Speaking Up in Class, Silently, Using Social Media

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Just what we need, using social media in class instead of raising your hand. :rolleyes:

With Twitter and other microblogging platforms, teachers from elementary schools to universities are setting up what is known as a “backchannel” in their classes. The real-time digital streams allow students to comment, pose questions (answered either by one another or the teacher) and shed inhibitions about voicing opinions.
 
That's actually a good idea in a way . . . lol.

I get why you might not like it, but it would allow the shy people to finally get up and say something.

Of course that won't help them much in reality . . . .
 
The thing is learning to talk to people directly with one's own voice is an incredibly important skill in life. Social media can't replace that, not yet anyway.
 
We had a conference today that is run by our region in Texas discussing such things as twitter being used in the classroom. I don't buy into it and think that social media needs to stay out of the classroom. We did however see some useful technology with portable tablets for the teachers to use to keep them from having to write directly on the board.

Twitter, wiki's and cell phones during class just don't seem to make logical sense to me. It might sound good on paper, but most students are not disciplined enough to keep them from doing their own thing once they get the technology in their hands.
 
The idea behind it thought is that the shy kids get left out. There are many technologies out there trying to address the shy or unsure student. One such technology is the students having anonymous votes on hand held devices that let the pick their answer choice. The results can then be displayed on the projector anonymously, but the teacher can see who is right or wrong to help them without letting the class know they didn't get it correct.
 
Or teachers could stop picking on the enthusiastic, smart kids. I learned by 5th-6th grade that giving the right answer too often would lead to teachers giving me shit, so I learned to play dumb.
 
The idea behind it thought is that the shy kids get left out. There are many technologies out there trying to address the shy or unsure student. One such technology is the students having anonymous votes on hand held devices that let the pick their answer choice. The results can then be displayed on the projector anonymously, but the teacher can see who is right or wrong to help them without letting the class know they didn't get it correct.

A bigger version of that was in my Physics I lecture in college. The professor loved using these little pads you can type in answers and do multiple choice. The second week of school he had the class do some calculations for a certain problem. If I remember correctly the range was suppose to be in the 10,000-20,000 area. By mistake I put in a few too many extra zeros and caused the graphed data to be all messed up. With there only be doing two data points showing, mine and the class' in the proper region. Lets just say the everyone started loling and the teacher wasn't happy. Never came back to bite me thankfully, though some other people tried it another time and got punished for it :D.
 
Then they'll realize they can save the budget by eliminating the school building. And all of the Sudden, we're in an Isaac Asimov Rising Sun environment where everyone lives in their couches.
 
Once great teachers and professors realize they can sell their services via some to be made teaching specific web platform and make HUGE amounts of money doing it, watch the traditional education model fall.

Hmm...wait a second......
 
The idea behind it thought is that the shy kids get left out. There are many technologies out there trying to address the shy or unsure student. One such technology is the students having anonymous votes on hand held devices that let the pick their answer choice. The results can then be displayed on the projector anonymously, but the teacher can see who is right or wrong to help them without letting the class know they didn't get it correct.
That's bullshit. It will only allow the students to feed themselves on their shyness creating more wusses. Instead the students should learn to embrace their shyness and get over it.
 
i support this method- just the electronic communication, and not the social media part. Teacher can gather comments and questions in real time, and address them when he wants to without interruption.

often, the shy people have good questions and comments.

I hate those few kids who always raise their hand, interrupting the class, and spout complete bullshit or ask a stupid ass question, wasting everyone's time. they could answer their own questions by reading the damned book.
I know you guys have seen such kids.
this method might be a way to silence those kids.


Yes, the shy kids should get over their shyness, but I'd much rather have a shy kid ask a good question, than a vocal kid ask dumb questions repeatedly.
 
I hate to tell you all, but traditional education isn't going anywhere. Most kids do not have enough discipline to be able to do things on their own. Much of it comes back to the parents.
 
I hate to tell you all, but traditional education isn't going anywhere. Most kids do not have enough discipline to be able to do things on their own. Much of it comes back to the parents.

Parents get bent out of shape if Little Johnny doesn't get a gold star like the other kids . . . .
 
Great... so now students will have laptops as an excuse to tweet a question, all as an excuse to not pay attention to the teacher in the first place. Oh yeah, and while the teacher is doing his thing he needs to keep an eye on a twit board to see if anyone asked a question. Maybe if this was an online class or something... but then again this is how an online class basically works anyways.
 
Seems like a good idea for large college classes... less interruptions
 
What's funny is almost every comment is correct. In their own situations. The problem we have is when people try to find some blanket answer that will work for every student.

Sorry, but that's not going to happen.

I truly think this can be a benefit to the shy kids in the back, if handled properly. Many shy kids (introverts, e.g.) only really need that little bit of encouragement to come out of their shells. If they can submit a comment eletronically and have it verbally responded to by the instructor, that may just be enough interaction to spark a whole new level of confidence.

Many people really just need to have a chance to find their voice, even amongst the louder raucous kids and the teacher's pet ones.

I urge anyone who wants to comment on stories like this to first seek the opinions of people who actually teach kids for whom technology like this is intended, and see what they have to say on how it may help or be a hindrence.
 
I had a college class where the professor requested text messages instead of raised hands... it was nice. He read them with Pidgin and was able to work the questions into his lecture without interruption.
 
I had a college class where the professor requested text messages instead of raised hands... it was nice. He read them with Pidgin and was able to work the questions into his lecture without interruption.

The problem with twitter in a high school classroom is that teachers are held accountable for students. When students are all texting each other and not paying attention to the material who do you think is going to get blamed? That is just my opinion anyways.
 
This is ridiculous. Until teachers have complete control of these electronic devices in the classroom, they will always be more of a hindrance than a compliment.

The idea is cool, but don't implement it halfassed. Give the teachers a way to ensure the students can only tweet or text or do whatever with their electronic devices during class; otherwise, the students will tweet a stupid question and then surf the rest of the time.
 
This is ridiculous. Until teachers have complete control of these electronic devices in the classroom, they will always be more of a hindrance than a compliment.

The idea is cool, but don't implement it halfassed. Give the teachers a way to ensure the students can only tweet or text or do whatever with their electronic devices during class; otherwise, the students will tweet a stupid question and then surf the rest of the time.

Couldn't agree more.
 
All this technology is great and all, but maybe shy kids should do what everyone has to do at some point- grow a spine and learn to speak up and socialize without the use of technology for themselves. All this technology is just another crutch that just ends up further babying an already spoiled and over-babied generation.
 
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