Comments on: What the Tweet? http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/ The Read/Write Web in the Classroom Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:53:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: 30 Days with Twitter by Bob Sprankle » Moving at the Speed of Creativity http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-30401 30 Days with Twitter by Bob Sprankle » Moving at the Speed of Creativity Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:59:08 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-30401 [...] Rather than recount some of my early realizations, here is a comment I posted on a Will Richardson’s blog post about Twitter about halfway through my “30 days”: I didn’t get Twitter at all when I heard about it. I thought it was a “waste of what little time I have.” Why would I Twitter when I can barely keep up with my Blog? I “made” myself finally try it, and I have to admit, it took about an hour of use to finally see what people were talking about. [...] […] Rather than recount some of my early realizations, here is a comment I posted on a Will Richardson’s blog post about Twitter about halfway through my “30 days”: I didn’t get Twitter at all when I heard about it. I thought it was a “waste of what little time I have.” Why would I Twitter when I can barely keep up with my Blog? I “made” myself finally try it, and I have to admit, it took about an hour of use to finally see what people were talking about. […]

]]> By: Charity http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28751 Charity Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:12:05 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28751 I am fascinated by this new Twitter just by reading Will's blog and all the comments. I can't wait to try it out now! I think teens will like it, but I agree with what someone said above that they DO have facebook and myspace. I have a myspace account, but I'm not nearly as excited about it as my 15 year old cousin who uses it all the time to keep in contact with all her friends at school and she likes to let them know where she is and what she is doing, sort of like the twitter factor. I guess I don't really get that part: why would someone be interested in MY life? but the curiosity thing has bitten me and I wouldn't mind "following" some people around for a while just to see what it's like. A friend of mine recently sent me an invite to facebook too so I suppose i should check that out too, just to see the difference between that and myspace. I just heard someone tell me, or maybe I read it somewhere, that facebook and myspace is sort of like a class thing: facebook is for the "popular crowd" and myspace is for all those people that don't fit in anywhere else. LOL. what do u think? I am fascinated by this new Twitter just by reading Will’s blog and all the comments. I can’t wait to try it out now! I think teens will like it, but I agree with what someone said above that they DO have facebook and myspace. I have a myspace account, but I’m not nearly as excited about it as my 15 year old cousin who uses it all the time to keep in contact with all her friends at school and she likes to let them know where she is and what she is doing, sort of like the twitter factor. I guess I don’t really get that part: why would someone be interested in MY life? but the curiosity thing has bitten me and I wouldn’t mind “following” some people around for a while just to see what it’s like.

A friend of mine recently sent me an invite to facebook too so I suppose i should check that out too, just to see the difference between that and myspace.
I just heard someone tell me, or maybe I read it somewhere, that facebook and myspace is sort of like a class thing: facebook is for the “popular crowd” and myspace is for all those people that don’t fit in anywhere else. LOL. what do u think?

]]> By: » Tweet Tweet The Village Green http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28687 » Tweet Tweet The Village Green Sat, 04 Aug 2007 15:26:15 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28687 [...] http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/ [...] […] http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/ […]

]]> By: Garry Stone http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28425 Garry Stone Thu, 02 Aug 2007 03:22:19 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28425 It's interesting that I followed this link from G-town wondering about similar things and feeling that I didn't understand the usefulness of Twitter but having read the interesting replies have a different feeling and more interest in thinking about the usefulness of the tool. I can envision a staff of teachers twittering with each other on a daily basis on how the day has gone, how they are using technology to deliver instruction, asking for help similar to Darren's saga mentioned above,or having student's twitter about how they felt the day went as an end of the day activity--endless uses. It's interesting how one's feelings and thoughts can be changed as they read what others have to say and then incorporate pieces of those conversations into their own consciousness. It’s interesting that I followed this link from G-town wondering about similar things and feeling that I didn’t understand the usefulness of Twitter but having read the interesting replies have a different feeling and more interest in thinking about the usefulness of the tool. I can envision a staff of teachers twittering with each other on a daily basis on how the day has gone, how they are using technology to deliver instruction, asking for help similar to Darren’s saga mentioned above,or having student’s twitter about how they felt the day went as an end of the day activity–endless uses. It’s interesting how one’s feelings and thoughts can be changed as they read what others have to say and then incorporate pieces of those conversations into their own consciousness.

