Tag Archives: twitter

#Twitteracy

27 Replies

“So here are some questions that keep me up at night: How are we to make our students literate if we ourselves are not? If we cling to age old definitions and ignore the wisdom of one of the oldest professional education organizations we have in this country, how do we provide my kids with the experiences they need to fully understand what it means to be a self-directed, participatory learner in this century? How do we make sure that every child and every teacher has access to these tools and connections? And what do we do when the reform conversations are being led by a majority of folks who have no context for the changes that are happening every day in these connected spaces, folks that by NCTE’s definition, may have some literacy issues themselves?” ~ Will Richardson

As literacy is so fundamental to opportunities of learning, I have been thinking about Twitter and the use of it in our schools.  If you look at this video, you will see that the use of Twitter is going up exponentially and things such as hashtags are making their way into things outside of Twitter.  For example, have you ever read a text message that has the term “#fail” in it?  Why the pound sign?

Just looking at a random tweet from Patrick Larkin, I wonder if most educators are able to decipher what the message is saying or even where to go to find out what the “pound sign thingies” mean?  Take a look:

During this time in our world, if you can’t read this, are you missing out on something important?  It is not just the words, but the links and hashtags that are in the message as well.  I have done several workshops with educators and having something up like Tweetdeck looks like it is right out of the Matrix movies.  I know it did to me when I first started using it.  That being said, I am always appreciative when others are willing to take the time, struggle, and learn to get better at using this medium.  It is so important that we model our learning continuously as educators for the sake of our students.

“The new literacy, beyond text and image,  is one of information navigation. The real literacy of tomorrow entails the ability to be your own personal reference librarian—to know how to navigate through confusing, complex information spaces and feel comfortable doing so. “Navigation” may well be the main form of literacy for the 21st century.” ~ John Seely Brown

I have written about the texting improving literacy before, but I was again reminded of how much more our students read now as opposed to the time I was a kid when I read this article discussing a recent talk by Margaret Atwood:

Thanks to the rise of the internet and of social media, “I would say that reading, as such, has increased. And reading and writing skills have probably increased because what all this texting and so forth replaced was the telephone conversation,” she continued. “People have to actually be able to read and write to use the internet, so it’s a great literacy driver if kids are given the tools and the incentive to learn the skills that allow them to access it.”

Often you will hear things on how Twitter is “eroding society”, yet there can often be much more in a tweet then simply 140 characters.  Atwood goes on to talk about how people are using Twitter to express themselves in similar ways, further their learning through the links that are often provided, and are sometimes using the medium to do different things:

“A lot of people on Twitter are dedicated readers. Twitter is like all of the other short forms that preceded it. It’s like the telegram. It’s like the smoke signal. It’s like writing on the washroom wall. It’s like carving your name on a tree. It’s a very short form and we use that very short form for very succinct purposes. There is a guy out there who is writing 140-character short stories — I just followed him today…but that’s the exception. It’s sort of like haikus [and] prose,” Atwood said.

Journalists are quickly learning that a Twitter account can be the best way to connect with an audience and share information as it happens.  It is making the news more interactive and you will often see on newscasts the “Twitter handle” highlighted when a person is speaking.  Humans yearn for connections and Twitter is a great way to be able to interact with those that once seemingly were out of reach.  If journalists and writers are using this medium, should we not understand or share it with our own students?

Literacy is something that continuously evolves and I am not here to condemn those that don’t use Twitter.  There are many areas of literacy that I can continue to improve (especially in the area of media literacy), but I know better to not just brush it aside and ignore it.  We always need to get better for our kids.  If we can’t understand all of the symbols in Twitter, learn how to write a tweet, and use those 140 characters (not all of the time) to lead people to more information, are we missing out on something?

As evidenced in the video below, there can be a lot of power in a simple tweet.  We need to learn and take advantage.

Technology is More than a Tool

33 Replies

Definition: Tool – (noun) A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.

