Thing 17 Social networking, and microblogging

Ning Classroom 2.0 kind of blew me away. What a massive amount of information, and tools. It was more than I expected, and I know I will be returning. I read a few threads from the forum, perused some photos, watched some interesting videos, and looked for some upcoming events which gave me ideas of other places to visit online. I think I can get some valuable ideas from the forum, and will use it to help develop my PLN. I do not see myself setting up a ning for my class at this time, but may in the future. I was able to find a Ning that I think could be useful with future lessons. It was called Video snacks , and I got some helpful tips on using videos in my lessons. I am going to have to make more time for ning in my normal schedule.

I have been a texter for a little over two years, and find it a useful tool to communicate with other coaches, students on my teams, and of course my family. I have not thought about using it as a professional part of my PLN, but can see how it could be effective as a tool to get quick answers. I also recently started using Twitter, but have not put much effort into it. I could definitely see my students enjoying a private microblog communit. they would get a big kick out of twittering from there cell phones in class. I do not usually have trouble with discussion topics, but waiting for a turn to speak is a big problem in my class. Being able to respond as soon as you are ready would be a bonus for my students. The lack of impulse control would allow them an immediate outlet as well as giving them a physical act to concentrate on. It is very possible that it could cut down on behavior problems in the class. I think there would be a positive Hawthorne effect, but wounder how long it would last. Most of my experiments are good for 1-3 hours.