Paper Tweets

So I've seen "paper tweets" various times on Pinterest and decided to give them a try today. I originally planned for it to be a fun and quick way to discuss the chapter they read yesterday, but it morphed into something much more.

Yesterday I had a Grade Level Data meeting, and my kids were left to read the first chapter of A Long Way From Chicago with the substitute. I just love the book and knew they'd get a real kick out of it, so I was a little bummed to not be there to read it with them. Anyways, so today when they came in, they each had up to 144 characters to write their reaction to the chapter they read yesterday (and of course they got to create a super creative #hashtag). We taped each one to the cabinet above the sink and counters.

 

 As I began reading them, I realized that many students were confused by the first chapter, and some were specific with the parts that confused them. I had never thought that they may be confused by the chapter. I had also never thought that reading the first chapter with the sub may not be the best idea. But, thanks to the tweets, I was able do a quick recap and provide extra support and discussion with chapter 2. By the end of the period, they were laughing hysterically and thoroughly enjoying the book.

After the kids left for the day, I went back and reread them all. I was suddenly hit with a brain storm, grabbed a pen and post-its and started commenting on some their tweets. I'm excited to see their reactions when they come in tomorrow and see post-it comments on their tweets! What started as just a fun way to have the kids talk about what they read, turned into a useful diagnostic tool and a springboard for further discussion.