Final Blog Reflection

What an incredible journey this course has been. At the beginning I felt like I was riding a three-wheeled tricycle down the freeway and then at some point, with out even noticing, I realized I was striving for the finish line in a Smart Car. And then it hit me. No, nothing physical, just the realization that there isn’t an actual finish line. New web 2.0 technologies are being developed on a daily bases (perhaps even every hour, minute or nanosecond) and that means that there isn’t an end to this journey in the traditional sense. As I was speeding along in my Smart Car, it occurred to me that I was no longer learning about web 2.0 for my students, I was learning for myself and have come to embrace this learning as a part of my everyday life. Web 2.0, in all of its glory and misery, is here to stay and if you want to be, or remain being, a contributing member of society, it is necessary that you familiarize yourself, not with the future, but what is in the present. Even the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has had to accept that the way people protect themselves is changing. Thus, we too must embrace this change and potentially even begin preparing ourselves for web 3.0, 5.0 and so on.

With that said, the entire field of education also needs to grasp the present and move forward utilizing web 2.0 technologies in order to create capable, contributing and connected 21st century learners. It is upsetting to report that many schools simply don’t have the pertinent technology, educators who are familiar with web 2.0 enough to use these tools in the classroom and/or are restricted in the use of web 2.0 tools due to sites being blocked. As an educator who has taken the personal time to familiarize herself with web 2.0 technology, I now feel a sense of moral responsibly to share my knowledge and skills with other educators and even family and friends. And just to be clear, I fully acknowledge that I am not cruising down this freeway in a Ferrari, but hope to steadily continue this experience by following the web 2.0 gurus in their sports cars, with a few passengers and perhaps even towing a trailer full of other eager learners.

Highlights and Lowlights

My highlights of this course have been, umm, let me think for a minute here…. Everything? Other than using Facebook, YouTube (which I didn’t realize was part of all this web 2.0ness) and the creation of one Glogster poster, I honestly knew nothing about web 2.0 anything. In fact, I couldn’t have even explained what the term meant. Now I dream about it! Beyond a doubt I would have to identify Animoto as my favourite, most useful, easiest to use and ‘gotta sign up to it today’ web 2.0 tool. From the minute I learned about Animoto, I began creating music videos both personally and professionally and I probably won’t stop for some time (even thinking of using their new Christmas card feature!). Delicious, my social networking bookmark, certainly earns the runner-up position, as I save new websites to it every couple of days and often refer to it when I’m not on my home laptop. However, I am disappointed that the site is still boring to look at and I really must dish-up some tasty cupcake photos to the owners in hopes that they’ll add a dollop or too of colour to the site. Honorable mention goes to the many widgets that I took time to ‘play’ with, some of which I added to my blog, but I didn’t specifically write about them. And lastly, in a class all on their own, are the educational Ning sites of which I became a member. With taking this course and working full-time there just weren’t enough hours in the day to really delve into these, but based on the professionally relevant e-mails I periodically receive from Classroom 2.0, EFL Classroom 2.0, Flat Classrooms, and OZ/NZ Educators, I can see that I’m going to be able to connect with other professionals to continue learning about web 2.0. This, folks, is the very core of what web 2.0 technologies are all about!

Along the freeway of learning, there are inevitably a few potholes that are either hit smack on, painstakingly swerved around or, with the support of a few friends, almost avoided altogether. The first major difficulty that I experienced was setting up my blog and if it wasn’t for a technologically savvy friend who pointed out that I was signed up to Blogster.com while most of my classmates were using Blogger.com, I may not have even really begun this course! There are some pretty distinct differences between the two programs and Blogster is certainly designed for experienced bloggers. My next three hours of frustration occurred when I couldn’t seem to figure out how to link or embed my podcast into my blog. Fortunately this was resolved when a fellow classmate (who appeared to be experiencing this predicament on a much larger scale) posted for help on the e-class site and we were all directed toward a plausible solution. Now I must be honest here and admit that I did encounter another pothole in my learning, but this time it wasn’t a manageable pothole – it was massive sink hole! This it totally embarrassing to share, but I’m afraid that if I don’t I may never receive the necessary support to get back on the freeway. You see, I spent a very long time (a whole week in fact) trying to learn to use or at least understand this web 2.0 tool and if it wasn’t for the fact that people often recommend this tool for division one students, I might not feel so dim-witted… but really it is true… I have no idea how VoiceThread works! There I’ve admitted my inadequacy – now I’m hoping that somebody can help me out! But really in the big scheme of things, I think things went pretty smoothly considering the fact that I came into this with little background knowledge. I knew I could do it!