Often the saying, “technology is just a tool”, is said in the context of schools and learning.  I (vaguely) remember writing a similar comment and being challenged regarding that same statement, but since then I have looked at technology in a different way.  Based on the definitions I have read, and the way I see technology (in many cases) being used, it has the power to be so much more than a website, device, or app.  If technology transforms the way we do things, is it “just a tool”?

For example, Neil Postman talks about technology being ecological and how it changes society:

Technological change is not additive; it is ecological. I can explain this best by an analogy. What happens if we place a drop of red dye into a beaker of clear water? Do we have clear water plus a spot of red dye? Obviously not. We have a new coloration to every molecule of water. That is what I mean by ecological change. A new medium does not add something; it changes everything. In the year 1500, after the printing press was invented, you did not have old Europe plus the printing press. You had a different Europe. After television, America was not America plus television. Television gave a new coloration to every political campaign, to every home, to every school, to every church, to every industry, and so on.

There is so much more to the “just a tool” analogy in this example.  The invention of the airplane changed the way our world works and that would also fall under the realm of “technology”.  Even though Louis C.K. is joking on this little bit, he does show the transformation of our world when the airplane was invented:

People like they say there’s delays on flights (yeah) delays really New York to California in 5 hours. That used to take 30 years to do that and a bunch of you would die on the way there and have a baby. You’d be with a whole different group of people by the time you got there.

If you even look at modern day technology, the invention of Google (along with prior and subsequent search engines), has really changed the way school should be taught.  Why do we need to focus on content when all of the information you need is a “Google” away.  Really, can schools stay the same with Google existing?  It doesn’t make sense if they do.

Facebook, like it or not, is a whole different way of connecting with people.  For me, it was the phone that I spent an inordinate amount of time on, but for the new generation, it’s this social network.  It is not only a place you can connect with friends, but you can also share your life, play games, and even have advertising brought right to you.  Like it or not, it is a technology that is transformative.

Twitter and mobile devices have also pushed the edges of the way our society exists.  The recent pepper spray incident at UC Davis, still gives me shivers every time I think about it.  The way news can be instantly delivered from anyone with one of these devices and a social media account, is changing how we live our lives, and is hopefully creating more accountability for all people.  It is scary to think how many incidents like the UC Davis event have happened before the mass use of technology.

I guess the reason I even wrote this post in the first place, was from the inspiration of a picture.  I have struggled back and forth with the idea of whether technology is just a tool, or is it truly transformative.  Yes, the way people use technology is important, but again, when used in a certain way, it transforms.  I am certain I may be saying something that has been said by Neil Postman and others, but again, it was a visual that inspired this post.

If my examples above haven’t swayed you, maybe the picture below will:

I just look at that picture and think it has to be more than a tool.

You Should Read… (October 23, 2011)

4 Replies

Here are some interesting articles that I have found this week:

1.   Using Twitter in High School Classrooms - This post by Bill Ferriter is a great example of how some high school classrooms can use Twitter to not only improve their learning, but can also learn how to be active participants in their world.  His quote below shows how our students can have more of a voice in the democratic process:

“If we are going to prepare our students to be effective participants in this changing political landscape, shouldn’t we be showing them how to hunt down candidates for elected office in social spaces—both to learn more about positions AND to ask a whole lot of questions?That’s exactly what Jeremy Reid is teaching his Grade 11 social studies students, who have used a classroom Twitter account to reach out to candidates in local elections. Think about that for a second, would you?Social media spaces—which are students are drawn to already—have made interacting with politicians and their ideas easier.”

Take the time to read this and think of the ways that you can implement Twitter, which many students are already on, to help them build not only a positive digital footprint, but also help them to take leadership within their community as well as the world.

2. Social Media Policy – YouTube - The Department of Justice in Victoria, Australia, made this video to help their employees understand their roles and responsibilities in using social media.  This could be a great video to discuss with students and/or staff and some of the implications of what is being said.

One of the quotes, at about 2:34 in the video, really caught my attention:

“If it’s clear who you work for, be clear that your views are your own”.

