To Twitter or Not to Twitter - Is That Even a Question Anymore?

[Kim Lightle]

Hi all - I'm not sure it is the question anymore. Talk about spreading like wildfire! It seems like it is here to stay - I'm curious if any of you are using Twitter with your students or could recommend any good blog posts or articles that describe how it is being used. BTW - MSP2 is now tweeting - sign up to follow MSP2 at MSPortal2. Thanks, Kim

[David James]

Twitter is blocked in our district. I tweet with friends and colleagues, but am not sure how to bring Twitter into the classroom. It would require a significant shift in pedagogy for sure, but I am not certain where to even begin. I would love to see the discussion from the MSP2.

You can follow me @mrinclusion

[Tom Jenkins]

Twitter is also blocked in our district. However, there are certain functions within our districts Moodle that behave in a similar fashion. I find it very useful when i'm away to still communicate with my classes. For example- Last year I went to UConn for a workshop on rockets. While I was there I was posting about what was going on and had the kids give feedback or post their own questions for me to ask the rocket scientists or the astronaut. I was the only one physically involved, but all of my classes were involved with information and pictures through Moodle.

Maybe next time I can teach from Hawaii!?

[David James]

That is what makes teaching in the 21st century so great. Students can learn from all over the globe and participate in a workshop on rockets that would have been impossible to be a part of a few years ago.

I have looked at Moodle and it makes my head hurt to think how difficult it would be to get my district to get into it. Where do I start?

[Kevin Graham]

I have looked at Moodle and it makes my head hurt to think how difficult it would be to get my district to get into it. Where do I start?

Moodle is fairly easy to install. It generally requires the use of a Linux (LAMP) server, but has been successfully installed on Windows servers, according to user forums at Moodle.org. We are running it here on a dedicated Linux server. I am by no means an expert in Linux. It was, however, very easy to install, configure, and maintain. All we did was follow the install directions found in the Moodle download area.

It's also very rare that we even have to log on to do any kind of maintenance. It pretty much runs on its own with little intervention.

If all of this is too much for your techs to handle, try looking at http://moodle.com/hosting/ for a list of sites that will host and maintain your Moodle site for you.

[Kim Lightle]

I'll be teaching a class at Ohio State in the fall - Teaching and Learning Science for Middle Childhood (preservice teachers) and I was really thinking instead of using the OSU Carmen Content Mgt System that none of these teachers-to-be will be able to use when they get to their own classrooms - to use something like Moodle to conduct the course in - it's a platform that they theoretically could use once they graduate. But to the question of could they even use Moodle because of all the blocking - is there a better tool to use to run my class? What would you all suggest? Kim

Kevin Graham said:

I have looked at Moodle and it makes my head hurt to think how difficult it would be to get my district to get into it. Where do I start?

Moodle is fairly easy to install. It generally requires the use of a Linux (LAMP) server, but has been successfully installed on Windows servers, according to user forums at Moodle.org. We are running it here on a dedicated Linux server. I am by no means an expert in Linux. It was, however, very easy to install, configure, and maintain. All we did was follow the install directions found in the Moodle download area.

It's also very rare that we even have to log on to do any kind of maintenance. It pretty much runs on its own with little intervention.

If all of this is too much for your techs to handle, try looking at http://moodle.com/hosting/ for a list of sites that will host and maintain your Moodle site for you.

[Kevin Graham]

Personally, I would use Moodle. I'm sure Carmen is similar in function, but Moodle is free and growing in popularity every day. Moodle was actually developed by a group of professors in Great Britain because they were dissatisfied with the course management systems of the day. The systems were expensive and it was difficult to get developers to institute any kinds of meaningful changes to the software. Its an open source platform which means there are literally hundreds or thousands of software engineers that contribute to the project everyday.

Moodle is software that is downloaded and hosted on servers inside your own district. Because of this, you shouldn't have any problems with anything being blocked. Our site is accessible from anywhere in the universe that has Internet access. I think you'll find that university restrictions are also probably less restrictive which would present much less of a problem.