Future Professional Plans

Throughout the course I have been introducing a few web 2.0 tools to my students. They have enjoyed using Glogster and they love to watch YouTube and TeacherTube videos. Animoto has been a class favourite, highlighting class photos and videos. In January, I plan on introducing wikis and blogging into our weekly class routine. I want my students to be engaged 21st century learners who are learning for a purpose with an authentic audience. Web 2.0 technologies utilize the assessment for learning strategies that I use with my students, as they encourage self-assessment and provide a forum for peer feedback. They can also be used as an online portfolio to capture their learning over time. But most importantly, and perhaps more specifically, I refer again to Lorrie Jackson (2005) who writes the following in an Education World post explaining the benefits of having students blog: “Blogs, because of their ease of use, and because of the context of news and editorial column writing, have become a highly effective way to help students to become better writers. Research has long shown that students write more, write in greater detail, and take greater care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when they are writing to an authentic audience over the Internet.” Research shows that web 2.0 tools can be used to assist English Language Learners in their quest to learn the English language in an authentic setting (Campbell, 2003). Web 2.0 tools can also be used to encourage greater participation and excitement from all students and in particular shy or reserved students (BBC, 2005). Now all I need to do is teach the necessary skills to be online readers and how to safely use the internet. Fortunately, I’ve recently solved the problem (via a g-mail account) of web 2.0 tools that require the user to be a least 13 years old.

Due to a wide range of abilities and interests, it is going to be challenging to convince my colleagues to openly accept and use web 2.0 tools in their practice. However, I hope that my classroom practices can be used as an illustrative example as to how this can be accomplished in a step-by-step format. I’m also hoping to assist in ironing out some of the technical difficulties, privacy issues and blocked sites, before my colleagues discover them and become frustrated. I’ve volunteered to be a part of the technology portion of our school’s instructional leadership team and have had the opportunity to co-present the very basics of web 2.0 during our professional development day. It is my hope that this session will be the catalyst for some amazing work with our 21st century learners. By remaining up to date on current trends, via blogs and Nings, I anticipate that I’ll have much to share in the future with my colleagues. However, in order to encourage them to merge onto the web 2.0 freeway, I’ll first introduce them to multimedia sharing sites (specifically Animoto, Glogster, and TeacherTube) as these sites are easy to use and students find them engaging. Perhaps by the end of the year, there will be another class or two using blogs and wikis (both personally and professionally) to enhance their literacy skills!

Additional Learning

Along side this impressive blog (ok, I’m biased) I’ve been participating in a number of discussions related to various web 2.0 topics. Here is a brief summary of what I’ve learned from these discussions from my classmates and through research:

- The three Cs - Capable, Connected and Contributing, are concepts at the heart of teaching. By integrating web 2.0 technologies we are allowing our students to make and retain connections and demonstrate that they are capable learners, who can be contributing members of society. Web 2.0 technologies allow for our students to learn in a style that they are familiar with, however, that doesn’t mean that we need to bombard them with every web 2.0 technology available. Teachers need to carefully select and know how to use the web 2.0 technologies that are most relevant and beneficial to their learners, otherwise we are contributing to information overload.

- Research shows that web 2.0 technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, may help to foster community and communication, but they are also adding to information overload and possibly health problems (Schiffman, 2008). It is reported that there is an increase in health problems that include internet addiction, sleep deprivation, obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches. This is not an exhaustive list and many of these conditions are impacting teenagers, who seem to be on the computer or phone (texting) 24/7 (Lang, 2009). Research also shows that advertising is another contributing factor to a person’s information overload (Atkinson, 2005). This is a reminder that we need to educate our students about the adverse effect of always being connected and how it is healthier to maintain a balanced lifestyle.

- Based on research and personal experience, blogs, wikis, social bookmarks, and RSS feeds help with information overload by aiding in the consolidating and prioritizing processes. One way to help control the problem via my Google Reader is to constantly review the content that I am receiving and to follow only those people who remain up to date on topics (citymark, 2008). Web 2.0 users should also evaluate websites to determine their usefulness and to avoid using those that are of minimal or no benefit to them.

