Finally an educational use for Twitter?
Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to send updates (”tweets”) to the Twitter website, via instant messaging. the updates are in the form of a text-based post which has 140 characters limit.
The sender can restrict delivery of the updates to specific individuals and so can be used for group contact (delivery to everyone is the default). The updates can be received via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS or email. So the system is very mobile.
Essentially Twitters works though someone sending you updates about he or she is up to at the moment and as such a has been likened to micro-blogging. Ideally it is well suited to those who have a hectic lifestyle which involves travel and yet would prefer or need to stay in contacts with others, feeding back their movements etc.
I’m in minds however and knowing what a person is up to in detail isn’t a major issue on my people. Some educators have mentioned it may have an educational application however but I’ve found very few examples.
Vicki A. Davis in her blog outlines an interesting use monthly book club discussion. Vicki has set up wiki page to enable interested parties to create a rubric for the way in which a Twitter-based BOOK GROUP might operate. there’s some interesting rules which could provide a basis for future Twitter based projects. Some of the benefits of using Twitter are outlined:
# Being able to effectively synopsis your thoughts in 140 characters requires higher order thinking, (A GOOD one this. Way too many people are guilty of text dense posting - myself included)
# It is is more inclusive of those with lower bandwidth capabilities or do not have computers (they can use cell phones)
# Contributions can be made “on the go” (via cell phone)
# It would potentially allow a greater number of people to participate
# It could encourage participants to read off line.
the cell phone aspects bring in a nice mobile element to the exercise. More detail can be found on her wiki. Can anyone think of any other applications to which Twitter might be applied?
Have a look Twitter and decide for yourself: Twitter , Twitter entry in Wikipedia
And here’s Twitter on CSI.
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