How I would use Twitter in my future language class

    Since I started to use twitter these days, I really found it potentially useful in my future class. As a language teacher in the future, the combination of language learning and online technology can be really helpful in my professional development. I get inspired by the twitter using experience and articles on how to properly use twitter for learning and teaching. The following ideas are how I might twitter for my own teaching.

    Twitter as a platform. Twitter is a large and free place for both teachers and students to express their opinions. They can use the hashtag to have a specific topic in language learning process, for example, challenge in learning, or cultural shock in different languages. They can even use the links and images to express themselves and share their resources. Just as mentioned in 35 Interesting Ways to use Twitter in the Classroom, one of the interesting ways is to #10 come together. Since twitter is an open place to collect classroom view, they can come together, find each other, follow each other and help each other.

    Twitter as an online diary. My future students can use twitter as a diary book to keep track of their learning process. They can get help from others people, and of course, their teachers. Language leaning is a long and slow process. Using twitter can help students see their progress. For a teacher, I can use twitter as a research diary for my classroom findings, which is also one of the 35interesting ways to use twitter in the classroom. It is a good way to share process and offer instance feedback both for teachers and students.  
    Twitter as learning resources. I personally have the French learning experience by using online technology. I have the Chinese version of Twitter—weibo, to follow those French learning accounts. They often share the French-Chinese translation, French songs and French movies. Just as mentioned in the article Teach Paperless: Back to School: Ideas for Twitter in the Foreign Language Classroom, the author has her students use twitter for translation practice, and also uses it as formative assessment. I would prefer to encourage my students to follow other language accounts and get as many resources as possible. And they can identify their learning progress if they follow different accounts with different levels.

    Future classroom seems so interesting with the help of technology. Stop expecting; start doing now, future teachers! Technology cannot wait.