Putting the Twit in Twitter (and Other Random Thoughts...)

This week's topic-Social Bookmarking and Networking.  For me, a little bit of dread, as these are ideas I dread introducing to my staff, who easily get overwhelmed by topics such as e-mail and Power Point.  So, where do I go from here?  A few ideas...

• Twitter in the Class-Unfortunately, I can't use this as much as I want (my district does not allow for cell phones in the class).  However, I could experiment with this on assignments.  I think that it could be a quicker way of getting assignments, links, activities, and other information out to your class.  More importantly, it can be done OUTSIDE of class time!  Furthermore, it could allow kids to contact you with support or continuation of the topic right back to your Twitter account.  You would have immediate feedback (isn't that what we want, anyway?), and you would also be informed of who has responded to your posts.  There is potential there; I think the main issue is that many of us don't know how to correctly use it.  I fall into that category as well.  However, I'm attempting (follow me @bryandadamaja) to become more active in my use of it.
• Ning-The Social Networking site.  A bit like a wiki, with a little more for connections for similar styles in between.  I think that there's some merit to this as well; it sure would save me a lot of time from digging through archives for good links when there are thousands out there like me who may think the same way (scary thought there...)  Unfortunately, I won't be exploring this with my class---there are age limits, and I don't have 13 year olds in my class yet.  Maybe if I change grades.  However, this could be a good benefit for the teachers to have their own network, and to see that there are branching opportunities out there.
• Delicious-This is a bookmarking site, and one that I've used frequently before, well, at least in waves.  You know how life gets sometimes...  Anyway, I think this may be the one that I use first with my class.  I get frustrated by the amount of links that get lost by students, staff, me, etc.  I think through the class and the reading, I became a bit re-energized though this.  I'd like to go through this with my class; it may help them to discover new blogs, sites, activities, research articles, and countless other things that they normally wouldn't remember.  I think this will be my emphasis, especially as we have research papers to do for the next 2-3 months.

That's what stands out for now.  I'm testing out a few new ideas (Jing-although to the tekkies out there, I doubt that's new at all.) and learning through my successes and failures.  For me, it's vital that I immerse myself in this and actually attempt to use it, or else it disappears, like so much else in my life when I don't make it important.

Well, as always, please share, post, argue, do what you want.  Your opinions are greatly appreciated here.