Journal 7: Web 2.0 "Microblogging"

DEFINITION

Although the Web 2.0 site featured a great insight to microblogging through discussions, I wanted to research a better definition for microblogging since it is a new term for me:

http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci1265620,00.html

SearchMobileComputing.com defines microblogging as, “the practice of sending brief posts to a personal blog on a microblogging Website such as Twitter or Jaiku.” Microblogging is convenient because users can send their message with a cell phone, much like a text message. Users may also send their message as a video or audio.

Web 2.0 discusses Twitter, which “is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” I was interested to learn more about Twitter so I looked it up on the Wikipedia site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging program which allows users to “tweet” or “update” others by email, short mail service or instant messaging. It is a way to socially network with friends, family and co-workers through a common medium. One thing that is different about Twitter compared to other programs, such as Myspace, is that the messages sent out will be sent to all Twitter users by default. If this is something you are not interested in, you may set up your Twitter to only send your messages to specific people. Because Twitter is a type of microblog, the messages sent are extremely short (140 characters).

DISCUSSIONS

The featured Web 2.0 discussions referring to Twitter were debatable. Nancy talks about how rude she thinks Twitting is in the classroom. She states, “Kids today have enough distractions, they don’t need anymore.” She strongly believes that Twitter is not an appropriate tool to use in the classroom. Another person, Glenn, chimes in saying that Nancy is ridiculous, and that Twittering could be used as a learning tool for kids. Nancy then explains herself, “I’m first in line when it comes to looking for changes in schools today, but throwing tech tools at kids isn’t going to help solve much bigger problems.” Glenn responds with, “It's not about us throwing tech-tools at kids, it’s about letting them use the ones they want to use in the way they want to… and if students can do that by using Twitter, then far be it from us to decide how.” Nancy’s final reply was, “After presenting at NECC (and around my district and state) for five years and spending hundreds of hours planning I expect that the best and only way for the participants to get the info is through me...I am the tool. If you chatted through my presentation, I'd think you were rude--twittering is the same.”

WHAT I LEARNED

Any tool used in teaching, whether technology or not, is great if used in moderation. Obviously, if a child is twittering in class about something that the teacher is not talking about, then it is a bad idea. In this case, the tool is being abused and is not helping the child’s learning. Rather, it is hindering him from learning because he is distracted, as Nancy pointed out. However, I do not think it should be eliminated altogether. Maybe the child is twittering notes about class. In this case, the tool is useful and appropriate.