Thanks to the Blern blog (which I’ve been enjoying for a couple months now) for providing some quick commentary on Twitter and a link to an article by Wired. I’m struck by the various phrases used by author Clive Thompson to describe Twitter: constant-contact media; almost like ESP; quick-ping media; it’s like proprioception, your body’s ability to know where your limbs are. I think he aptly captures the appeal of this technology.
I recently set up my own Twitter account through my experience with a recent EDUCAUSE ELI event, where Twitter was one method of documenting our experiences while learning more about this technology. I only submitted on inital test “message” (twit? update? post? again, the lingo still eludes me), so I haven’t truly used it to it’s fully extent. I don’t know anyone else who is Twittering that I could follow, nor do I know anyone who would be willing to follow me. (What do you call someone who doesn’t really know quite how to Twitter properly? A Nit Twit, maybe?) But I hope to set up an experiment to learn more for myself about this technology and then to adjust and repeat to use as a demo for others.
I first heard of Twitter when Scott Hanselman (a popular blogger on the topics of technology as well as diabetes) decided to Twitter his diabetes for one day. This fascinating activity was designed to help others better understand the impact of diabetes on one’s daily life. But it is also a great example of how Twitter might be used in an educational setting.
In my view, micro-blogging is worth exploring as an educational tool.