When the second grade students in Courtney Woods class were studying places tourists like to visit, they wondered how they could get more people to visit their small Canadian town of Bathurst. Their teacher knew this was a great idea and discussed with the class the importance of sustainable tourism. The class decided they wanted to help Bathurst become more of a tourist attraction and do so in part by connecting to the larger world so more people would know to come to their great home.
The class decided that they would use a tool called Photosynth to take digital pictures of the Promenade Waterfront. Photosynth provides a panoramic view with the ability to zoom into individual shops, services and attractions, allowing people to learn more about what the region has to offer. Students decided to compose and edit their own descriptions of each building in both French and English, representing the rich bilingual makeup of the community.
The point of their work was to attract tourists to their town. To do that they decided to use Twitter to let people know they could take a virtual tour of Bathurst that they hoped would entice people to come visit. They decided to use Twitter as a primary outreach tool.
Because you must be 13 to use Twitter, the teacher set up a class account and together she and the class decided who they wanted to reach out to and how as per the Tweet below.
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
We are having a tweet-a-thon today! We are spreading the word about our #photosynth. Check it out! photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Reach out they did. The class researched local media, the Minister of Education, the Prime Minister, the tourism bureau and even Bill Gates! These kids meant business. Here are some of their Tweets.
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@pmharper Hi Prime Minister! We're a grade 2 class from Bathurst, NB. We did a project to promote our beautiful city. photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@SeeNewBrunswick We are a grade 2 class learning about tourism. We made a photosynth to show off our city - Bathurst. photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@BillGates Hi Mr.Gates! We LOVE Photosynth.Thanks for making it. We did a project about our city, Bathurst,NB Canada. photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@BathurstNBNews We're a grade 2 class at TFES. We made a photosynth about Bathurst. It is a great place to live &visit. photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@jodycarr_mla Hi! We're a grade 2 class from Bathurst, NB. We did a photosynth to show off our city. Hope you like it! photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
@photosynth Hi! We are a grade 2 class learning about tourism. We made a photosynth about our city. What do you think? photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=…
And, guess what? People cared and responded!
Mrs Courtney's Class@Grade2C
WOW! We were so excited to come to school today and see all the RTs and mentions. We are so happy that people like our photosynth! -JR
The class was thrilled to receive Tweets from the Minister of Education, Photosynth, local media, and others. What's more is they had the hosts of their favorite show, "Experience Bathurst" visit their class, speak to students, and stay to sign autographs. Then the local tourism bureau liked their project so much they now use it to help attract people come to Bathurst. And, Bill Gates? Well he invited their teacher to come to Microsoft's Partners in Learning Global Forum in Prague where I had the good fortune to meet Ms. Woods!
So, when someone asks you, "Why on earth would elementary students ever use Twitter?" just tell them the story of how Ms. Woods 2nd graders use Twitter to bring the world to Bathurst.
Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.