]]> By: » Please Give Me Something To Learn About G-Town Talks http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28406 » Please Give Me Something To Learn About G-Town Talks Wed, 01 Aug 2007 20:26:43 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28406 [...] Which leads me to this post by Will Richardson about twitter. I don’t get it, I’m trying to get it, and I doubt I’ll actually go give it a try. I’m clueless about twitter, but NOT completely clueless because of Will’s post and the other tidbits I’ve been reading through my RSS feeds. What I’m loving is that I can read about something entirely foreign and new to me and that I can begin to ponder the implications it may have for my own learning and for education. This is what I need my teachers to be doing–reading the ideas of others and challenging their own ideas–LEARNING. [...] […] Which leads me to this post by Will Richardson about twitter. I don’t get it, I’m trying to get it, and I doubt I’ll actually go give it a try. I’m clueless about twitter, but NOT completely clueless because of Will’s post and the other tidbits I’ve been reading through my RSS feeds. What I’m loving is that I can read about something entirely foreign and new to me and that I can begin to ponder the implications it may have for my own learning and for education. This is what I need my teachers to be doing–reading the ideas of others and challenging their own ideas–LEARNING. […]

]]> By: Cherie Blessing http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28394 Cherie Blessing Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:35:27 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28394 I'm definitely a tech newbie, having just started blogging with my class about a year and a half ago, and I'm a bit nervous to even comment along with all the "real" tech people. However, I just had to say that I took the leap and invaded Facebook in spite of the fact that I'm forty-something, and I'm having a blast! Recently, my college-aged brother told me that Xanga and My Space were "so yesterday", and Facebook was where I needed to be if I wanted to read his posts now. So I did it, and I'm addicted. I've spent the summer looking up all of my old students, and I've found many. (All of the ones I've found have let me be their friend so far too, bless their hearts.) Facebook has a Twitter-like spot to fill in as often as you like, and surprisingly, it has turned out to be one of my favorite features. There's something about knowing what my brother, my niece, my old students, . . . are thinking about and doing in their everyday lives that makes me feels more connected with them in a comforting way. I must confess that the whole Facebook experience has been the most fun I've had with technology ever--like blogging, e-mailing, sharing your photo album, twittering all in one. It's an amazing world we live in. I’m definitely a tech newbie, having just started blogging with my class about a year and a half ago, and I’m a bit nervous to even comment along with all the “real” tech people. However, I just had to say that I took the leap and invaded Facebook in spite of the fact that I’m forty-something, and I’m having a blast!

Recently, my college-aged brother told me that Xanga and My Space were “so yesterday”, and Facebook was where I needed to be if I wanted to read his posts now. So I did it, and I’m addicted.

I’ve spent the summer looking up all of my old students, and I’ve found many. (All of the ones I’ve found have let me be their friend so far too, bless their hearts.) Facebook has a Twitter-like spot to fill in as often as you like, and surprisingly, it has turned out to be one of my favorite features. There’s something about knowing what my brother, my niece, my old students, . . . are thinking about and doing in their everyday lives that makes me feels more connected with them in a comforting way.

I must confess that the whole Facebook experience has been the most fun I’ve had with technology ever–like blogging, e-mailing, sharing your photo album, twittering all in one.

It’s an amazing world we live in.

