Assignment Spotlight: Twitter Assignment

I dedicate the first Tuesday of each month to sharing one engaging assignment for the online classroom. This month I will be highlighting the Twitter Assignment. I have not used this assignment yet, but I have some really great ideas about how it can be used in class. I learned about this assignment from a site called Ditch That Textbook from Matt Miller who is an amazing Primary/Secondary School Educator.

So what exactly is a Twitter Assignment? In the Twitter Assignment, students use a Twitter template to "send out" a tweet on a particular topic. I have ideas for using this assignment in my Health Policy course.  For this assignment, I would ask students to take on the identity of a political figure, a political activist, or a community/professional organization. They would then "send out a tweet" on a topic of interest or a topic discussed that week, as if they were that entity. It is important to remind students that their "tweets" can only include up to 280 characters (including spaces and punctuations).  For a lengthier assignment, students could then explain why they selected the person or organization they selected.

As a response to a colleague, students would have to identify another person's post that they would "re-tweet" and explain why they selected this post to re-tweet. 

Some benefits of the interview assignment include:

• Interesting and engaging
• Providing different perspectives on a subject matter
• Encourages research into political figures and organizations 

If you would like to see a template of the Twitter Assignment, check out the Tweet for Someone Template at the Ditch That Textbook website.

Are you thinking about doing one for the first time? Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas in The Online Educator Facebook Group by clicking the link HERE. Also, as a treat don’t forget to GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE to the 3 Secrets to Teaching Online Successfully.