Mod 6- Microblogging for the classroom

The microblogging article that I read about is at
http://www.writetech.net/2008/04/microblogging-1.html. It has a first part as well, but is only one paragraph, and you can use the "previous" button on the blog to get to it if needed.

This article speaks about how the convenience of these microblogging programs contributes to the classroom. Although the blog speaks about the corporate learning environment also, I believe that the reasons for both environments (classroom/corporate) are interchangeable. One convenience of these programs is explained here:

"Students may continue the conversations outside of class using Twitter. This is especially important when the class is spread out via elearning. The students have a shared experience - your classroom."

Because this program is online and easy to access, the kids will be excited to chat with their friends/classmates on this site. However, it isn't just a social tool, but as the article says, will expand upon their learning in a significant way. As long as it is moderated by the teacher, the students can post about that day's class and have fun doing it. As stated, it is a shared experience for the entire classroom. Also, the students (whether they like it or not) will be thinking about the material in a meaningful way when they post on the sites. For example, as the students leave the classroom already engaged in learning, and the teacher wants them to post a few sentences in French in response to what the teacher said on the microblog, this is engaging and everyone can share what they did on the blog. Their minds become reactivated thinking about the language, even after class is out of session. It is kind of like giving two lessons in one day if you think about it. It keeps students engaged in the learning process.
Another convenience of this microblog is for informative purposes. If a date is changed for a test or a parent-teacher conference is coming up, the teacher can post it on the microblog. The article mentions hooking it up to a cell phone as well, but I don't feel that is needed for a 7-12 classroom. The article gives a good example of this convenience by having a person giving a lecture post on their Twitter his # to give him a call...5 minutes later people started calling him. Also, this is a good way to go "green" in the classroom. Instead of sending out flyers and paper homework assignments, it can all be done right on the Twitter site. These are just a few ways microblogging can be used in the classroom.