]]> By: Suzanne Magerko http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28393 Suzanne Magerko Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:08:36 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28393 We are by nature, I believe, connectors. When I read Dov Seidman's book, "How", his introduction, "The Spaces Between Us", really resonated with me. He uses the analogy of the working units of our brain, neurons. "Neurons have excitable membranes,...that allows them to generate and propagate electrical signals. When a neuron wants to act, it sends out a small signal, like an email, to the parts of the brain with which it wants to connect. That signal, in order to get where it wants to go, must jump a series of small gaps, each called a synapse, that separate one neuron from another." He goes on to say, “Where synapses are strong, they allow for the free-flowing transmission of energy from neuron to neuron that enables the vast range of human capability.” He concludes, “By analogy, in the realm of human behavior, everything that affects the spaces between us affects our ability to get things done.” So it seems logical then, that we are by nature, designed to connect. And with our technological ability to connect to almost anyone, anywhere at any time, it is not surprising that we would have an innate attraction, and some might argue a fundamental need, to do so. We are by nature, I believe, connectors. When I read Dov Seidman’s book, “How”, his introduction, “The Spaces Between Us”, really resonated with me. He uses the analogy of the working units of our brain, neurons.
“Neurons have excitable membranes,…that allows them to generate and propagate electrical signals. When a neuron wants to act, it sends out a small signal, like an email, to the parts of the brain with which it wants to connect. That signal, in order to get where it wants to go, must jump a series of small gaps, each called a synapse, that separate one neuron from another.”
He goes on to say, “Where synapses are strong, they allow for the free-flowing transmission of energy from neuron to neuron that enables the vast range of human capability.”
He concludes, “By analogy, in the realm of human behavior, everything that affects the spaces between us affects our ability to get things done.”
So it seems logical then, that we are by nature, designed to connect. And with our technological ability to connect to almost anyone, anywhere at any time, it is not surprising that we would have an innate attraction, and some might argue a fundamental need, to do so.

]]> By: Jonathan Orr http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28387 Jonathan Orr Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:29:40 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28387 As far as education is concerned what do you think about twitter being used for a collaborative project between to schools geographically separated? One classroom is working on one part and another classroom is working on another part. Skype or even a chat might me overkill, because constant communication at that point in time may not be necessary. However if one classroom has an "idea" and just wants the other classrooms thoughts twitter might just be the tool needed for this type of communication. Or let’s say one group made a funny joke while working and wanted to let the other group in on that. Possibilities exist for education. As far as education is concerned what do you think about twitter being used for a collaborative project between to schools geographically separated? One classroom is working on one part and another classroom is working on another part. Skype or even a chat might me overkill, because constant communication at that point in time may not be necessary. However if one classroom has an “idea” and just wants the other classrooms thoughts twitter might just be the tool needed for this type of communication. Or let’s say one group made a funny joke while working and wanted to let the other group in on that. Possibilities exist for education.

]]> By: Christian Long http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28379 Christian Long Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:48:30 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28379 In the time it took me to read your post, Will, and all the comments, I missed probably 5 new tweets... and I am suddenly finding myself in this odd parallel/second universe (like the Seinfeld episode, I suppose) where I'm finding blog posts to be somehow playing catch-up in a world where they used to be leading the band. Love your word "presence". Can't imagine a better way to describe, save to point to the Neo freezing the bullets in the Matrix, watching them, turning them over, realizing that each was a small part of a larger construct of existence. Like tweets. Flying at you hard/fast if you don't 'get it'; a waste of time. If, however, you dig the "presence" vibe, than they slow down...and real value suddenly begins to appear. Agree with Bob Sprankle. In some senses, Tweets have replaced my RSS feed updates re: new blog posts. Rarely reading my feeds; but looking throughout my Tweets for updates of new pieces of blog writing (et al). Love the "hot off the press" comment from Bob, too! Even better, the cookies! Well written (as always). Well posed (as always). Thanks on both fronts! Cheers, Christian In the time it took me to read your post, Will, and all the comments, I missed probably 5 new tweets… and I am suddenly finding myself in this odd parallel/second universe (like the Seinfeld episode, I suppose) where I’m finding blog posts to be somehow playing catch-up in a world where they used to be leading the band.

Love your word “presence”. Can’t imagine a better way to describe, save to point to the Neo freezing the bullets in the Matrix, watching them, turning them over, realizing that each was a small part of a larger construct of existence. Like tweets. Flying at you hard/fast if you don’t ‘get it’; a waste of time. If, however, you dig the “presence” vibe, than they slow down…and real value suddenly begins to appear.

Agree with Bob Sprankle. In some senses, Tweets have replaced my RSS feed updates re: new blog posts. Rarely reading my feeds; but looking throughout my Tweets for updates of new pieces of blog writing (et al). Love the “hot off the press” comment from Bob, too! Even better, the cookies!

