#MaycombProbs: Building Community Through Twitter

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Michael K. Milton
  1. Last Friday morning, my department head Ben Lally sent out the following tweet (Note: I could not find the original so here is my retweet).
  2. 42ThinkDeep
    RT @MisterLally: When you want to leave gum & toys for the neighborhood kids, but your dad cements up the tree hole #LegendaryCrazyNeighborhoodRecluseProbz
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 06:44:34
  3. I found this tweet to be extremely clever as it referenced Boo Radley from To Kill a Mockingbird who was secretly giving Scout and Jem presents until his brother (not his dad) cemented up the hole to stop him. I retweeted and prompted the continuation of To Kill a Mockingbird tweets under the hashtag* #MaycombProbs, named for the town in the book. For the rest of the day, English teachers (on their breaks!), students, and an alumni began highlighting scenes from To Kill a Mockingbirdusing Twitter (and hashtag humor!). This day long collaboration happened organically out a sense of love for literature. This group of people (and the many who followed the feed but did not participate) would not have gotten together had it not been for Twitter.

    When I talk about my fondness of Twitter, people unfamiliar with the medium often dismiss my enthusiasm. They either mention celebrities or politicians and the trouble it has caused them or how Twitter is a place for self-involved people to discuss all aspects of their lives (ex. I had a decent bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch). While those things do happen, this type collaboration is also commonplace on Twitter. You just might have to seek it out.
    Please enjoy the below tweets about To Kill a Mockingbird. Feel free to join in on the hashtag or create your own!

    * A hashtag is a organizational tool for Twitter. Let’s say that you are interested in reading Tweets about the Red Sox, you should search using the hashtag #RedSox. If you wanted to discuss the hit USA show Psych, try #Psych as a hashtag. There have also been numerous humorous hashtags that have sprung up like #ThatAwkwardMoment which highlights, you guessed it, awkward moments. This is the type of humor that you will read below.


    How else are people using Twitter to build community in their school? How are you using Twitter in the classroom?
    Oh, I used Storify to publish this post! I would love feedback on this method (as I am not 100% sold).

