#WilmingtonSchools Taking Advantage of @Twitter

Social media isn’t just for Wilmington teenagers.

Teachers and administrators throughout the school district are taking advantage of Twitter as a way to reach out to students and parents and spread information about what is happening inside classrooms.

Among the busiest tweeters in the district is Wilmington High School principal Eric Tracy (@etracywhs), who has made an effort to spend more time touring the classrooms to share with his followers how students are learning.

“It’s about breaking down the walls and opening the lines of communication so people know what is going on,” said Tracy. “It’s a fast way to get information out and let people know what is happening in the classroom, because there are great interactive things that people don’t necessarily get to see.”

Many teachers at the high school use Twitter to remind students about homework assignments or other things on the schedule throughout the week. Some have even found creative ways to use Twitter as a way to give our extra credit on assignments.

Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton is not on Twitter herself, but she believes it is an important tool and a way for Wilmington schools to capitalize on always changing technology.

“Social media is an effective way to increase student engagement and build better communication skills,” said Benton. “Students who rarely raise a hand in class may feel more comfortable expressing themselves on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Educators can answer students’ questions via a Twitter feed, post homework assignments and lesson plans, send messages and updates, schedule or announce upcoming events and share interesting websites and multimedia content.”

During the high school open house earlier this month, Tracy announced that the school will offer multiple free workshops for parents that will help them understand Twitter and possibly teach them to create their own account so they can follow what is happening in the school.

In addition, Tracy said it is a launching point for the school to teach its students the importance of safely using social media.

“It’s always something in the back of our minds thinking about what can go wrong,” said Tracy. “It’s about working with and educating people to help them understand Twitter as a tool to see the quality uses of it and the strength of the ability to network so quickly and reach far and wide. We’re excited to have kids using Twitter, but we remind them of the electronic footprint it has and how the things they say can stay online forever.”

Tracy added that Twitter is a way to continue interacting with former students, and it’s also a way for him to get more views on his blog posts.

The principal’s Twitter usage has increased and evolved this year. He frequently Tweets from inside classrooms, using the hash tag #WHSInAction.

“It’s a nice way to interact with the kids and show them we’re interested in what they’re doing,” said Tracy. “These are 21^st century skills that we strive for every day. The face of education is changing dramatically, and technology is the major catalyst of the changes.”