Using Fake Tweet Builder in Your Classroom

Thank you to history teacher Ken Halla for sharing this tool on his blog.  A colleague of his set up an assignment here using Fake Tweet Builder, asking his students what Stalin and Hitler would tweet to each other if Twitter existed back then.  You don't have to be a history teacher to take advantage of this terrific tool. For example, language arts teachers could use Fake Tweet Builder when students discuss various authors. 

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Banned Websites Awareness Day

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 is a day where we recognize how Internet filtering is impacting our students' learning in school. I've already spoken about how we are blocked from everything in my school, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, just to mention a few. Even when YouTube created an education link which filtered out objectionable videos, our school did not back down. Does your school district have excessive filtering of sites? As a media specialist/ teacher-librarian how do you go about convincing the administration that they need to loosen that lock on the Internet? Please share below.

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Have You Tried Backchanneling in Your Classroom? Why Not Try These 33 Web Sites and Videos!

Backchanneling: using networked computers to maintain real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks- Wikipedia

Several of the junior high school language arts teachers in my building have been using Edmodo with great success. It's great to see seventh graders excited about sharing ideas and communicating online. It doesn't hurt, of course, that Edmodo reminds the kids of Facebook.

5 Ways to Use Twitter to Avoid a Backchannel Disaster- from Mashable.com


7 Things You Should Know About Backchannel Communication

9 Tips for Enriching Your Presentations with Social Media- from Mashable.com


10 Observations About Backchanneling- written by David Warlick, an educator with the popular blog, 2 Cents Worth.

10 Reasons to Try Backchannel Chat

Back Noise - works with web browsers and iPhone, iPod and iPad


Backchanneling Explained- this video explains what takes place in a classroom using backchanneling:

Backchannel in Education-Nine Uses- written by Dr. Derek Bruff, who has an interest in teaching with clickers (his blog is all about this)


Backchannel Discussion- LiveBinder


Backchanneling in Grade 1- first grade teacher's blog post includes the video below:


Backchanneling in Middle School Social Studies

Backchanneling with Elementary School Students- written by educator Silvia Tolisano, whose Langwitches blog very popular


BackNoise- create conversations on the fly


Cacoo- collaborate on online diagrams

Chatzy-have your own private chat room simply by inviting people and giving them the URL

Donut Chat- filter words, manage many rooms and embed in your web site

Edmodo- classes can have their own micro blogging network; students can communicate in real time, teachers can post assignments, questions for discussion

Google Wave-invite people into a conversation, post any links you might have, see text in real time and use many gadgets Google has.


HootCourse-  take your class conversation online


Installing a Backchannel in My Classroom This Week- from Cool Cat Teacher Vicki Davis


Joint- group chat for Twitter (my school blocks Twitter, so this one is out for us..)


Kicking it Up a Notch: Back-channels in the Classroom- from K12 Online Conference


MeetingWords- real time collaborative text collaboration

MicroMobs- "name your mob" and "create your mob"; easily create your group discussion and share info, images, links etc.

Neat Chat- very easy site to use; simply enter the nickname and click "start group"; then email URL to people you want to invite.


Notaland- online collaboration

PinDax- take notes, upload images and chat in real-time; click here to see demo

Present.ly- allows you to create a private micro-blogging network if you have the same email domain; collaborate in real time


Scribblar- Multi-user whiteboard, live audio,image collaboration, text-chat and more:

Skrbl- interactive whiteboard allows you to chat, draw, write text in one spot


Today's Meet- create your room and collaborate in real time


Twiddla- online meetings; some accounts $$, one is free with limitations

Using Backchannels in the classroom

View more presentations from Richard Byrne

What is the Backchannel? 