- In regards to wondering, “what is being done with the information that people use to portray themselves on social networking sites,” the following information was found on the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s website: a) they have received many complaints about social networking sites, “packaging user data into trends and patterns and breaching privacy laws” (Privacy Commissioner, 2009); b) identity theft is becoming more prevalent (Spam Laws, 2007); and, c) social networking sites “represent a dramatic shift in the way people communicate, and their use raises interesting questions about long-held views on what it means to have a private life or a sense of “privacy” (Denham, 2009). Research taught me that the internet should be viewed as a public domain and that users should use it in a professional manor and be aware of privacy settings.

- Blogging to ‘earn’ a grade can stifle creativity. This is partially why our school board is focusing on Assessment for Learning practices (Alberta Assessment Consortium). By providing the students with feedback rather than a grade, they can more readily progress as learners. Although blogging for a course may have restrictions, students (of all ages) will have the opportunity to learn about this web 2.0 tool and may go on use in their personal life. It is essential to note that becoming a complex blogger takes time to develop (Richardson, 2009).

- Regarding the differences between reading online and reading a tangible book. I found that internet readers must be able to handle large volumes of text, evaluate eye-catching graphics/information, comprehend expository text, and learn to collaborate with others. Reading on the internet involves using traditional reading strategies, with an additional strategy that requires the reader to not only make meaning from text but to also locate the information within the internet (Schmar-Dobler, 2003). Additionally, Educators must also be aware that Web-based texts are typically nonlinear, interactive, and inclusive of multiple media forms (Coiro, 2003). When comprehending online text, students need to make decisions regarding the validity of the text, thus this is another skill that must be taught (Coiro, 2003). Not surprisingly, I found research that supports the fundamental premise of web 2.0: “Immediate feedback from peers and opportunities for sharing with real global audiences can promote higher level thinking, communication skills, and deeper understandings of text (Coiro, 2003).”

- Web 2.0 technologies may provide a safe forum for shy/reserved students and/or English Language Learners to feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions – particularly because small group work and anonymity is possible (Nilsson, 1998).

Before I pull over for a quick pit stop, I just wanted to thank those who’ve assisted me along this never ending journey that has changed my life forever! I encourage you to follow my progress in the months ahead, as I develop my web 2.0 skills as Canadanz!

References

Alberta Assessment Consortium. (N/A). AAC everyday assessment tools for teachers. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.aac.ab.ca/aboutqa.html

Atkinson, C. (2005, May 3). Information overload makes you dumb. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.beyondbullets.com/2005/05/information_ove.html

BBC, British Council. (2005, March 6). Blogging for ELT. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/blogging-elt

Campbell, A. (2003, February). Weblogs for use with ESL classes. Internet TSOL Journal 9. Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Campbell-Weblogs.html

Citymark (2008, November 11). Managing social media overload. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://markfaul.ca/2008/11/11/managing-social-media-overload/

Coiro, J. (2003, February). Reading comprehension on the Internet: Expanding our understanding of reading comprehension to encompass new literacies [Exploring Literacy on the Internet department]. The Reading Teacher, 56(6). Retrieved November 8, 2009, from: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/rt/2-03_Column/index.html

Denham, E. (2009, July 22). Report of findings into the complaint filed by the Canadian internet policy and public interest clinic (CIPPIC)against Facebook Inc. Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://www.priv.gc.ca/cf-dc/2009/2009_008_0716_e.cfm

Jackson, L. (2005). Blogging? It’s elementary my dear Watson! Retrieved December 4, 2009, from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech217.shtml

Lang, M. (2009, August 13). Too much texting can be harmful to teens. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090813/FEATURES/908130312/-1/PARENTING

Lang, M. (2009, September 7). Too much texting for many teens, messaging a 24/7 activity. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.allbusiness.com/medicine-health/diseases-disorders-neurological-sleep/12864554-1.html

Nilsson, B. (1998). Some students consider how we might help students talk. Retrieved November 26, 2009, from: http://www.jstor.org/pss/40172957

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (2009, October 1). What does a friend of a friend of a friend need to know about you? Retrieved October 8, 2009, from http://blog.privcom.gc.ca/index.php/privacy-on-social-networks/

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Schiffman, B. (2008, April 21). Web 2.0 Expo preview: Torture by information overload. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/04/web-20-expo-pre/

