Using Twitter To Effectively Support Social Constructivist Learning Environments in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Emma Sarbit December 2012 ETEC 511

Introduction: Youd better start swimming or youll sink like a stone; for the times, they are a changing. With these lyrics Bob Dylan foreshadowed ! st century education where a notable shift is occurring from teachers teaching with technology, to students learning with technology. "his change, made #ossible by a$ailable social software, is increasing the feasibility of using a social constructi$ist a##roach to achie$e dee#er and more meaningful learning in the u##er elementary school classroom %&#odark, ''(). "he #ur#ose of this #a#er is to describe the theory of social constructi$ism, e*#lain one #articular as#ect of social software %social networking, s#ecifically "witter), and finally, link the two by showing how educators can utili+e this tool to im#ro$e the social learning en$ironment in their classrooms.

Social Constructivism (Epistemology and Pedagogy : &ocial ,onstructi$ism attem#ts to address how students naturally learn best. "he theory is built u#on the notion that a learners creation of knowledge is dynamic, constantly changing, and a result of social interactions with other students, teachers and the world-at-large. .t em#hasi+es the role of social relationshi#s in the de$elo#ment of cogniti$e function and #laces high im#ortance on language, culture and conte*t in the creation of understandings. "he early roots of ,onstructi$ism stem from the educational theories of /ohn Dewey and /ean 0iaget who focused on how learning is #rocessed and structured %Brown and 1reen, ''2). Dewey, an 3merican #hiloso#her, set the

foundation for ,onstructi$ism by highlighting learning as an interacti$e #rocess. 4e stressed the im#ortance of in5uiry-based learning where students e*#erience and interact with curriculum, allowing them to #artici#ate their own learning. 0iaget, a &wiss de$elo#mental #sychologist added to these #hiloso#hies by e*amining the conce#ts of assimilation %how we take in new information or e*#eriences and incor#orate them into our e*isting thoughts), accommodation %how ideas are then changed or re#laced based on new information), and schema %the catalogue of information indi$iduals #ossess). 6e$ 7ygotsky, a 8ussian #sychologist, further de$elo#ed the theory of ,onstructi$ism by formally introducing a social as#ect to learning. 7ygotsky indicated that a learners construction of knowledge was the #roduct of social interaction, inter#retation and understanding %7ygotsky, !92 ). 4e belie$ed that ac5uisition and #artici#ation were synergistic in learning. "hus the birth of &ocial ,onstructi$ism, which connects the #rinci#les of constructi$ist thinking to social settings, where grou#s co-construct knowledge and create a culture of shared artifacts and meanings. Characteristics of a Social Constructivist Classroom: &ocial ,onstructi$ist classrooms aim to #resent ideas in conte*ts that are meaningful to students. "hey do this by #ro$iding an a##reciation of multi#le #ers#ecti$es, embedding learning in realistic and rele$ant conte*ts, encouraging ownershi# and $oice in the learning #rocess and engaging in social learning e*#eriences %3nson : ;iller-,ochran, ''9). <m#hasis is #laced on the im#ortance of learning being an acti$e, authentic, collaborati$e and e*#eriential

#rocess. "he teacher is encouraged to act as a facilitator to #ro$ide scaffolding and em#ower students to take res#onsibility for their own learning. Collaborative/Social Classrooms: 0eo#le learn most effecti$ely when they interact with others %Bandura, !9==). 3 study from the 4ar$ard &chool of <ducation stated that students who study in grou#s are more engaged in their studies, are better #re#ared for class, and learn significantly more than students who work on their own %6ight, ''!). "hese results are synonymous with the beliefs of &ocial ,onstructi$ists. "hey consider the creation of knowledge to be inse#arable from the social en$ironment in which it is formed and that learning comes about from the collaboration of multi#le #ers#ecti$es. 1rou#s of learners are therefore considered coconstructors of meaning and knowledge. "hus, educators acknowledge the need for #u#il-#u#il, #u#il-teacher and #u#il-world interactions. Authentic Tasks: &ocial ,onstructi$ist classroom teachers also seek to engage learners in tasks that are meaningful and authentic. "hese ty#es of lessons allow the learner to form a##licable, understandable knowledge that goes beyond the walls of the classroom by being rele$ant in the real world. Active and E !eriential "earnin#: "he creation of new knowledge relies on what the student brings to it from #rior learning and e*#erience %3nson : ;iller-,ochran, ''9). "hrough the acti$e #rocess of learning, these e*isting knowledge structures interact with #ersonal inter#retations, sha#ed through student e*#eriences, to build new

understandings. "herefore, in &ocial ,onstructi$ist classrooms students are not sim#ly #assi$e reci#ients of knowledge, but instead interact with content through #roblem-based education, coo#erati$e learning, in5uiry-guided instruction and other student-oriented methods. Student$led Culture of "earnin#: .n a &ocial ,onstructi$ist classroom the res#onsibility of learning lies within the student. "he teachers role is to #romote in5uisition by challenging learners to 5uestion, seek understanding, reflect and make sense of their own learning e*#eriences and those of others. .t is acce#ted that indi$idual learners will construct knowledge differently, as they will each uni5uely ac5uire, select, inter#ret and organi+e information %3dams, ''2).