Well written (as always). Well posed (as always). Thanks on both fronts!
Cheers,
Christian

]]> By: Bob Sprankle http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28377 Bob Sprankle Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:29:15 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28377 I didn't get Twitter at all when I heard about it. I thought it was a "waste of what little time I have." Why would I Twitter when I can barely keep up with my Blog? I "made" myself finally try it, and I have to admit, it took about an hour of use to finally see what people were talking about. I signed up for an account in time for BLC07 and the night before the conference, I watched Darren Kuropatwa's saga unfold in real time --his computer crashed big time with 3 presentations looming-- and the amount of support he received by people who were just a "twit away" was astounding. In some ways, I see Twitter as the "Bat Signal". Just ask and you shall receive. I also like how it changes my consciousness. Seeing "blips" from people I know and care about pop up on my screen throughout the day has to be a good thing. Example: Twit: Oh, look what's Cheryl's doing. I'm now thinking of Cheryl. That's nice. Twit: Oh, look. Dean's on his way home. I'm now thinking of Dean. I hope he has an easy and safe journey. In some small and sometimes big ways, the connections we all have are popping up on my screen throughout the day. They remind me of these great people, they put me in the present here-and-now of their lives, pulling me out of my own. Twitter as meditation. Twitter as "prayer beads." While driving back from DC last week, whenever the family needed a pit stop, I twittered in on my phone. Sometimes I updated my own whereabouts, sometimes I just caught up on what others were doing. The twits sometimes gave me a chuckle, sometimes gave me something to think about. When we got back in the car, often I'd update my wife about what someone was currently doing/thinking/writing. Often this would start us off in a new discussion topic for the next 50 miles or so. Twitter as conversation starter, thought provoker. Much like a micro "book group." Very nice when traveling. One of my favorite things about Twitter is when people announce that they've just published a post on their own blogs. This pulls me away from what I'm currently working on more than anything else. Twitter as "hot off the press." Freshly baked cookies. I "made" myself try twitter for a "30 Days" experiment to see if the technology could change me. Looks like it has. Tweet! I didn’t get Twitter at all when I heard about it. I thought it was a “waste of what little time I have.” Why would I Twitter when I can barely keep up with my Blog? I “made” myself finally try it, and I have to admit, it took about an hour of use to finally see what people were talking about.

I signed up for an account in time for BLC07 and the night before the conference, I watched Darren Kuropatwa’s saga unfold in real time –his computer crashed big time with 3 presentations looming– and the amount of support he received by people who were just a “twit away” was astounding. In some ways, I see Twitter as the “Bat Signal”. Just ask and you shall receive.

I also like how it changes my consciousness. Seeing “blips” from people I know and care about pop up on my screen throughout the day has to be a good thing.

Example:
Twit: Oh, look what’s Cheryl’s doing. I’m now thinking of Cheryl. That’s nice.

Twit: Oh, look. Dean’s on his way home. I’m now thinking of Dean. I hope he has an easy and safe journey.

In some small and sometimes big ways, the connections we all have are popping up on my screen throughout the day. They remind me of these great people, they put me in the present here-and-now of their lives, pulling me out of my own. Twitter as meditation. Twitter as “prayer beads.”

While driving back from DC last week, whenever the family needed a pit stop, I twittered in on my phone. Sometimes I updated my own whereabouts, sometimes I just caught up on what others were doing. The twits sometimes gave me a chuckle, sometimes gave me something to think about. When we got back in the car, often I’d update my wife about what someone was currently doing/thinking/writing. Often this would start us off in a new discussion topic for the next 50 miles or so. Twitter as conversation starter, thought provoker. Much like a micro “book group.” Very nice when traveling.

One of my favorite things about Twitter is when people announce that they’ve just published a post on their own blogs. This pulls me away from what I’m currently working on more than anything else. Twitter as “hot off the press.” Freshly baked cookies.

I “made” myself try twitter for a “30 Days” experiment to see if the technology could change me. Looks like it has.

Tweet!

]]> By: Jeri Hurd http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28373 Jeri Hurd Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:58:33 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28373 I don't know. I still don't get it. I can barely follow the minutiae of my own life, let alone the minutiae of others! I don’t know. I still don’t get it. I can barely follow the minutiae of my own life, let alone the minutiae of others!

