A recent survey found that nearly 2,000 teachers thought of Twitter, Facebook and other social networking tools as nothing more than a distraction to their students, calling it a “harmful experience towards learning,” however Los Angeles teacher Enrique Legaspi not only disagreed with those educators, he decided to implement social networking into his classroom as an integral part of his teaching plans and it has been met with great success.
Students in Mr. Legaspi’s Hollenbeck Middle School classes in East L.A. are coming out of their shells, with shy students answering questions through Twitter use which are then projected on a giant digital chalkboard as part of his digital open discussion policy.
According to Legaspi he has learned more about his shy students than he ever would have with traditional methods and his students are more engaged than ever.
CNN even spoke with 14-year-old student Oscar Lozoria who says he’s now treated as an equal by his fellow students rather than as the quite kid who everyone avoided.
Watch the CNN video below to learn more about this excellent use of Twitter in education.
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