Twitter Note-taking Activity
Activity Description:
As a university student one of the most important things to learn fast is to be an engaged reader. Taking good notes, writing in the margin of the book or article, or highlighting every word in the book until your page looks like you smashed a canary on it. This activity is intended to have students engage with their readings through Twitter. Students will be asked to use Twitter posts in moments of engagement with their readings, instead of writing in the margins, write it on Twitter. By participating in a public space the student can connect with classmates before entering the classroom to continue a conversation that has already started.
Goals for the Activity:
This activity will allow students to participate and engage with assigned readings in a public space where connections with fellow students are encouraged. By requiring certain number of Tweets per reading, students will have a structured and organized method of note taking that can be easily accessed for future reference. This form of note taking can start the conversation about assigned readings before entering the classroom, which can lead to richer dialogue in class.
Intended Audience, Strengths and Limitations:
This activity would work for any classroom where students have required readings. While a smaller classroom may have a more intimate discussion about the readings, having a large class can lead to more quotes and thoughts of readings. In a large classroom, the Twitter site can serve as a rich resource but can translate into a focused conversation among a few students.
Including student's thoughts on important parts of the reading can also assist in understanding different perspectives in class. By including the moments students pause to write notes or highlight in a book, we are able to see focus on parts of the readings that may have passed others by. Still, this can also lead students to not participate fully in fear of going against the standard thought of the class. However, the engagement with the readings and note taking can potentially guide the instructor to address questions and conversations happening on Twitter during class time.
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