The reason I was interested in what was said here was in education, is this different?  I believe that as educators, we are teachers 100% of the time and expressing certain views may be perceived in a negative way.  This is not to say that you are not entitled to your own opinions and beliefs, but, as stated in the video, there is a different blur between our “private and professional” lives when using social media, which is usually a public forum. We are entitled to our own views, but I don’t think by stating that it absolves educators of their responsibility, and sometimes consequences of things that expressing these views may bring.  The “blur” makes it more complicated.  I would love your thoughts on that portion of the video or anything else. (Check it out below)

3. Cyberbullying: The Power and Peril of Anonymity -This article gives some interesting ways that we can work with our children in social media spaces to guide them along their journey, but also give them some space to explore as well.  There are a few interesting quotes in the article below:

- Hawkins seconded that, insisting that the best way to intervene in cyberbullying at school or at home is not to insist on shutting access to social networking, but to be more present in students’ digital world.

- Rosalind Moore, a parent of two teenagers, said she does her best to do that, while at the same time respecting her children’s digital space and refusing to ask for things such as their Facebook passwords, in part because she thinks it’s counter-intuitive.

“They give you the password, then they go and create another identity with a different password,” Moore said. “You think you’re monitoring this password, and then it’s not really the truth.”

Any thoughts on the articles above?  As always, I am hoping that they are not only used as resources to help further our own teaching and learning practices, but also give you something to think about.  Comments are always welcome.

Have a great week!


cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by gcouros

Defining the Technology

2 Replies


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by topgold

Still reflecting on the Sir Ken Robinson keynote last night, one of the points that I thought was very interesting in how we sometimes hold our students back is when he said the following (paraphrased):

We oftentimes use the new technologies to do the old things.  It is transformational when we use the new technology to do new things.

I couldn’t help but think of the development of Twitter as a networking tool and watching how educators have really leveraged this technology to build connections and enhance their own professional development.  My best guess was that Twitter was built upon the popular “status update” idea from Facebook which was often used to share simple “life updates”.

“George is eating pizza.”

“George is having nachos for supper.”

“George feels guilty and is going for a run.”

It is when people took this technology and started using it in a different way, is when it had become transformational.  The change in use of Twitter as defined by users, prompted a shift in the question “What are you doing?” to “What’s Happening?”.  This change was highlighted in this old (almost two years!) Mashable article:

On the surface it’s a minor change, and yet it’s significant in reflecting the shifting focus and user behavior of the service over time. As most users know, the official question is largely ignored by those who have found myriad ways to share pretty much anything they wanted, be it information, relationships, entertainment, citizen journalism, and beyond.

The change acknowledges that Twitter has grown far beyond the more personal status updates it was originally envisioned to convey, and has morphed into a sort of always-on, source-agnostic information network that is wholly unique. Twitter says they don’t expect the change to at all influence how people actually use Twitter, but might “make it easier to explain to your dad.”

We often talk about technology and how sometimes, it defines us (see the printing press, electricity, car, planes, etc.).  Often though, through our innovative ways of using new things in new ways, we define the technology.

Defending from Twitter Overload

10 Replies


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by renaissancechambara

I think that anyone who blogs and tweets, has written almost a seemingly mandatory post on the “Power of Twitter” (I know I have).  Seeing the power of connecting and sharing with passionate educators is pretty amazing, yet can sometimes be overwhelming.  As I have progressed in my own social networking, I have learned to tailor my social media stream to something that is more streamlined and beneficial to my own practice as an educator, while also ensuring that I take time away from the medium.  Balance is essential.  At one point, I woke up every morning to check my Twitter feed, and although I do check in at the gym in the morning, I rarely do that anymore.  There is such thing as “too much of a good thing”.

That being said, whatever balance works for any individual and their needs is important for them to figure out, not me.  When I do talk of balance though, I think back to Will Richardson’s post and think that we should, as educators helping our students navigate this world, include some component of social media into our own world.

