Thing #5 - Microblogging

I have been a member of Facebook for some time. Durin the interim - I have reconnected with friends that I knew in Europe through a group that I joined, have been contacted by old classmates and classmates of my brothers and sisters as well as other people from my past that I had lost contact with. Further, I have been able to connect with friends in Africa and Israel throgh Facebook. I am sure the telephone companies HATE these new technology applications. It has probably cut phone uses in a major way.

I think there are many uses for students. It is a wonderful way to stay connected with a large group of far flung friends and family. However, it is also a media that meeds a great deal of monitoring and teaching of students before and while the use it. There are many damaging outcomes if studets are not extremely careful in what they post. This media opens new products that students can create.

As I write this, I sit watching CNN. The story they are currntly reporting is about a woman that angrily twitted about her landlord. She is now being sued by him for defamation and $50,000. This is my concern. Students must be taught how to use this appropriately. Sadly, we hve more and more media opening so quickly that it is almost impossible to teach students appropriate use for all of them - because tomorrow there will be another new one.

While this allows students to make all types of new products - a Facebook page for a book or historical character, it also carries with it a great deal of possible misuse and danger. Students can use this the cheat in class and other activities being completed in class, as well as giving out personal information that can cause great ham in the present and in the future. Sadly because of the picture element everyone uses, privacy issues are also a large concern. The ability to add names to a photo can also cause great problems.

Although Twitter is a different medium, it has much shorter postings and less variety of applications, there are also serious privacy issues that must be resolved. It also leaves issues about use in education. However, an interesting use that I thought might be fun, an interview with a character (historical or book) could be done in either Twitter or Facebook by sending questions and responses. The variety of possibilities goes on and on.

Final note: As a teacher, I can see a variety of practical uses. If my car is at the car repair shop and I have a twitter account, I can add my car repair maan to my twitter stream and he can twit me with cost analysis and problems found rather than having to call me and interrupt my class.