Tweeting

Marcoux, E. (2010). Tweeting. Teacher Librarian. 37 (5), 82-83. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=52571276&site=host-live

Embracing technology and leading in various communication formats is important for the 21st Century teacher-librarian. Since texting is the main form of connecting with friends for teens, teacher-librarians need to take advantage of learning opportunities that include our student’s main form of communication. Marcoux (2010) claims “[t]exting has surpassed face-to-face contact, email, IM, and voice-messaging—even voice cell phone conversations.” This raises a key question: how can this technology best be used in the library? Marcoux (2010) suggests that teacher-librarians can collaborate with students “via Tweets and work on how to best create opportunities for them and teachers to tweet curriculum needs/interests/foci.” Marcoux (2010) offers suggestions for the use of Tweeting on Twitter: the teacher-librarian can send out short snippets of information or web sites that can help students study, talk about new or interesting books, present new programs, help students with research projects, check out important current events that may be censored in other media, and share conference ideas with students who cannot be present at the main meetings. All of these ideas are instant, short, (less than 150 words) and collaborative. Marcoux (2010) suggests that teacher-librarians keep track of data collected that shows an increase in student learning and share it with the community.

Marcoux (2010) also mentions some downfalls with this sort of technology, such as lack of technical support, students are not used to effectively using these tools for research and learning, and that using social networking tools encourages grammar and spelling errors. However, this is where teacher-librarians can be leaders by teaching how to research before students develop too many bad habits.

Personally, I have not Tweeted before. I have visited the public library Twitter link and signed up, and read all the Tweets, but I have not responded to a tweet yet. I would like to start a Twitter account in my library talking about good reads.