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All About Twitter: 44 Links to Guides, Lessons, Tutorials, Wikis

5 Free Ways to Never Miss a Twitter @Reply- from Mashable

5 Twitter Newbie Mistakes to Avoid

6 Examples of Using Twitter in the Classroom

7 Levels of Twitter Followers

8 Videos to Help Teachers Get Started with Twitter- written by David Wees

9 Twitter Directories You Should Be Listed On

10 Awesome Ways to Integrate Twitter with Your Website

10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets

20 Top Educational Tweeters

25 Important Twitter Guides and Apps for Teachers- excellent listing!

100 Ways to Teach With Twitter

The Beginner's Guide to Twitter- written by Michael Hyatt, this is a "20 minute guide to Twitter for non-techies."

Building a Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter

Connect by Microblogging- from Shelly Terrell

Educators on Twitter- spreadsheet on GoogleDocs; add your name

FLLWRS- keep track of who follows you or unfollows you on Twitter

Hootsuite- social media dashboard

How to Read a Tweet

How the Library of Congress is Building a Twitter Archive

Mastering Twitter in 10 Minutes...or Less- download here

Nine Reasons to Twitter in Schools

A Teacher's Guide to Twitter-written by former science teacher Kate Klingensmith

Seven Ways to Find Teachers on Twitter-learn about new resources and exchange ideas about teaching; from Free Tech for Teachers Richard Byrne

Ten Top Twitter Tips

Ten Twitter Mythconceptions

Tips and Tools to Manage Your Twitter Time- Shelly Terrell

Top Twitter Hashtags for Teachers

TweetDeck- manages tweets

TweetDeck Support

Twibes- group of Twitter users with the same interest in a particular topic

Twishort- write more than 140 characters on Twitter

Twitter 102- The Educator's PLN

Twitter as an Interactive Newspaper for Teachers

Twitter4teachers Wiki-connect with teachers in your subject area

A Twitteraholic's Guide to Tweets, Hashtags and All Things Twitter- from Sue Waters, the Edublogger

Twitter Chat Tools- list of 5

Twitter Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts

Twitter Handbook for Teachers- written by Tomaz Lasic

Twitter Help Center

Twitter Lessons in 140 Characters or Less- from Education Week

TwitterU- wikispace which lists some Twitter hashtags

Twittonary- Twitter dictionary

Using Twitter in the Classroom- written by Michael Zimmer, whose blog is The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness.

Why Teachers Should Try Twitter

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28 Resources for Twitter

Thinking about using Twitter in the classroom? Not sure where to start? Summer vacation is a great time to catch up on your reading.....so.....here are 28 resources to help you learn how to use Twitter and how to teach with Twitter.

5 Free Ways to Never Miss a Twitter @Reply- from Mashable

5 Twitter Newbie Mistakes to Avoid

7 Levels of Twitter Followers

8 Videos to Help Teachers Get Started with Twitter- written by David Wees

9 Twitter Directories You Should Be Listed On

10 Awesome Ways to Integrate Twitter with Your Website

10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets

25 Important Twitter Guides and Apps for Teachers- excellent listing!

100 Ways to Teach With Twitter

The Beginner's Guide to Twitter- written by Michael Hyatt, this is a "20 minute guide to Twitter for non-techies."

Building a Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter

Nine Reasons to Twitter in Schools

Mastering Twitter in 10 Minutes...or Less- download here

A Teacher's Guide to Twitter-written by former science teacher Kate Klingensmith

Seven Ways to Find Teachers on Twitter-learn about new resources and exchange ideas about teaching

Ten Top Twitter Tips

Ten Twitter Mythconceptions

TweetDeck- manages tweets

TweetDeck Support

Twibes- group of Twitter users with the same interest in a particular topic

Twishort- write more than 140 characters on Twitter

Twitter as an Interactive Newspaper for Teachers

Twitter4teachers Wiki-connect with teachers in your subject area

Twitter Chat Tools- list of 5

Twitter Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts

Twitter Handbook for Teachers- written by Tomaz Lasic

TwitterU- wikispace which lists some Twitter hashtags

Using Twitter in the Classroom- written by Michael Zimmer, whose blog is The Pursuit of Technology Integration Happiness.

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