“…the reality is that most of those folks who are concerned about kids needing balance are out of balance themselves, just in the opposite way.They’re not online enough, not reading, writing, participating, connecting and creating in these spaces as much as they need to be to fully understand the implications of these technologies for their own learning and for the kids in their classrooms. Lately, when I’ve been responding to people about the “balance” question, I go with “well, actually, you’re out of balance too, you know.” I get this kind of stunned silence. What a concept.” ~Will Richardson

What I have seen with many new administrators on Twitter that are finding great information (there is a ton), is sometimes they can “overshare” that information with their staff, therefore essentially making them hate Twitter before they are even willing to try it.  For example, “Adminstrator A” finds a ton of links on Twitter, and sends every single great article they find to the entire staff through email, where there is sometimes information overload already.  Eventually, staff see the emails and probably hit the delete button before they even look at the content.  Although the enthusiasm is legitimate and the intent is positive, people get bogged down from email overload.  The nice thing about Twitter is that I can go there when I need it, and if I take a few minutes, hours, or days off, it is still there running smoothly!  You can go there when it works for you, but email can feel quite different.

One of the things I have tried to implement with my staff and my own process is using Diigo to bookmark links and then send one weekly email to staff with some of my favourite articles.  Not all of them, but usually two or three.  Although I saw this idea on Twitter (of course), it was from Jill Gough’s PLC facilitator site where I started to actually envision what the site would look like.

Here is my process to share these great articles each week:

  1. Bookmark them using Diigo and make sure that they are public.  I did this last year with Forest Green School, and am now doing it again with my new role as Division Principal.  These links are some of my favourite articles of the week but I may not necessarily share all of them.
  2. Sharing some information for the week, I also add links with a short summary to the end of a blog post.  Again, I did this with Forest Green School and am now doing it again on my new Division Principal blog.
  3. Send out one email on a consistent day each week with the information.  I actually would not share any links besides this unless they were ABSOLUTELY imperative to send out before this date.  As Principal, you need to be a defender of time for your staff.  Sending a bunch of emails during the week is not helping that cause.

As for some of the benefits, you are obviously archiving some great articles in two different places (blog and Diigo) while also being able to have this great information shared with your staff, students, school community, and the entire world.  If it is good enough to share with your staff, why would you not share it with the world?  Staff can also easily find old articles if they are interested on your blog site, especially if you are thoughtful on how you categorize your links.  You are also creating a space through your blog to have some great conversations on the articles as well.  These are things that just do not work the same with email.

Hopefully as we progress, I will not even email this weekly post out as I am hoping more will subscribe to RSS feeds but it is important to meet people where they are at.  If they are not comfortable with sharing comments, that is fine as well.  As a leader though, I want to be open and transparent with my practice and role model that to my staff.  ”Know the way, go the way, show the way.”

As the school year starts, I hope that some of these ideas that I have compiled from others and made my own, will help you move your staff forward in a positive and meaningful way.  This practice can be done by any administrator/educator with whomever they work with, to start some great discussions in their classrooms and help facilitate this open learning.  If you have any ideas of how this could be tweaked to become even better, I would love for you to share them!

Absence of Trust

6 Replies


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by dannysullivan

Nothing says, “I trust you”, less than blocking websites in organizations and schools.

I recently read how Rhode Island has now outlawed social media in schools (at last glance their legislative assembly currently has 11 likes on their Facebook page they must have a total understanding of social media) and it is just amazing to me the giant step backwards we see in some areas of education.  Now the purpose of law is a valuable one, as they are trying to limit cyberbullying and some of the implications it can have on the well being of students.  I am all for safety, and cyberbullying does exist, but does it help when we don’t work with our students in places that they will go anyway?  The article goes on to talk about how the “federal filters” may limit access, but only for a limited amount of time:

And we’ve seen that students, running into the filter, just shrug and access the content at home or on their phones or laptops, making the filters serve no greater purpose than to push students to the same content that is supposedly risky, except in places where there aren’t teachers to help them.

