At the start of this class, I thought Twitter was too much trouble, why bother. In the article you bookmarked, I would think that all one has to do was just call someone, or speak to another person. However, after emailing you and others today about things, I realized how valuable it is to be able to respond to someone with just a quick answer. This eliminates the formality of face to face conversations which usually take a lot of extra time ("hi, how are you? I'm fine, how is the family, etc....waiting for the right moment to get to the real reason why one called). I am all for f2f get togethers and phone conversations, either socially or professionally, but when it comes to things like finding out educational policies that could be answered by knowledgeable people within a few seconds, why not just cut to the chase and get a quick short answer, unless of course, one is fortunate to have an abundance of time...cough....cough.. This has awakened me to the power of Twitter and its role in education. Thanks.
Couldn't reply to Vanessa's Post, created new one....It makes sense that researchers are taking steps to understand the role of the educator when considering Web 2.0 tools. I don't think this is a simple task for an educator to incorporate these tools into their cirriculum. In addition, I think great thought is needed to make sure that the tools are not just being used for the sake of using them but that they add/enhance learning.
While the article suggests that the burden has fallen on the teacher to make use of this, I think it would be wise for institutions to develop a support system that works with the educators. After all, the institution provides them with a chalk board, a classroom, an overhead projector, etc. Why not provide them with proper training and course design suggestions using Web 2.0 technology?
Thought this article might be of interest to you -- especially as we consider Web 2.0 and formal learning. You can get it from the FSU library if you're logged in. If you don't know how to log in for distance library access, look at the top right of the library home page for the link. Ask Vanessa or Shuang if you need help.
I remember my those embarrassing, funny, and romantic (very seldom) stories, at the turning of the Millennium more than 10 year ago, to meet "Netfriends" after talking on QQ. :-)
Just getting warmed up again with Diigo. I googled Web 2.0 and Instructional Design and found this interesting website about informal learning. Check out the video on the home page.