Twitter and the Law

Can Twitter open a new space for learning?  Should we be using it in the classroom? Maybe, but at the very least we have an obligation to teach our learners the responsibilities of such social media. Everyone should know the possible consequences of not thinking before hitting that "Tweet" button. Lawsuits for libel are not new to media law, but this generation may be. Posting pictures, names, and lies can bring contempt of court charges and more.  In Twitter Users: A Guide to the Law , Brian Wheeler outlines some of the pitfalls Twitter users might fall into in the UK, and a little closer to home Dianne Buckner writes about social media hazards for the CBC News.

Apps by Grade Level

Gary Toews posted this list of useful free educational apps:

Free apps list from Gary Toews

Twitter

C'mon teachers, what are you afraid of? Start using Twitter.
Here is a great list: 10 Ways Students Can Use Twitter for Paper Writing (thank you EmergingEdTech)
Things like, "Reach out to scholars and experts in the field", or "Get real world data" are exactly what I love about Twitter.  It doesn't have to be the shallow musings of navel-gazers. Yes, there is a lot of that, but the unparalleled access one has to people...millions of people, is what makes Twitter so powerful. Scholars, scientists, revellers, rebels, citizens, experts...and the list goes on. Just do it ! (swoosh)

MOOCs

I love iTunes U, but online courses don't stop there. Sites like Coursera, edX and Udacity offer courses, online for anyone to take for free! Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs are changing the face of higher education. Tamar Lewin's New York Times article Instruction for Masses Knocks Down Campus Walls illustrates how. Check out the video below to find out more about MOOCs, and for a comprehensive list on courses available, visit Stephen Downes and George Siemen's blog at MOOC.ca.

iTunes U

Things have changed a little at iTunes U. Apple is now offering the ability to create a limited amount of courses that you can share without making them public or applying for an institutional license. This is different from having to go through the process of applying for publication after creating a course and making sure all your ducks were in a row first. This change now gives you the opportunity to work within iTunes U to get a feel for the platform and know if it really is for you.

To help you get started Apple is offering in French and English, a 3-part webcast series.
The first of the series will be held on December 12. You'll hear an overview of iTunes U  and learn about some of the powerful features of the iTunes app. You'll see a course from a student's perspective and have the opportunity to ask experts, live during the webcast, how educators are teaching with iTunes U.

Skills for Learning 2.0

I love this quote from Steve Wheeler about how learning has changed:
"...from passive to active, from individual to social and from consumer to producer..."

Read Wheeler's blog post here on digital learning and how the 4 C's are the new skills for literacy.

Pros and Cons of Social Media

There is so much discussion about how or even whether to use social media in the classroom. "Free range" schools are popping up all over the place. As educators, don't we have an obligation to help students navigate their way through a consistently growing online presence? Here's an interesting article from our friends at TeachThought: Read here.