Twitter, What is this thing?

[Ron Bosch]

Is anybody else twittering? I have started using it recently and I have to say that at first I wasn't real sure what the point of it was. I am starting to see that it is an interesting way to keep up with what people that you follow are doing and a way to let people who are following you know what you are doing.
I am just curious what other people are thinking about Twitter and any uses they see for using it, other than it is just kind of fun.

[Enzo Silva]

I am still a little reluctant to use it.
I confess I haven't been convinced of how useful it is to microblog, especially in eLearning.
Do you guys think there are advantages microblogging can bring to eLearning?

[Savitri Wilder]

I can see a few benefits. Right now I'm using Twitter for info gathering. The people I follow are those who I think twit on things related to education and technology. I've gotten links, blog sites, apps, info, etc. from Twitter that I didn't know before. I got to ning.com from twitter.

For education, I can see using this to communicate with my students. I can twit that homework's due tomorrow for example. I can link my twit to my class blog and twit important links or whatever I can think of that's less than 140 characters :D

[Meghan]

I just start using twitter. I am doing research on web 2.0 tools that can be used in education as I have been asked to put together a suite of web 2.0 tools for teachers and twitter was on the list. I am slightly skeptical how teachers would use twitter in a classroom setting. I can see the use for using twitter at an administrative level. I teach several PD classes and I could see twitter as a way for the teachers to stay connected, but I could also see using a ning network too.

[tbrown4]

From what I can see, this really is just like the Facebook status update, just with larger character capacity. I could see how this could be useful in an online learning environment.

[Danielle Heaton]

I'm also a little reluctant to use it. Like tbrown said, it's just like a Facebook status update. I've only seen a glimpse of it. Though you could place homework on it, there may be a better way to do that. I suppose I have to look into it more!

[Elizabeth Houston]

I had the exact same thoughts as the last two posters-- that it seems like a Facebook status update or an AIM away message. Do people really care where I am at every hour of the day? I already feel that between cell phones and e-mail, I am too easy to get a hold of at any given moment. I don't know if I'm ready to let the world know every time I am cooking dinner, taking a nap, or watching TV.

I haven't really thought about using Twitter in an educational context. I guess if I could think of a way to use it in the classroom, I would be more likely to give it a try. For now, Twitter's question "What are you doing?" sort of frightens me.

[Enzo Silva]

I feel the same sometimes... I am always between guilt (for not posting every second what I am doing and where like everyone else seems to be doing) and apprehension (should I even do that?)... It gets even annoying how you see people posting completely meaningless babble on Twitter...

Edmodo.com has potential as a microblogging platform for learning (because it doesn't seem to be JUST microblogging). .. let's see what they come up with...

[Robert]

I agree with you Ron about the use of Twitter. I've looked at the site several times and I can't really see the purpose of it. I can maybe see the use of the site for a groups of fiends that like to keep touch instead of using IM. I'm also curious about how others are using it.

Robert

[Enzo Silva]

Totally agree guys.
I think it all goes back to the 'technology for technolgy's sake story. Twitted might be a good service but not have that much practical relative advantage to education but people still feel like they HAVE to use it because it fits in the mainstream trend, in this case Web 2.0.
I am
definitely not saying Twitter doesn' have any use in learning contexts but I do think we need to be careful not to adopt something just because everyone else is doing it.

I am sending this from my phone and dont have the link here but if you look up "Twitter learning" (no quotation marks) on Scribd.com you will find a nice doc on Twitter and learning. I will post it here if I remember.

So, I am still open to being convinced of Twitter's value in learning :)

[Bill Graziadei, PhD (aka Dr. G)]

Twittle dee dee... or Twitter dee dee...

Twitter (and others) is a free mobile phone social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send updates (otherwise known as tweets) which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. For more information and further explanation see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

When you become a new Twitter-er...

It can change the way you think about staying in touch with colleagues, flearners, riends and family. You can send and receive Twitter updates via mobile texting, instant message or the web. The process is pretty straight forward.

1) You signup for a free account: http://twitter.com/

2) Activate Phone & IM: http://twitter.com/devices

3) Invite Your Friends: http://twitter.com/invitations/invite

The New York Times calls Twitter "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet." TIME Magazine says, "Twitter is on its way to becoming the next killer app,"... However, it's NOT about the technology but HOW, WHEN and WHY we use.

What do you think? I already learned from reading the above. Tx! Have you used it in class? How? Pros/Cons? Other similar services? What are some social networking uses for work environment, learning, communication/collaboration with colleagues, clients, learners, family, friends, etc.? What about class announcements, meetings, seminars, conferences, user-content availability, etc. Other uses?

Until we twitter...thenagain maybe not. Just in case, my twitter-er name is wgraziadei.

[Bill Graziadei, PhD (aka Dr. G)]

You might want to look into Plurk - http://plurk.com/; it has a timeline and threaded (great feature) replies. See http://www.plurk.com/user/wgraziadei. Also, see my discussion on Private Microblogging for teachers and Students that I posted in Education 2.0 earlier today. Ciao, Bill...

[Kim Peacock]

Hi there, thought I'd break in to your conversation. I too really don't see many relevant pedagogical applications for Twitter in education, however, I have heard of someone who is using it in their jr. high math classroom to have students microblog their thoughts as they do problem solving. She apparently has a series of prompts where the kids Twitter what they would do next and why and she can then look for trends in their Twitter feeds to help identify what's going wrong for students who have difficulties with problem solving. Now, I'm not sure what the benefit of Twitter would be over just keeping a paper/pencil journal, aside of having a nice archive online with no lost sheets, etc... and possibly being motivating to students. I just thought I'd mention it as it's the only thing I've heard of with Twitter that I MIGHT feel has some merit for learners... (sorry I don't have a link).