It’s a simple question, and almost seems silly—would you retweet your classroom?
Twitter has added its share of artifacts into our collective lexicon. Hashtags are no longer “pound signs,” kids actually say “s.m.h.” (simply shaking their heads apparently isn’t enough anymore), we follow and unfollow, and talk about timelines and the subversiveness of subtweets.
We decide what to favorite, what to click—and what to favorite without clicking. Same with RTs.
Thankfully little of this is actually used in day to day conversation, but the impact is clear: for those that use it, twitter changes how you see information.
We all have different criteria for deciding how to respond to a tweet. Our choices are simple for tweets containing a link:
- Read the tweet without clicking
- Click but not RT or favorite
- Click and RT or favorite
There are shades of the above—including clicking and skimming the post but backing out within 10 seconds, which an astonishing number of people do across the internet. But what makes us share what we find? Favoriting is a one-way show of approval (or saving content for some)—like a little “like” button for twitter.
RTs are different—you may or may not endorse the message, but it’s compelling enough to broadcast on your own. Usually this information is one or more of the following:
- Useful
- Credible
- Innovative
- Inspiring
So, as for your classroom. Think about the work students do. Their voices. The projects. The assessments. The tone. The climate. The enthusiasm. The curiosity. The innovation. The utility. The performance.
If your classroom was a tweet, would you share it with the world? Why or why not? Is it a place worth sharing? Is it inspirational or full of innovation? Do others need to see it? Would you like their input?
Might they benefit from an idea from someone on your timeline, and you from them? Is this even a valid question? And if it is, and you wouldn’t, how should you respond?
Would You RT Your Classroom?