Twitter Stories

Will Richardson wrote in his blog about a concept called Twitter Stories. Twitter is a web 2.0 tool where people can build their own personal learning network. Through connections with other twitters, questions can be asked and answered almost instantly. For more basic background information on Twitter, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

I was first introduced to Twitter this summer at the NECC conference in Atlanta. I have been trying to figure out good, productive applications of this tool for the classroom since then. To this point, I still only have three people following me on twitter. :-( (By the way, Sheryl, Connie and PLP network, thanks!) Anyway, I recently read Will Richardson's blog post about Twitter stories and became intrigued. It seems that George Mayo has started a collaborative writing project using twitter. Middle School students from across the globe are participating in these twitter stories.

I can't wait to try this in January with my students. Anyone want to join me?

Will's blog post: http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/twitterstories/
George Mayo's project wiki: http://manyvoices.wikispaces.com/
The Podcast Network original idea of Twitter Stories: http://twittories.wikispaces.com/

Technology, trends and more

Just as girls (presumably) write in diaries more than boys, teen girls also tend to blog more than their male counterparts, a new study finds. But boys post more video, it says.

About 35 percent of all online teen girls blog, compared with only 20 percent of boys, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project's "Teens and Social Media."

"Girls continue to dominate most elements of content creation," the study finds.
About 54 percent of the girls online post photos compared with 40 percent for boys, but boys are nearly twice as likely as girls to have posted video online (19 percent vs. 10 percent).
Overall, 28 percent of online teens have their own blog, up from 19 percent in 2004, while 27 percent of the teens maintain their own Web page.

The above is an excerpt from an article on the news blog here: http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9835715-7.html

This article really tells more about the overall trends of teens in America. After reading the entire article, I am wondering what implications this information has for us as educators. What should I change in the classroom and at school as a result of knowing this?

What structures and opportunities should I put in place to address the needs of both boys and girls of the 21st century?

I look forward to your thoughts on this topic.