Schmar-Dobler, E. (2003, September). Reading on the Internet: The link between literacy and technology. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(1). Retrieved November 8, 2009, from: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/jaal/9-03_column/

Spam Laws (2007, November 21). Identity theft in Canada. Retrieved October 11, 2009, from http://www.spamlaws.com/id-theft-can.html

Blog #9 - Blogging/RSS

Have you ever wanted to be a journalist for the New York Times, a writer for Good Housekeeping, the photographer for National Geographic or a restaurant reviewer for Dish? Well the time has come where anyone, yes even you, can be the writer they have always wanted to be and your writing may even attract a few or potentially millions of followers. Of course this can be accomplished through blogging. There are multiple free sites available such as Blogger, Wordpress and Movable Type, that enable the general public to create their own blog without needing to be familiar with HTML codes. Because blogging has become so popular in the last few years (see Wikipedia for more information), Real Simple Syndication – RSS (again check out Wikipedia for specifics) has been designed to help manage posts from blogs or other sites that you may be following. Follow this blog post as I explore how blogging and RSS work and how these web 2.0 technologies have impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Blogs/RSS

If you’ve been following my blog you’ll know that many web 2.0 tools are easy to use. Thus, it won’t be a surprise to hear that it is incredibly easy to set up a blog and an aggregator (technical terms used for an RSS reader). For the sake of discussion, I’m going to explain how to use Blogger, simply because this is the site that I use and more obviously the one where this blog post is located. In order to get started, you’ll need to register with an e-mail address and some basic information. Then simply follow the easy steps of setting up your blog – you’ll need to create a title, choose a layout, select a colour scheme, and modify your settings as desired. When you’re ready to post, just click on the ‘New Post’ button located at the top of the blog or the dashboard. It should be noted that postings typically include text, but many other things such as videos and photos can also be posted. Other multimedia technologies, such as an Animoto video, can also be included in posts by copying and pasting the embedded URL into the HTML version of the post. You can switch between the ‘Compose’ – WYSIWYG screen and the ‘Edit HTML’ screen by using the tabs at the top of the posting. The ‘Layout’ tab enables you to add and arrange your page elements and, even for beginners, this is extremely easy to do. Although, Blogger suggests a number of widgets, please be advised that you can access thousands more by simply conducting an internet search for widgets. When selecting your page elements, be sure to keep your readers in mind and add widgets/badges that would both useful and appealing to your audience. Depending on the type of blogging you plan on doing, you may also want to write to engage your audience.

Whether or not you’ve decided to become a blogger yourself, I guarantee you will want to set yourself up with an aggregator to manage the latest news of all the blogs and websites that you follow. Again this is easily done with the click of a mouse. There is a plethora of aggregators available, but Google Reader will be used as the example in this post. If you have a Google account for anything, than you already have an account for Google Reader. In order to use Google Reader, all you have to do is click on the ‘add subscription’ button at the top left of the screen and enter in the URL of what ever you want to follow. You will get the URL for desired sites by finding and clicking on the square orange symbol (it has a quarter of a rainbow picture on it) and copying and pasting the URL. You can manage your feeds (fancy name for incoming news/posts) by creating folders and reading the short excerpts to decide if you want to keep reading the rest of the story. It should be noted that although aggregators can reduce your information overload, you still need to make sound judgments about sites that you choose to follow and you may want to periodically review your subscriptions, otherwise you may feel overwhelmed. Watch the following video for more specifics on how Google Reader works:



Blogging/RSS – For my own Personal Learning

Up until a few months ago I had read the odd blog, but wouldn’t have even considered setting up my own. In fact, I’m not even sure that I would have known what to do – much less think of a topic to write about. This course about web 2.0 has created a platform for me to be gently pushed into the unknown. For this I am thankful! Blogging has provided me with the opportunity to experience what many others have been doing for the past few years. Writing is not one of my favourite pastimes, therefore, blogging seems more like work rather than a pleasurable activity to me. However, this blog is for a specific purpose and I do feel that it is meeting the goal of sharing my web 2.0 learning experiences for this course. I have really enjoyed playing with the layout, selecting the widgets and attempting to use the HTML function to incorporate multimedia items in my posts. Since I’ve been a blogger, I’ve realized that I have taken much more notice of other people’s blogs and in doing so have considered aspects of my blog such as how I engage the audience and which widgets/badges would be most useful to myself and my readers. My writing style/voice has also changed over time. Now that I’m familiar with blogging I would certainly consider using it in the future to share exciting life events with my family and friends, such as when I’m travelling and/or a major family event is taking place.