  4. #MaycombProbs

  5. MisterLally
    When the town trollop tries hitting on you by making you bust up a chiffarobe. I only have one damn hand. #WorstPickupLineEver #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 14:01:01
  6. MisterLally
    When you work your tail off providing legal counsel and you get a sack of potatoes as payment. #Sack #of #potatoes #NoProBono #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 13:57:45
  7. MisterLally
    When all these white people are in YOUR home eating YOUR cake, and all they do is talk trash about your bro #ICanHearYouPeople #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 11:00:08
  8. When your neighbor spends a good 3/4 of his life without going outside and then comes out to put stuff in a tree. #MaycombProbs #BooRadley
    Jill
  9. #ThatAwkwardMoment when your daddy is the deadest shot in maycomb county, and you didn’t even know it.. #MaycombProbs #oneshotfinch
    Hannah 
  10. When your neighbor kills a guy on your porch and the sheriff is all “Let’s turn the other cheek” #MaycombProbs #HeckTateIsABoss
    Rachel
    Fri, May 04 2012 10:24:15
    Repl
  11. When you find a perfectly good piece of gum in a tree and your brother makes you spit it out #MaycombProbs #iwantedthat #stillhadflavor
    Hannah 
  12. 42ThinkDeep
    Your brother is mad because you don’t think Hot Spots are real, so he rolled you (in a tire) into the yard of the town spook! #MaycombProbs
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 10:18:45
  13. Burris is proof boys have cooties.. #boysaregross #MaycombProbs
    Hannah
    Fri, May 04 2012 10:18:42
    Reply
  14. nothingfuture
    When you loose your pants and get shot at by a reclusive neighbor… #MaycombProbs #engchat
    Tim Calvin
    Fri, May 04 2012 10:13:28
  15. 42ThinkDeep
    When you are forced to read to a mean old lady & she keeps setting the alarm to extend your time together. #NotCool #MaycombProbs #engchat
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 10:11:57
  16. When your nanny makes you learn to write, and your teacher STILL isn’t pleased.. #unfair #firstyearteachers #MaycombProbs
    Hannah 
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:55:37
    Reply
  17. You’re dressed as a ham and get attacked walking home in the dark #MaycombProbs #PageantQueen
    Rachel
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:26:32
    Repl
  18. Ms_Coppola
    You don’t quite understand the words, but you get the tone so you punch him anyway. #MaycombProbs
    Coppola
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:25:17
  19. MisterLally
    When everybody keeps saying, “What the heck, Tate?” like I’ve never heard that one before. #ItsAFamilyName #StopHatin #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:24:38
  20. MisterLally
    IS THAT SNOW? What are we doing in this school when we could be home making snow/mudmen? #CmonPlease? #EarlyRelease? #mmschat #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:15:29
  21. RT @42ThinkDeep: The town drunk offers you a sip of his drink from a brown paper bag. #yolo #MaycombProbs
    Rachel
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:14:01
    ReplyRetweet
  22. 42ThinkDeep
    When the “Dewey Decimal System” forces you to “forget” how to write in cursive because it isn’t taught until 3rd grade #MaycombProbs
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 09:10:09
  23. msstuartsays
    Your house burns down, but hey, you have a better garden now #Maycombprobs #glasshalffull
    Molly Stuart
    Fri, May 04 2012 08:53:27
  24. 42ThinkDeep
    The town drunk offers you a sip of his drink from a brown paper bag. #yolo #MaycombProbs
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 08:23:02
  25. 42ThinkDeep
    #ThatAwkwardMoment When you find your best friend hiding under your bed. To tell or not to tell? #MaycombProbs
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 08:01:51
  26. When your neighbor’s house burns down and you all watch with morbid curiosity. #MaycombProbs
    Munish 
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:53:35
    ReplyRetweet
  27. When a rabid animal lurks the streets and your dad has to shoot it. #MaycombProbs
    Munish 
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:47:30
    Re
  28. MisterLally
    When your dad forces you to read books to some old drug addict when all you want to do is hang out w/friends #OMG #SoNotFair #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:42:16
  29. RT @MisterLally: When some jerk goes and messes up your righteous ham costume #MaycombProbs
    Robert 
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:42:00
  30. msstuartsays
    @MisterLally I am dying in my classroom. #Maycombprobs
    Molly Stuart
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:26:48
  31. MisterLally
    When some jerk goes and messes up your righteous ham costume #MaycombProbs
    Benjamin Lally
    Fri, May 04 2012 07:23:25
  32. 42ThinkDeep
    RT @MisterLally: When you want to leave gum & toys for the neighborhood kids, but your dad cements up the tree hole #LegendaryCrazyNeighborhoodRecluseProbz
    Michael Milton
    Fri, May 04 2012 06:44:34

About Michael K. Milton

I teach students Social Studies at Burlington High School. When I became a teacher, I believed that students would frequently give me apples. This has not happened (not even a Red Delicious ~ a name which is a misnomer). However, my school has given me a MacBook Pro and an iPad in an effort to right this wrong (I assume). I'm very lucky to work in a 1:1 school.
This entry was posted in English, Reflection and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to #MaycombProbs: Building Community Through Twitter

  1. Dennis Keohane says:
    May 7, 2012 at 9:44 pm

    This is great, sorry I missed this tweet up.
    There is nothing that brings people together like a good book; and its even better in this case with one of the best books…period.
    Excellent and inspiring work.

    Reply
  2. danriles says:
    May 16, 2012 at 11:29 am

    I love this use of Twitter. So many ed blogs and other resources focus on how to integrate it in a specific class, but using for the social purpose and connecting the broader community around an appropriate topic/theme is a great idea. Do you plan to instigate more of these?

    Reply
    • @42thinkdeep says:
      May 16, 2012 at 11:35 am

      My Freshmen did participate in “ConchProbs” as a review for the first half of Lord of the Flies. It was great to learn and laugh. My favorite aspect of using Twitter to do this or as a backchannel during a movie is that students from other classes occasionally participate! So the learning doesn’t just happen in your classroom but due to the nature of Twitter it extends beyond the classroom walls.

      Thank you for commenting on this!

      Reply

  3. Pingback: Going Meta: Cataloguing My Past Two Years of Blogging | Michael K. Milton ~ @42ThinkDeep

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