Facebook first, it's pretty much a daily app. (I notice that when I check email that it's just my relatives in their 60s and older who are emailing....) Facebook is obviously how we keep in touch with folks and/or make contact via groups and causes. Politicians and all kinds of organizations have FB pages so the opportunities to transfer that to the classroom is obvious. It would require diligent monitoring on the teacher's part, active facilitation of discussion and activities. It could be used a post-class discussion board, giving the teacher valued insight as to the students' acquistion of the topic/lesson.
TWITTER is not something I've utilized, but kept up with what it is (except for learning that it is NOT internet based at all, but strictly SMS, hence the 140 character limit, duh!). The thing about TWITTER is that like texting, it is real-time, possibly continuous active feeds. You would need to filter dramatically or walk around in an ADD fog. TWITTER as a classroom (in or out) tool is basically the same as Facebook, with the character limitation, forcing the students to be quite succinct in their TWEETs.
Back-channeling - funny 'you' should mention this. A friend just returned from Denver, traveling with SBISD, attending an international conference on technology in education. Back-channeling was used extensively in the presentations, the speaker able to do his/her thing while attendees posted thoughts and/or questions. The speaker monitored the screen and responded to the TWEETs while still keeping the presentation seamless. The application to the classroom is glaring.
Now for my own thoughts....Reading blogs about TWITTER, I found one of the biggest road-blocks in the academic world comes from higher education, surprisingly. Professors against TWEETing are claiming that their 'product', i.e. their knowledge and presentation, is being made public without their consent. It brings to light a discussion on ownership of 'intellectual property'.
TWITTER is not something I've utilized, but kept up with what it is (except for learning that it is NOT internet based at all, but strictly SMS, hence the 140 character limit, duh!). The thing about TWITTER is that like texting, it is real-time, possibly continuous active feeds. You would need to filter dramatically or walk around in an ADD fog. TWITTER as a classroom (in or out) tool is basically the same as Facebook, with the character limitation, forcing the students to be quite succinct in their TWEETs.
Back-channeling - funny 'you' should mention this. A friend just returned from Denver, traveling with SBISD, attending an international conference on technology in education. Back-channeling was used extensively in the presentations, the speaker able to do his/her thing while attendees posted thoughts and/or questions. The speaker monitored the screen and responded to the TWEETs while still keeping the presentation seamless. The application to the classroom is glaring.
Now for my own thoughts....Reading blogs about TWITTER, I found one of the biggest road-blocks in the academic world comes from higher education, surprisingly. Professors against TWEETing are claiming that their 'product', i.e. their knowledge and presentation, is being made public without their consent. It brings to light a discussion on ownership of 'intellectual property'.
That's very true- classes being made public by others without consent. Definitely a pro/con. Pro b/c the info can be accessed by so many more, but a definite con if permission wasn't granted. Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteIt is a whole new world out there with instant information. I am setting up e-porfolios for my students for the first time and I am really looking forward to creating this rather than being afraid like I used to be.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see the back-channeling in action-a bit hard for me to get all of it but I understand the gist of it.
Love your layout-I give you an art A.