Kim Lightle said:

I'll be teaching a class at Ohio State in the fall - Teaching and Learning Science for Middle Childhood (preservice teachers) and I was really thinking instead of using the OSU Carmen Content Mgt System that none of these teachers-to-be will be able to use when they get to their own classrooms - to use something like Moodle to conduct the course in - it's a platform that they theoretically could use once they graduate. But to the question of could they even use Moodle because of all the blocking - is there a better tool to use to run my class? What would you all suggest? Kim

Kevin Graham said:

I have looked at Moodle and it makes my head hurt to think how difficult it would be to get my district to get into it. Where do I start?

Moodle is fairly easy to install. It generally requires the use of a Linux (LAMP) server, but has been successfully installed on Windows servers, according to user forums at Moodle.org. We are running it here on a dedicated Linux server. I am by no means an expert in Linux. It was, however, very easy to install, configure, and maintain. All we did was follow the install directions found in the Moodle download area.

It's also very rare that we even have to log on to do any kind of maintenance. It pretty much runs on its own with little intervention.

If all of this is too much for your techs to handle, try looking at http://moodle.com/hosting/ for a list of sites that will host and maintain your Moodle site for you.

[Kim Lightle]

Thanks for the information - I think I'll try using it. I'm hoping that all the tools that I use as I teach the class will be ones that the class will use once they get their own classrooms.

[Tom Jenkins]

Thanks to Kevin for the assist. I wanted to make sure that you got the right answer- with details, so I made a request for help. BTW, He's in charge of technology for my school district and offers us so many cool toys/ideas! We're lucky to have him on board.

[Mary Henton]

I'm not using Twitter with students, but I have begun to use Twitter as part of building my own professional and interest network. My friend Mike Muir (Director of the http://www.mcmel.org/web/Home.html">Maine Center for Meaningful Engagement, among other things) uses Twitter to engage others who have similar interests in education and technology to (1) share info and resources; (2) discover info and resources; (3) connect with like-minded people.

I'll see if Mike might have insights and experiences about Twitter and middle school students.

[Kelly Marie]

Although I am not personally using Twitter in my classroom, I know many of my high school teacher friends in other states are using it! Most of my students have not heard of Twitter yet, but then again most of my students here in rural MS do not have computer/internet access at home. It might be the easiest thing for teachers yet! I use Twitter personally, and I would argue that quick posts on Twitter about homework, particular questions students might struggle with, etc. are much faster and easier to complete on the type and click framework. ... I am considering it for next year in place of another blog/discussion board ... one of the main concerns is security.

One of my main concerns is keeping students from signing up for too many programs that are public access... when they can access things from home, potentially without supervision, I worry my "internet safety" spiel will not be enough. Unfortunately most parents are not keeping up with the times either...Does anyone have thoughts or insight on the security issue?

I agree Moodle works for school-based dialog, but since we do not have those resources, my students will be using Twitter -type posting strictly at home, after school hours. This was also the reason the high school teachers are using it; so while students are surfing at home, communication can still occur as needed.

[John Moore]

For the information of anyone looking for a place to try out Moodle, the Chemistry Pathway in the NSDL, ChemEd DL, has a Moodle course area that you can play around in. It might serve to help convince administrators that Moodle would be a great thing for your students. It is located at http://moodle.chemeddl.org/

Kevin Graham said:

I have looked at Moodle and it makes my head hurt to think how difficult it would be to get my district to get into it. Where do I start?

Moodle is fairly easy to install. It generally requires the use of a Linux (LAMP) server, but has been successfully installed on Windows servers, according to user forums at Moodle.org. We are running it here on a dedicated Linux server. I am by no means an expert in Linux. It was, however, very easy to install, configure, and maintain. All we did was follow the install directions found in the Moodle download area.

It's also very rare that we even have to log on to do any kind of maintenance. It pretty much runs on its own with little intervention.

If all of this is too much for your techs to handle, try looking at http://moodle.com/hosting/ for a list of sites that will host and maintain your Moodle site for you.

[David Lawrence]

I am beginning to fool around with Moodle, and though some of it is intuitive, I'm still trying to figure some of it out. Can anyone recommend a brief tutorial for setting up classes?