Social Software E!ample (Twitter : &ocial &oftware a##lications are interacti$e communication tools found on the .nternet that su##ort grou# interaction. "hese $irtual s#aces are built around the notion that many minds are better than one. "hey allow for acti$e coconstruction of meaning and understanding by facilitating and focusing on the establishment and maintenance of connections and con$ersations between users %3llen, ''>). ;ore s#ecifically, social media technologies allow indi$iduals and organi+ations to create, engage and share content through digital communication. "witter is one e*am#le of social media technology. "witter is a #owerful and con$enient community-controlled microsharing en$ironment that allows

users to share ideas and resources, ask and answer 5uestions, as well as collaborate on #roblems %Dunla# : 6owenthal, ''9). .t facilitates real-time interaction by connecting friends, family and co-workers in the e*change of short %!>' characters or less) res#onses %"witter, n.d.) .ndi$iduals utili+e "witter for a $ariety of #ur#oses, both #ersonal and #rofessional. "he main intentions of "witter #artici#ants ha$e been categori+ed into daily chatter, con$ersations, sharing resources and ?86s and re#orting news %/a$a et al., ''=). @rom a &ocial ,onstructi$ist educators #oint of $iew, "witter has the #otential to create dynamic communities of #ractice where learners can collaborate and share ideas.

Twitter in the Social Constructivist Classroom: %enefits and E am!les &or 'nte#ration: "he introduction of "witter into the classroom o#ens the door to new and inno$ati$e a##lications of ,onstructi$ist teaching. Aot only does it engage students in collaborati$e knowledge building, but it also creates ongoing, #ur#oseful acti$ity with the ability to o#erate both in and out of the classroom %3nson : ;iller-,ochran, ''9). &ocial media technologies such as "witter enable students to interact with each other and hel# build a sense of community. "hrough their use, students are challenged to become more socially #resent and #artici#ate more acti$ely in their own education. @or e*am#le, a student uses "witter to #ost a remark concerning subBect matter brought u# that day in class. Cther classmates Boin in on the

discussion, tweeting their o#inions and #erce#tions. 3s a result of the "witter feed, students research the conce#t further and hel# one #articular classmate who is ha$ing difficulties com#rehending the information. .n addition to engaging students in their own learning, using "witter in the classroom breaks down the traditional boundaries of schooling. .t encourages global connectedness by linking students to a world far beyond their local community. ,lassrooms around the world can work together using "witter as a communication tool. @urthermore, it allows students to continue communication with classmates and teachers outside of regular school hours. @or e*am#le, a student is working on her science homework after school but cannot remember how many 5uestions she is to com#lete. &he immediately tweets her 5uestion and gets three res#onses within ten minutes. &he also recei$es a comment from a #racticing #rofessional in the field related to her assignment, #ro$iding her with some clarification on the subBect matter. "witter can also be utili+ed to kee# #arents informed and in$ol$ed with what is ha##ening in the classroom. "eachers are able to #ost information about u#coming acti$ities, tests, #roBects and more. "witters greatest im#act howe$er, may be in the area of social interaction and collaborati$e learning. "hrough the use of this software, students are e*#osed to and de$elo# effecti$e strategies for communicating with others, asking and answering 5uestions and sharing resources %Dunla# : 6owenthal, ''9). "his discourse creates a shared re#ertoire of resources, e*#eriences,

stories and tools, which enable learners to collaborati$ely brainstorm, #roblem,

sol$e, reflect and subse5uently build knowledge. @or e*am#le, students can create hashtags %a way to highlight rele$ant keywords or #hrases in order to organi+e and categori+e "weets) to discuss a no$el they are reading, in essence creating a collaborati$e online book study. "he teacher can then add o#enended 5uestions regarding the author, #lot or characters in order to encourage students to res#ond. 3dditionally, at the end of a class students can summari+e what has been learned that day. "his will then stimulate discussion and reflection amongst the classmates, #rom#ting increased grou# understanding as well as reflection. When used as a collaborati$e literacy #roBect, students take turns creating #arts of a story. ?sing hashtags to kee# it all together, each student takes a turn tweeting the ne*t line of the narrati$e. &tudents can then collecti$ely re$iew and edit. ;aking use of current technologies such as "witter kee#s learning authentic, as the use of online communities is $ery rele$ant to young #eo#le in the twenty-first century. 3lthough students may begin using it with information and #ractices relating to school, they will end u# creating skills transferable to continuous, lifelong learning that will e*tend far beyond graduation %Brown : 3dler, ''D) Challen#es and (otential )isks: 3s #lentiful as the benefits to using "witter in the classroom are, there are also some #otential challenges and risks to students and educators. Wellestablished traditional education methodologies can be difficult to alter for both teachers and students. ;any are intimidated by new technological tools and as