This slightly strange video (the voices are just off and weird) does bring up a good point about the blocking of these tools in schools.  The one character wonders out loud how she can become a journalist when schools are blocking the sites that journalists use to connect, learn, and share information with other.  We want students to be immersed in the real world right?

It is not only students have have this access blocked, but educators as well.  I could not even begin to tell you the number of educators that have shared their frustration with me that they cannot access valuable content at their schools, or connect with many in a real-time relevant way. I was actually working with a group this year in a school when Superintendent Chris Kennedy’s blog, “The Culture of Yes”, was actually blocked when I tried to access it.  I wonder what filter keywords stopped it? “Positive and upbeat” or “highly valuable information”?  Now I know it was probably remedied quickly after, but how it got caught in a filter scares me.  Were “blogs” being blocked because of the component of chat that can happen through the comments?  When we have resources like this sharing awesome information that most likely only educators would access, there is a major problem.

From a work study in 2009, it was actually noted that productivity did not decrease when sites such as YouTube and Facebook were opened:

Study author Brent Coker, from the department of management and marketing, said “workplace Internet leisure browsing,” or WILB, helped to sharpened workers’ concentration. ”People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration…Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days’ work, and as a result, increased productivity,” he said.

As noted in the study though, the people with Internet addictions obviously had less productivity.  Although this problem is real with some, is it the majority?  Do we need to continue making rules for the majority when it is based on the actions of a few?

My own beliefs however tell me that people are not only missing out on the connection that social media may bring to them at their workplace (do we also ban phone calls home to family?), but it is the morale that is most highly impacted.  We should know that great organizations are built first upon trust, but by saying “we trust you”  and then shutting down websites that can actually enhance learning is simply a misalignment of actions and beliefs.

Recently I shared a YouTube video and I received a thank you from a teacher who said they were looking forward to watching it at home since  YouTube was blocked in their school. What? Really?

Someone said this to me and it really stuck in my head:

…there are two places that are making efforts to ban social media in the world; China and schools.

How accurate that statement is, I am not sure, but are schools rushing to open sites that have been continuously blocked?  The talk of “21st Century Learning” is so prevalent in our conversations yet teaching and working with our kids to ensure their safety is much more important than pretending the world outside doesn’t exist.

You see countries such as Egypt begin to block social media as revolutions begin; is there one coming the way of education?

Head Space

17 Replies


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by stefo

At the end of the school year, I spent a lot of time making sure that I tied up all the loose ends at one position, ensuring that everything was set up for my new role, followed by conferences in Philadelphia and Niagara Falls.  Tie all of that into purchasing and moving into my first house, the truth of the matter is that I was spent.  Instead of continuously writing and reflecting in my blog, tweeting, reading, I chose to take some time away from connecting online (not a total removal though), and just spent time with my dogs, my family, my friends, finding some awesome new music, trying new things, and catching up on some movies (watch “500 Days of Summer“).  I purposely decided not to go anywhere and took the “Al Bundy” vacation, where I just sat on my couch (coupled by many hours reading at Starbucks).  I have never been the type to just not do anything; I get too bored.  That being said, I needed a break.  Heck, I am even trying yoga tomorrow for the first time. #weird

With that being said, the reason I did not take a 100% break from social networking is that in the last two years some of my best friends I have met in that space.  With my lessened participation, I truly realized how close I had become with some people all over the world as they would continuously check up on me to see how I was doing and were curious just about my overall well being.  It is great to know how meaningful relationships become even if they are started in an online space.  I already knew this though as I remember distinctly how so many “strangers” reached out to me approximately a year ago when my first dog Kobe had passed away, but it was just validated over the summer.  As much as that was probably one of the toughest days of my life, the idea of how many strangers reached out, cared for and checked on me, was both overwhelming and amazing.  I could not thank people enough for their kindness at that time.

