Twitter with students?

Twitter with students?

I'm just not sure I see a fit for twitter in schools. Promoting it with teachers also, then, promotes the idea of sitting behind your desk glued to the twitter stream, and Heaven knows we don't need any more of that. Skype, at least, isn't a stream and therefore you don't have to be watching it in order to use it.

And I know I'm swimming against the current with this one, too, but I don't think it's a tool for students at all. I do hear folks talking about it but I just don't see it being used effectively. Sometimes I think that folks dream of the following as being the kinds of conversations that students would have using twitter:

S1: In Bio listening to a great lecture on cell division. She ROCKS!
S2: Reading "Chapter 7" for Mr Wilson. Not my favorite so far but I'll get through it
S3: Great quote from Mr B: "History is written by the winners." He said it's not his original quote, tho'
S4: @S1 Mrs D is awesome! Looking forward to 5th period when I'll hear it, too
S4: @S2 Tell me about it. I've got to read it tonight. But I'm a fast reader.
S2: Anyone know a good website to help me to understand Chapter 7?
S1: @S3 Yeah, I heard that quote before, too. Hold on and I'll look it up for you.

Now, THIS is what would PROBABLY happen if students used twitter:
S1: wht's 4 lunch? I'm staving!
S2: NFW I'm readg that @#$ Chapter 7. Hes got 2 B Sh*ttin' me!
S3: "History is writn by th winners?" DUH!
S4: I get out of her class 5th period, dude! S*cks 2 B U!
S4: @S1 its only 9:30 dude! U cnt B hungry alrdy U pig!
S2: Any1 know if any of ths @#$% in Ch 7 will B on the test?
S1: @S3 No duh! Who ELSE wld write it. Hes so lame!

We just CAN'T project our learning styles and our love of our PLN onto the students. Just doesn't work - IMHO.

:-)
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Update: Juy 8, 2009
This post has drawn more comments than anything I've done in the past. Too bad, too, because it certainly wasn't my best work, and it may have hurt my readership base. I certainly don't want that. And, since the comments to this post aren't initially visible when you read the post, I want to add some additional comments here before you rush to comment.

First of all, I am a BIG advocate for backchanneling. I have heard from many teachers who have used it (either Chatsy or CoverItLive or another tool) and who have reported wonderful, thoughtful, responsible posts from students. So, I'm not opposed to twitter for that reason. I object to its use in schools for other reasons, and I'd like to explain. It's MUCH more than that cynical, sarcastic post.

In order to use twitter you must set up an account and that involves supplying an email address. Problem number 1 - student email accounts. Yes, I've heard of some districts giving kids email accounts, but the overwhelming majority do not. And yes, there are disposable email accounts that you can use, but they're not widely accepted by schools around these parts, either.

Then, in order to tweet in a safe envirnoment you need to protect your posts. We can certainly tell them to do that, but there's no easy way to find out if they are, or not. If they're not, then their posts are out on the twitter stream for all to see. Problem number 2.

If a teacher wanted to use it as a backchannel then there's no easy way to obtain the transcript of your session. Yes, it can be done, but not easily - at least not a way that I've found that's easy. So, the transcript cannot be used for notes for someone who was absent, nor as a reflection tool. Problem number 3. Sites like Chatsy and Backnoise, or Coveritlive, allow for privacy, AND you can get the transcript very easily. You can set up "rooms" with passwords ahead of time, and students would just know to go to that room.

I have been teaching since 1971, and my last several years at the high school were with some excellent young adults who would NEVER have abused a virtual room intended for a backchannel. Of course, back then there was no such thing as a backchannel. Bulletin board systems and AOL ruled. But, I do think that if twitter was just opened up for students, they'd be DM'ing each other more than they would be talking about the topic in class. I just don't happen to think that twitter is the right tool.

I wish I could retract my original post, as the more I read it the less funny it sounds and the uglier the tone that I'm hearing from it. But, I wouldn't do that, especially since it has sparked such comments from so many people.

Thanks to each of you who has taken the time to comment. If you still disagree with my reasons for using twitter in school - or if you agree with them - I'd love to hear from you.