a result, are uneasy about the ac5uisition of skills necessary in order to utili+e them. 3dditionally, students and teachers need to ha$e ade5uate accessibility to the hardware re5uired. 3lthough "witter can be utili+ed for free through the web which re5uires access to a com#uter only, it can also be used through cellular tele#hones. 4owe$er, if students, #arents or teachers are accessing "witter from their tele#hones they must be made aware that te*ting or data fees may a##ly. "he successful integration and use of collaborati$e technology such as "witter does not ha##en on its own. "eachers need to take the time to carefully #lan for use as well as monitor the e-learning en$ironment %3nson : ;iller,ochran, ''9). 3de5uate su##ort from school administration as well as #rofessional de$elo#ment o##ortunities should be in #lace. <ducators also need to ensure their incor#oration of "witter has a clear and rele$ant #ur#ose in order for students to attend to it in an academically meaningful way %Dunla# : 6owenthal, ''9). <ffecti$e use of social media technologies in the classroom needs to be modeled. "eachers need to be #re#ared to remain as acti$e #artici#ants in online communities as well. 3dditionally, the integration of social media technologies re5uires discussion regarding digital citi+enshi#. &tudents will ha$e unlimited access to the "witter community but teachers cannot be res#onsible for the constant monitoring of content. 3n element of understanding and trust is re5uired. 4owe$er, students should also ha$e clear e*#ectations and ha$e come to an agreement of what is and what is not acce#table. ,reating an online classroom en$ironment increases students e*#osure to others, introducing #ri$acy

concerns. &tudents should be instructed to use a means of identifying themsel$es $irtually that isnt easily connected to their e$eryday self. @inally, students need regular reminders of a##ro#riate ways to communicate online including discussions about tone, language and bullying.

Conclusion: ,onstructi$ist learning #edagogies ha$e been altered and em#owered by the introduction of technology as a learning tool. "he use of social media technologies in the classroom increases the 5uantity and 5uality of communication and collaboration between #eers, teachers and e*#erts. "his leads to the creation of more meaningful learning situations. "witter s#ecifically allows for the establishment of a #latform that su##orts the e*change of information and co-construction of knowledge amongst its members. "hrough the use of "witter, elementary school students will be e*#osed to multi#le #ers#ecti$es while engaging in the social #rocess of knowledge construction. ?##er elementary school educators wishing to incor#orate social constructi$ist theories into their classrooms must Bum# in to social media technologies with both feet if they want to kee# u# with their ! st century students. 3s Bob Dylan suitably said, constructi$ist educations must admit that the waters around %them) ha$e grown, and acce#t it that soon %theyll) be drenched to the bone.

"eferences: 3dams, 0. % ''2) <*#loring social constructi$ismE theories and #racticalities. <ducation F>%F) ##. >F- (=

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3llen, ,. % ''>) "racing the <$olution of &ocial &oftware. 3ccessed Cnline. 3$ailableE htt#EGGwww.lifewithalacrity.comG ''>G!'GtracingHtheHe$o.html 3nson, ,. : ;iller-,ochran, &. % ''9) ,ontrails of 6earningE ?sing Aew "echnologies for 7ertical Inowledge-building. ,om#uters and ,om#osition % 2) ##.FD->D Bandura, 3. %!9==) &ocial 6earning "heory. 0rentice 4all. Brown, 3. : 1reen, ". % ''2) "he <ssentials of .nstructional DesignE ,onnecting @undamental 0rinci#les with 0rocess and 0ractice. ?##er &addle 8i$er, A/E 0earson. Brown, /., : 3dler, 8. % ''D) ;inds on fireE C#en education, the long tail, and learning .'. <ducause 8e$iew, *+ %!), ##.!2JF . Dunla#, /. : 6owenthal, 0. % ''9) "weeting the Aight 3wayE ?sing "witter to <nhance &ocial 0resence. /ournal of .nformation &ystems <ducation, '% ). Dylan, B. %!92>) "he "imes "hey 3re a-,hangin. ,olumbia &tudios, AY. /a$a, 3., &ong, K., @inin, ". : "seng, B. % ''=) Why we "witterE ?nderstanding ;icroblogging ?sage and ,ommunities. 0roceedings of the /oint 9 th W<BIDD and !st &A3-IDD Worksho# ''=. 6ight, 8. % ''!) ;aking the ;ost of ,ollegeE &tudents &#eak their ;inds. ,ambridge ;3, 4ar$ard ?ni$ersity 0ress. &he#ard, 6. % ''') "he role of assessment in a learning culture. <ducational 8esearcher. 9%=) >J!>. &#odark, <. % ''(). "echnoconstructi$ism for the undergraduate foreign language classroom. @oreign 6anguage 3nnals, FD%F), > D->F(. "witter %n.d.) "witter. 8etrie$ed December !, '! , from htt#EGGwww.twitter.com 7ygotsky, 6. %!92 ) "hought and language. ,ambridge, ;3. ;." 0ress.

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