Jonathan Martin also recently shared some insights on the book, “Reality is Broken“, and shares a quote about the impact of strangers on our lives:

Researchers have shown that sharing the same space for even just a few minutes a day with kind and friendly strangers makes us more optimistic, improves our self esteem, makes us feel safer and more connected to our environments, and generally helps us enjoy our lives more. And if we return the favor, we benefit as well: when we give to others, or act cooperatively, the reward centers of the brain light up.

As much as I can thank the strangers in the twittersphere, it is amazing how the space has strengthened my relationships with people that I have known for years.  My brother Alec and I have become a lot closer in the last couple of years not only because we connect a lot in the same online spaces, but also due to the fact that I am able to see his life and his family grow.  Being so far away, and being an uncle that loves his nephews and nieces, it is amazing that Alec is willing to share their lives in a way where I can see them grow and learn.  It is the sharing and growth that I see in his kids in those spaces that shows the strengths and power of things such as electronic portfolios in the learning process.


cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by courosa

One of the articles that I read which I found extremely interesting was, “If Twitter was so good, why do so many teachers leave it?“, I asked out loud on Twitter, do people agree with the blog post.  One tweet (that I am unable to find) that resonated with me is that, “many do not participate on Twitter because they do not connect with anyone in a meaningful way.  Even in that online space, it is all about relationships”.  I thought about how that pertained to what I felt and how true that statement was.  It also made me realize the importance of relationships being a two way street, and that we have to give as much as we get if we want them to be meaningful, online and offline.  They also make things better.

So in the end, my short intermittent Twitter sabbatical reminded me of the importance of not only checking in with myself, but checking in with those people that matter most to me. It wasn’t that I just cut everything off, quit blogging, tweeting, reading, or anything.  I just did it less. So many teachers talk about all of the PD that they do over the summer, but sometimes the best professional development in any profession is simply taking a step out and away from what you are doing, and reflecting on why we love our careers (or sometimes why we need to make a change) and checking into ourselves.  Sometimes learning is not social and sometimes it is not about what you read, write, or do.  It is just sitting back and checking in on what is important.  Funny thing is that by kind of checking out of the field of education, I have never been so ready to check back in.

P.S. This is one of my songs that I fell in love with this summer; just thought I would share:

Real People

5 Replies

All the Happy People

Spending the last few days at #ISTE11 in Philadelphia, I have had some of the best professional development in my life.  Although I have attended some sessions and keynotes, the places that I have learned the most is through the one-on-one conversations that I have had with people that I first met virtually through social networks, especially Twitter.

Often back at home, when I say that I use Twitter, I get funny looks and jokes made about not being able to connect face-to-face with people, but what people do not get is that the people I have connected with are very real and VERY passionate about what they do.

I talked this morning with Tom Fullerton about the benefits of electronic portfolios.

I spent part of the day with Patrick Larkin talking about how schools are moving forward as a whole.

Stefanie Oneal and I talked about how to move forward with a 1-1 initiative in schools.

Josh Allen and I talked about social bookmarking at night and how teachers in his school are using it to improve learning in their classroom.

I met Brian Nichols for the first time and was not only impressed with the way he dressed, but about some of the things that he is doing in his school district to work and improve leadership to better serve kids.

Jana and Jennifer spent a lot of time over supper talking about how we move effective practice school wide, as opposed to isolated classrooms.

What I have enjoyed more than anything, is watching two of my staff leaders, Norm and Shawn, be immersed in the same thing I have experienced in the last year, and watch them share their knowledge and learn from others.

I have continuously reiterated that the foundation of schools is based upon relationships.  With social media, we have a fantastic opportunity to connect with many of those that share our passions, and continue conversations long prior and following our sessions.  Lifelong learning doesn’t happen during a one hour session; this is just one of the elements.  The more we can connect with other educators and learn in meaningful ways, the more we can impact our students.

Building upon the thoughts of Dean Shareski, the more I see this social media thing, the more potential I think it has to really move all of education forward.  It is not technology powered; it is people powered.  That is what is going to make all of the difference.