On another note, Google Reader has saved my life. My reader has helped to manage my information overload, as I now just need to read the short blurb about the latest news to decide if I’m interested in reading the whole post or article. It has also saved me a lot of time by reducing my need to go to every blog or website that I’m interested in to see if it has been updated. On the other hand, I have found that, in some cases, as a visual learner I miss seeing the actual layout of some of the websites as the appearance can sometimes help me to remember the author and the content of things that I’m particularly interested in. And ok - I admit that I also periodically miss checking out the cool widgets that are found on some blogs. Nonetheless, I’ll be relying on my reader in years to come or at least until a new product is designed.

Blogging/RSS – for my Professional Learning

As hopefully demonstrated through this blog, blogging can be a highly useful professional development tool. Not only is it possible for you to share your experiences and opinions with others, but you can also visit and participate in other people’s blogs which may offer you much insight into your own pedagogical practices. By connecting or networking with like-minded individuals the possibilities are endless in terms of sharing, asking questions, collaboratively solving mutual problems, and simply working together to ultimately support the needs of our 21st century learners. Here are three of my favourite blogs that I frequently consult to improve my practice:

The Blue Skunk Blog – Doug Johnson is an educator who often shares relevant information regarding the use (or lack there of) technology in schools.

2¢ Worth – David Warlick, another educator, often has fresh ideas when it comes to using web 2.0 tools in schools.

weblogg-ed – Will Richardson is my favourite blogger as his posts often push my professional thoughts into those of a 21st century learner.

In addition to using blogs for professional development, they can also be used by, with and for students. Lorrie Jackson wrote the following information in an Education World post that explains the benefits of having students blog:
“Blogs, because of their ease of use, and because of the context of news and editorial column writing, have become a highly effective way to help students to become better writers. Research has long shown that students write more, write in greater detail, and take greater care with spelling, grammar, and punctuation, when they are writing to an authentic audience over the Internet.”
Teachers are often trying to ensure that their students are engaged in authentic experiences and it is obvious that, with the ability for feedback or comments, blogging helps to fill this function. For these same reasons blogging also benefits English Language Learners, particularly because it provides an authentic medium for these students to practice their language skills (see Aaron Campbell’s article – Weblogs for Use in ESL Classrooms for further information). According to a post on the BBC British Council blog, blogging may also provide a forum for shy or more reserved students to express their opinions, help to create a sense of community and perhaps, most importantly, stimulate out-of-class discussions. If all of these benefits are enough to convince you to have your students blog, but feel you need a bit more support – check out these blogs to see how other educators are using them:

Mrs. Kolbert’s Class Blog
Mrs. Cowan’s Student Blog
Meghan’s Math Mania
Doodle Bug Writes
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=150372
Science Girl Em’s Blog

Since blogging and RSS tend to go hand-in-hand, you can safely assume that this is another useful web 2.0 tool for education. The potential of using a reader in the classroom is as endless as one’s imagination. Here are a couple of Traci Gardner’s tips that she included in a blog post entitled – RSS: Bringing What’s New to You:

- “Have students set up blogs for writing activities or in lieu of writer's logs. To build community, have students subscribe to each other’s blogs. Students can easily share their work, and you don't have to set up a class website with all the links. Likewise, once you’ve subscribed to their blogs, you can keep track of every student’s progress from one site (instead of having to go to each one to see if there have been changes).”

- “Have students working on research or inquiry projects on contemporary topics? Show them how to set up news searches on their topics so that the most recent articles come directly to them. With younger students, you might set up a similar feed for the whole class to share. If you have a computer in the classroom or LCD projector, students can read through the news on their inquiry topics with you, without having to filter through all the other news (some of which may be inappropriate for their age levels).”

Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of blogging/RSS in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to use
Saves time
Promotes writing skills
Encourages collaboration/networking
Supports professional development
Authentic activity
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Safe forum to share opinions for shy/reserved students
English Language Learners can practice their language skills
Creates classroom community
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Educators can collaborate with colleagues
Able to adjust the privacy setting

Cons
Number of subscriptions can become unmanageable
Inappropriate comments could be made
Students may use it to just socialize
Privacy could be an issue
Negative outcomes (e.g., embarrassment)
May not feel confident or comfortable to use/share
Inaccurate information is possible
Content may not be considered professional or appropriate

Today I’ll end this blog post with a few thoughts from Greg Schwarts (WebJunction blog) who writes about why you should write your own blog or contribute to one (just incase you’re still wavering on the topic):

“Reason #1 - Writing a blog keeps you current. You'll want to know what's going on in the world before you start talking about it. Posting regularly to a blog encourages you to actively engage the process of information seeking and current awareness.

