Micro-blogging is a form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates (usually less than 200 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user. This hands-on session will introduce various micro-blogging tools, including Twitter, Jaiku, and Tumblr and discuss pedagogical possibilities of integrating these technologies in the learning environment.
Session Objectives:
- Define micro-blogging
- Compare blogging to micro-blogging
- Explore popular micro-blogging tools Twitter and Tumblr
- Discuss pedagogical possibilities and pitfalls of microblogs
- Share recommendations for best practices
Definitions:
Examples:
Benefits:
- Speed
- Mobility
- Sociability
- Syndication
- Aggregation
Steps to Getting Started:
- Create a free account
- Start posting updates
- Follow your friends and colleagues
Recommendations:
- Consider what you will and won't post
- Keep posted URLs short - use TinyURL.com
- Build your followers list, but only receive notifications from those most
- Show @replies for the people you follow
- Create separate Twitter account for teaching purposes
Uses:
- Group collaborations and status updates
- Class announcements delivered online and via sms
- In-field activities and updates
- Brainstorming
- Notetaking