Human Purpose

12 Replies

All Purpose

Recently, I attended a very interesting talk by Sherry Turkle, who wrote the book, “Alone Together; Why we expect more technology, and less from each other“.  It was interesting to hear the thoughts of a doctor in the area of technology in one of the most famous universities in the world (MIT)  talk about the

Dr. Turkle discussed how parents and kids were so distracted and engaged with “Facebook” that they often ignored the people around them.  Now I do agree that does happen but saying it is “Facebook” that many people are addicted to is not really the truth.  What many are addicted to is the people on the other side of Facebook and the constant interactions that happen.  I am also not the expert to say if connecting through social media is detrimental to society or just different than what we are used to.  I have had many powerful interactions and made some great friendships with people because of social media. Without it, those friendships would not have existed.  In fact, I have probably had more face-to-face interactions with people in the last two year (including my own brother) because of social media.

One of the things that Dr. Turkle asked in her lecture that really stuck out to me was the following question (that I believe we need to all ask ourselves):  Does the technology serve our human purpose?

So the first thing that came to my own mind was, “What is our human purpose?”, and with a greater focus, what does that mean in the context of schools as learning organizations.  As I thought about this question, my first and strongest thought that our main human purpose is to connect with one another.  The second one that came to my mind is the need as humans to continuously grow (learn).

Dr. Turkle made the comment that if the technology does not serve this purpose, then we definitely need to rethink our use of it, which I wholeheartedly agree.  What I believe is that face-t0-face interactions are so vitally important to our own development, and the more we can connect in that manner, the better.  The reality though is that technology gives me the opportunity to connect and grow with many people all around the world.  My learning has not been limited to the social circles that I have grown up with or known in my personal life; they are now only limited to whom I am able (and choose) to connect with around the world.

Seems pretty purposeful to me.

 

Where were you when…?

14 Replies

So many times when major news stories break in the world, the question that is always asked later is, “Where were you when….?”

Interestingly enough, as I heard about the new of Osama bin Laden being captured and killed last night, I was surprised to actually hear about this through a tweet of Tim Gwynn who obviously heard it through other avenues on social networking sites.  What was different about this event for myself was that I really followed the updates not only through watching the news on television, but by reading and viewing links shared by so many on Twitter.

Immediately after the press conference by President Obama, the New York Times released an article on how the news leaked out before any word was official.  Things were moving so quickly and it was an interesting that so many people were not only sharing information, but they were sharing a range of emotions, which is obviously very normal in different situations.   People sharing sorrow for the loss of so many lives, people sharing some uneasiness with the jubilation, and even some people sharing humour.  It was unbelievable watching history being updated in real time

I thought back to September 11, 2001 and what a weird and upsetting day that was.  I remember that I was in a brand new school, starting my third year of teaching, and a secretary that I barely knew let me know that the World Trade Center was being attacked.  I had no idea what that was or even where it was located.  We were clamoring to find a television to watch the news, and many staff and students watched in the library as the events unfolded in horror.  I remember watching the videos of the horrible day on the Internet, but always associate that media  with YouTube which wasn’t even invented at the time and have no idea where I could have found those videos.  Now when many of our students hear news like this, they find it in a much different way:

What I found powerful about last night, was not only the news of what happened, but it was the willingness of others to share stories and feelings openly through Twitter, while also creating that human connection to the events of last night and ten years earlier.  Watching the news gives you one viewpoint, and they always share the “human” stories that make the news meaningful.  Actually hearing from people though that lost family members though that I now know really moved me.

The world has changed so much in ten years and the way we, and others,  get information has changed significantly.  I was overwhelmed by emotion last night as I got caught in a stream of information and stories being shared about an event that caught many people off guard.  Thinking back to the question, “Where were you when you heard that Bin Laden had been killed?”, I know my answer is that I was on Twitter.  Learning is so much more than literacy and numeracy, and it doesn’t only happen in schools.  That was confirmed again last night. What I really believe that when it is possible, face-to-face is always better, but it is sometimes amazes me how much power there can be in those 140 characters.

Tagxedo shared by Josh Stumpenhorst