So, I was just thinking the other day that this semester has been so much different than my previous years in college. The obvious reason is that I’m at a university instead of a junior college. It seems the UTD teachers care more also. The thing that stands out the most to me is that two of my teachers required all the students to be active on Twitter. I do not think I’ve ever felt so close to a classroom full of people like that. You see people’s personal posts like their hobbies, activites, personal situations, etc. At some point in the semester, I had a connection with each person in my classes.
Prior to this semester, I have added classmates on Facebook and befriended them. I have never added the whole entire class though. People who I typically may look at and not see anything they have in common with myself, get to express themselves. I get to know them.
My other two classes that do not require I have any contact with classmates outside of class, are a completely different experience. I only know who they are through their stance on class topics. I know nothing of their personal lives and they know nothing about mine.
Having had two different situations presented to me, I choose the personal connections. I think it is awesome to be connected to your peers like I have been this semester through Twitter. I would suggest to any teacher to require this for class, even if you are not teach emerging media or arts & technology.
Comments
I’m going to agree with you on the whole connection between you and you classmates thing. I feel pretty connected to most of the students in our classes and I think that’s going to be what I miss most in my classes since I’ve transferred to Marketing as my major. I agree though that (even though I initially hated it) Twitter was a great way of getting in contact with classmates and just being connected to the class in general. I think it’d be a great requirement for all classes as well.