Reason #2 - Blogs are an advocacy tool. If you want change, you have to talk about it. Blogs are a great forum, not only for exposing the world to the issues facing both libraries and librarians, but also for thinking through your ideas and cultivating means of expressing them effectively.

Reason #3 - Blogs build community. Some of you are probably thinking that no one will read what you have to say. When I started my blog, Open Stacks, I shared your skepticism. As it turns out, no matter who you are and what you write about, there will be others who share your interests. I was surprised to discover that, as a librarian, you already have a built-in community of people interested in you and your perspective. You can, and probably will, meet people that you may not have met otherwise, becoming part of a very progressive segment of the LIS community.

Reason #4 - You are unique. One of the problems with librarianship is image. Stereotypes of librarians abound. Publishing a blog is an opportunity to demonstrate your individuality and thereby work to dispel some of those pervasive myths. Even if you don't think of yourself as unique and fear being redundant, your voice is yours and yours alone, so join the chorus.

Reason #5 - Do it for you. Never discount the power of writing as catharsis.

Reason #6 - Lastly, it's easy, so no excuses.”

Blog #8 - Twitter

It may be safe to say that for generations (at least in movies, if Harry Potter has taught me anything) people have been using animals to transport messages from one person to another. Now with Twitter we can save ourselves the cost of birdseed, by using a virtual bird to carry our messages to potentially thousands of people. Twitter (originating back in 2006, see Wikipedia for the specifics) is like a mini blog post or if you’re a Facebook user, a status update. If you’re a blogger or Facebook user you may now be wondering why you should bother with Twitter, if it is similar to something that you are already doing. Well, although it has some similarities, what Twitter really does, is combine social networking, live searching and link-sharing into one website. The blue bird may be small, but the Twitterverse is vast and probably growing exponentially. If you haven’t already – you should join its flock now, so that you too will know what everyone is ‘tweeting’ about! Come and fly with me as I explore how Twitter works and how this web 2.0 technology has impacted me personally and professionally.

Reflections on learning to use Twitter

As Stephen Johnson writes in a Time article: “The basic mechanics of Twitter are remarkably simple. Users publish tweets — those 140-character messages — from a computer or mobile device. (The character limit allows tweets to be created and circulated via the SMS platform used by most mobile phones.) As a social network, Twitter revolves around the principle of followers. When you choose to follow another Twitter user, than that user's tweets appear in reverse chronological order on your main Twitter page. If you follow 20 people, you'll see a mix of tweets scrolling down the page: breakfast-cereal updates, interesting new links, music recommendations, even musings on the future of education. Some celebrity Twitterers — most famously Ashton Kutcher — have crossed the million-follower mark, effectively giving them a broadcast-size audience. The average Twitter profile seems to be somewhere in the dozens: a collage of friends, colleagues and a handful of celebrities. The mix creates a media experience quite unlike anything that has come before it, strangely intimate and at the same time celebrity-obsessed. You glance at your Twitter feed over that first cup of coffee, and in a few seconds you find out that your nephew got into med school and Shaquille O'Neal just finished a cardio workout in Phoenix.”

I like the simplicity in how Johnson explains how Twitter works, because it is really that easy. Just go to the website Twitter.com to register (you must have an e-mail account and you will need to create a user name). From here you can set up your profile with your location and biography. The next step is to find some people to follow, which can be done by searching for specific people, using your e-mail, inviting others via e-mail, or by adding the ‘suggested users’ that Twitter selects for you. The last step is to begin tweeting (Twitter’s cute term for your message), by responding to the question ‘What’s happening?’ with information and/or sharing a link or photo with others. You are only given 140 characters per tweet, so if you want to share a link you should shorten it by using Tinyurl.com (or something similar) to save character space for your comments. Visit Twitpic.com to upload photos that you may want to share (Twitter users have access to this site via their Twitter accounts). For tips on how to effectively tweet, check out the following sites:

