on iTunes Flipboard on GooglePlay I love the app version of Flipboard the most - it is very intuitive on touch screen devices. Instead of a 140 character tweet, you can see a preview of the article. TweetDeckIf you are ready for something a little more advanced, you will want to check out TweetDeck! You can sign into it with your Twitter account information, no separate account needed. TweetDeck allows you to view several streams of Twitter data at one time. For example, I like to follow the hastags #tlchat #makered and #kidlit. I can see all the feeds at once with TweetDeck, without having to search or switch between them! Here, take a look: I know it seems a little overwhelming, but it really simplifies your twitter experience. TweetDeck is especially useful when you are participating in a Twitter Chat because you can follow the Tweets for the chat in one column while answering individual notifications in another. It is a multi-tasker's dream!
I like to use Flipboard when I just want to read articles that my Tweeps (Twitter Peeps, HAHA!) have published or shared, and I love TweetDeck when I am participating in a Twitter chat. So now that you have those two tools, go try them out and see if either (or both) work for you! Leave a comment below telling me about your experience with Flipboard or TweetDeck, or if you have another tool to share, tell us!
Unless you've been living off the grid since 2006, you have heard of Twitter. The words "tweet" and "hashtag" have all become a standard part of our vernacular.
No matter what grade level or subject area that you teach, you should be using Twitter on a regular basis. It is one of the most valuable tools for teachers out there! If you are totally new to Twitter, this 3 part blog should get you caught up to speed. What is Twitter, anyway?
So what exactly is Twitter, anyway? It's a micro-blogging platform that allows users to access real-time data about a variety of topics. Check out this short video for a little explanation:
So how does this apply to educators, and why should you be using it as a teacher? Turns out Twitter can actually help your teaching - it helps you keep up with the latest trends, news, and general happenings in education, as well as the most important function - connecting you with other educators and experts in your field.
Collaboration is not a new concept in the field of education. With the advent of social media, it's easier than ever to share resources with other educators. And share we must! With so much more work being piled on us every year and nothing being taken away, we have to streamline where we can. Twitter is a tool that can certainly help you lighten your work load. We also are always looking for ways to grow and hone our craft, right? Twitter can also provide valuable professional development. We all know that the best PD is the PD that we choose for ourselves and that is relevant to our classroom. With Twitter, you can select topics and people to follow that are customized for you! Are you a secondary science teacher? There's a chat for you! Elementary librarian? There's a chat for you! Do you work at the district level, working to reform education? There's a chat for you, too! It is time to end the isolation and join the conversation! Ready to get started? The Basics
Tweet - a post on Twitter. Tweets are limited to 140 characters or less, meaning you have to be concise! Here is an example:
To Twitter newbies, the symbols can seem daunting - but they actually are the heart of the system, and they are how conversations are held and found by others.
# or Hashtag - According to Twitter: "People use the hashtag symbol before a relevant keyword or phrase (no spaces) in their Tweet to categorize those Tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter Search. Clicking on a hashtagged word in a message shows you all the Tweets marked with that keyword." Try it! In my tweet above, click on the #tlchat or the #wcpsmd - either will take you to a Twitter search where other people have tweeted using that hashtag. Need some hashtags to search for? Check out these popular hashtags from Edudemic:
You can also download that chart as a PDF below!
Speaking of hashtags... here's a little #humor for you!
Go on there and find a search that you are interested in and start reading! In my next blog, we'll discuss posting your own Tweets, moving you from a consumer of information to a producer of information!
So now that you have a basic working knowledge of Twitter, GET OUT THERE! Jump right in, and share your favorite Twitters searches below! Don't forget the #hashtag! |
About the AuthorHi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Christine Hurley. This is my 17th year of teaching - I've taught Kindergarten, 4th grade, elementary media, and now I am in my 6th year of teaching middle school media! Archives
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