Due to the popularity of social networking, Daniel Ruiz, speech instructor, began requiring his Speech 101 classes this semester to create a Twitter account as part of their participation in class.
Each student has to tweet to Ruiz’s Twitter account, @DanielRuizNSU, at least three times a week stating information they learned in class that day or any information pertaining to class that they have found independently. After every tweet, students are to add what is known as a hashtag, which categorizes specific tweets together using a hash sign, which reads #Ruizsaidso.
This hashtag allows Ruiz to see which students are actively listening and participating in class on a weekly basis.
“I can’t always see if they are participating in class,” Ruiz said. “But if I recognize that they are mentioning something from class then I know they were at least paying attention.”
Brooke Stevens, accounting sophomore from Houma, posted something she learned in class to the #Ruizsaidso hashtag on March 8. “Paint a vivid picture with your words for a descriptive informative speech.”
Students also get to learn more about one another outside of class by communicating through Twitter.
“Students can kind of commiserate with each other or they can identify with each other if they are going through similar struggles,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz believes that grades are improving because of this new “constant contact and participation” being used through Twitter.
“When you are involved more you do better in this class,” Ruiz said. “The class isn’t really about book knowledge, it is about how well you’re applying what we’re talking about, so the conversation has definitely helped apply what we’re talking about.”
Ruiz refers to Twitter as his “online office hour” because it allows students to directly message him if there is a problem.
“A lot of students don’t have to come and search for me, they can just tweet from their cell phone a question. It goes directly to my cell phone, and I respond back,” Ruiz explained.
To ensure that the classroom remains a professional environment, Ruiz makes it a point to monitor what students post using this hashtag, making sure that it is appropriate for all students to read.
“A lot of times we are not asked to get in front of a group of people and speak, but our information that we put out there is scrutinized,” Ruiz explained. “It is looked at by a lot of people, especially if it is public.”
Along with learning the fundamentals of public speaking, Ruiz also wants his students to learn the valuable lesson of keeping private information out of public view.
“Unless you lock down what you tweet, it is public information,” Ruiz explained. “Your future employer can go and read your Twitter feed and find out what you are doing.”
When Ruiz finds that students are posting about private or illegal activities, he makes it a point to contact the individual to make them aware of the danger they could potentially be putting themselves in by making this information public.
“I am not saying limit what you say online, just learn how to control the information and who gets the information,” Ruiz said.
Students have been embracing this new innovative teaching method by posting positive affirmations to the #Ruizsaidso hashtag.
Nicole Little, freshman from Houma, wrote: “Speech is the most chilled class ever,” to the #Ruizsaidso hashtag.
Terrence Spencer, freshman from Houma, also tweeted positively about Ruiz’s class. “I love speech class.”
Ruiz plans to fine-tune his Twitter program for future use by adding more guidelines and instructions for students to follow when posting.