- Twitter Tips: How to Write Better Tweets

- Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners

- Twitter for Beginners

Twitter – For my own Personal Learning

Twitter is a web 2.0 technology that I can see a future for. When I was living in New Zealand it was by far more cost efficient to use your mobile (cell phone) to text than it was to ring (call) someone. To me tweeting is like texting, due to the 140 character limit, and is an effective way to share information, ask questions and connect with others. Furthermore, it is fun, easy to tweet and potentially addictive. I appreciate that Twitter enables me to remain informed about what’s happening on global, local and personal levels with those who I personally know and those who I choose to follow. Although I sometimes receive tweets about mundane information, more often than not my followers tweet about things that are meaningful to me, either personally or professionally. In the last few month of being a Twitter user I have enjoyed following many tweets, even though I haven’t personally tweeted very often (my policy is to only respond when I have something constructive to say). I see Twitter as a tool that would be more useful to someone who has an iPhone (or an equivalent), as they would be able to follow the tweets frequently and be more in the ‘know’ (I love the anywhere, anytime factor). So… once again – Santa, if you’re listening, I’d like an iPod touch for Christmas!

Having said this I do have a couple of beefs about Twitter. First, and yes I’m admitting this, I can’t seem to figure out how to reduce the size of a photo in order for it to fit Twitter’s specifications for my photo. This may seem ridiculous, but I honestly find this annoying and I’ve only ever ran into this problem once before with a web 2.0 tool. Oh, and just to be clear, I’m trying to upload an average sized photo - nothing fancy. Maybe I should tweet about this for help! The second difficulty that I had with Twitter is locating people. Now I realize that like my photo problem that this is not a fault of Twitter, but when people don’t use their real name it is difficult to locate them and subsequently follow them. Of course, I too am guilty of this, but hey let me use this blog as a public advertisement… I’m Canadanz on Twitter. Please follow me!

Twitter – for my Professional Learning

As the subheading suggests, Twitter is an excellent tool for professionals to use to remain up to date in their area(s) of expertise. When following like-minded individuals, it is easy to be in the know, ask questions, share information and make connections via Twitter. Thus, Twitter is an excellent tool for educators to extend their professional development opportunities beyond the four walls of their classroom. In fact, I’m one of the few web 2.0 users at our school, and without the support from other users, my opportunities to grow professionally are limited.

Fortunately, Twitter is not blocked where I teach, meaning that students can also make use of this tool. Although I can identify some potential issues that Twitter’s use in the classroom presents, with some inappropriate tweets that can be difficult to control, there are also numerous educational benefits. For example, students could use TweetDeck (or equivalent browser) while working on assignments, to share protected (or unprotected) tweets within a specific learning group. Twitter is an excellent tool for students to use when they need help with a problem or are looking for information, as connecting with others is what web 2.0 is all about. English Language Learners (ELLs) may also benefit from using Twitter as the 140 character limit is not as daunting as writing an e-mail or blog post, yet requires the user to think about the message that they are trying to convey. By potentially receiving a prompt response, they may feel encouraged to continue practicing their English skills. Additionally, Twitter may also help to persuade more reserved students to share their thoughts and participate in a class discussions. Check out the following links that further identify how Twitter can be used in educational settings:

6 Examples of Using Twitter in the Classroom – great examples for older students.

How to Use Twitter in the Classroom – creative ideas for all levels of students.

Twitter in the Classroom – some excellent thoughts on how to use Twitter to create a more cohesive classroom community.

Twitter in the Classroom: What Does that Really Look Like? – using Twitter for school news and the day’s highlights, amongst other exciting ideas.

Twitter for Academia – a wide variety of wonderful suggestions, including following a professional and practicing the use of punctuation and/or grammar.


Here are some of the pros and cons regarding the use of Twitter in the classroom:

Pros
Easy to use
Encourages collaboration/networking
Supports professional development
Other applications are compatible with Twitter
Can stimulate higher order thinking skills
Connect/share with others locally or from around the world
Real audience
Allows for differentiated instruction
Creates excitement (engaged students)
Deepens understanding of a topic
Supports inclusive education
Educators can collaborate with colleagues
Able to adjust the privacy setting

Cons
Students may use it to just socialize
Privacy could be an issue
Negative outcomes (e.g., embarrassment)
May not feel confident or comfortable to use/share
Inaccurate information is possible
Content may not be considered professional or appropriate