]]> By: bcarrera http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28371 bcarrera Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:50:50 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28371 I echo the minor frustration of tweeting and knowing that no one is following, but then I live in Brazil and my second language is Portuguese so I'm used to only getting 1/2 of a conversation (amazing how much you can still understand). I like it for the quicker than rss feature about new posts. If I have time I can check right away, if not, let the rss pick it up. I echo the minor frustration of tweeting and knowing that no one is following, but then I live in Brazil and my second language is Portuguese so I’m used to only getting 1/2 of a conversation (amazing how much you can still understand). I like it for the quicker than rss feature about new posts. If I have time I can check right away, if not, let the rss pick it up.

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28351 Graham Wegner Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:35:19 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28351 Twitter is yet another connective tentacle that is so hard to explain but once up and running, so hard to walk away from. I think the fact that it can be contributed via txt means you can post in without a PC connection. The network that I have constructed (roughly 100 people either way) is a way of being in touch on a slightly more personal level with educators who've I've only known through their blogs and comments. But even that's not true because twitter has also hooked me into new voices and led me to their online presences (not just blogs - podcasts, wikis, nings). It's a little bit like going into a crowded Aussie pub with a sea of people milling around - you recognise some of them, say "G'day" to some and strike up conversation of varying depth with others. Like the pub, people come and go according to their routines so I'm arriving just as others are about to head home (North Americans), or some are on their lunch break (Europeans) so you just catch whoever is around. Except you can leave those @messages for others (even those who don't follow you) and just like the noisy pub, your conversations are short sharp bursts so that you get your message across in a succinct way. And sometimes at the pub, you can locked into a conversation that only means something to your close mates who know what you're on about. Just another mode of human interaction - working out what makes other educators tick is probably part of the attraction as well. I think I get twitter but it is very difficult to explain. Twitter is yet another connective tentacle that is so hard to explain but once up and running, so hard to walk away from. I think the fact that it can be contributed via txt means you can post in without a PC connection. The network that I have constructed (roughly 100 people either way) is a way of being in touch on a slightly more personal level with educators who’ve I’ve only known through their blogs and comments. But even that’s not true because twitter has also hooked me into new voices and led me to their online presences (not just blogs - podcasts, wikis, nings).

It’s a little bit like going into a crowded Aussie pub with a sea of people milling around - you recognise some of them, say “G’day” to some and strike up conversation of varying depth with others. Like the pub, people come and go according to their routines so I’m arriving just as others are about to head home (North Americans), or some are on their lunch break (Europeans) so you just catch whoever is around. Except you can leave those @messages for others (even those who don’t follow you) and just like the noisy pub, your conversations are short sharp bursts so that you get your message across in a succinct way. And sometimes at the pub, you can locked into a conversation that only means something to your close mates who know what you’re on about.

Just another mode of human interaction - working out what makes other educators tick is probably part of the attraction as well. I think I get twitter but it is very difficult to explain.

]]> By: Andre Malan http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28349 Andre Malan Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:13:15 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28349 Twitter is for adults... because young people have facebook, which lets you do almost the same thing... you post your status... check your friends status... and can talk about it on message/wall. Why would students break into twitter when they have that? Twitter is for adults… because young people have facebook, which lets you do almost the same thing… you post your status… check your friends status… and can talk about it on message/wall. Why would students break into twitter when they have that?

]]> By: Practical Theory http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28343 Practical Theory Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:38:36 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/what-the-tweet/#comment-28343 <strong>Curriculum Design, Reform and Technology Infusion...</strong> Things influencing this post: Christian Long -- Getting Back to Basics Re-reading Understanding by Design The conversations about Twitter and Second Life, such as Will Richardson's What the Tweet? and Sylvia Martinez' Second Thoughts on Second Life... Curriculum Design, Reform and Technology Infusion…

Things influencing this post: Christian Long — Getting Back to Basics
Re-reading Understanding by Design
The conversations about Twitter and Second Life, such as Will Richardson’s What the Tweet? and Sylvia Martinez’ Second Thoughts on Second Life…

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