Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

With new technology coming out faster than you can blink, there are several opportunities for educators to not only use these resources for their own professional development but also for teaching. With social networks such as Facebook, Plurk, and Twitter, there has been s surge of information shared between educators about various topics. I believe that a social network such as Twitter can in fact help enhance the teaching experience. For example, Richard Byrne, a fellow blogger from Free Tech 4 Teachers, suggested  that with a social network like Twitter, teachers essentially, never have to spend another lunch alone, as it happens across many different schools. Because resources like Twitter exist, teachers no longer have to stay confined to a lonely classroom at lunch but instead, can create their own   Personal Learning Network that will enable them to connect to teachers not just in their building, but around the country and perhaps even around the world. A tool like this is essential I believe because it will help teachers share ideas about lessons (what worked and what didn't work), share their frustrations in the classroom, and even obtain feedback about ideas they have for the classroom. The Langwitches blog, also contains a short presentation about how and why teachers can use Twitter for their professional development and how they can get started using Twitter.

 In addition to using something like Twitter for professional development, a teacher can use it as a teaching tool in the classroom. For example, when reading Romeo and Juliet, students could make Twitter accounts for two or more characters and dialogue a conversation as it pertains to the play in order to switch the language into modern day English. Another activity? Using Twitter during lectures so that students who are less likely to speak out in class for have that platform where they too can ask questions. These are just two ideas and there are several other ways to make these social networks learning friendly. If the technology exists and students know the technology, why can't it be adapted into a lesson?

Awesome Blog

Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal is offering 20 students up to $100,000 top stop school to focus on their business ideas. Thiel says that if the students choose to complete school,  they can go back at a later time. The number one reason for Thiel's decision? He doesn't believe students are learning much from higher education and they are not being prepared well enough. Because students are not willing to risk the financial aspects of starting their own business their are more willing to choose a "safe job" over their own projects.

I thought this article was interesting overall because it let me see that people other than educators are taking notice of the education problem that exists today. Students are so worried about their futures that they are willing to take the safe job because it provides a steady income but because of this, their dreams are flying out of the window. I'm interested to see which students are chosen for this project and see what they come up with.

from Education Change

PayPal Co-Founder: I'll Give $100,000 To Teens Who Drop Out Of School