home

= = 1) What the resource is – Its features, gadgets
 * OUR NEW SCHOOL


 * I am afraid that you uploaded your file in the wrong place.

=**__What is Twitter?__**=

Twitter is a short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices. In other words, it is a free social networking and microblogging sevice. People from all over the world have the possibility to follow international information or friends’ most recent activities through Twitter at the very right moment they happen.

=**__How was the idea of Twitter born?__**=

Jack Dorsey, the creator of this incredibly and enormously successful tool, was interested in the idea of knowing what his friends were doing at that right moment. So, he developed that concept with his colleagues and built the first prototype in 2006, funded (founded?) by Obvious, a creative environment in San Francisco, A. From that moment on, Twitter has grown on popularity, so much that newspapers such as …

The New York Times calls Twitter "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet." TIME Magazine says, "Twitter is on its way to becoming the next killer app," and Newsweek noted that "Suddenly, it seems as though all the world's a-twitter." What will you think? http://twitter.com

= =

=**__Why is Twitter so popular?__**=

The best adjective to describe Twitter is simplicity. That is the main reason why Twitter has become so popular: people want to be in touch with others in a quick and (it would be better if you used a comma here to enumarate instead of "and") easy and simple way. Twitter makes IT easy for people to stay connected ( I think "stay connected" does not collate in this context, I found this expression in the nat corpus but it is used in different contexts, not referring to people)

"What are you doing?" This is the question for Twitter, and the answers (called tweets) must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via msm, web, mobile web and instant message.

Unlike most text messages, tweets are routed among networks of friends. Strangers, called "followers," can also choose to receive the tweets of people they find interesting.

=**__Some interesting Comments__**=

At first, twitter was considered a high-tech trivia or the latest in time-wasting devices, but its use in Iran in disputed presidential election of June 2009 to organize protests and disseminate information in the face of a news media crackdown made it gain in reputation.

The company has no discernible revenue and, as of mid-2009, about 60 employees. Biz Stone, a Twitter founder, said at the time that the company had no plans to begin widely running ads until 2010, although it was experimenting with running advertisements on its Web site. In September 2009, the company was set to raise about $100 million of new funding that would value the company at around $1 billion. In its short history, Twitter has become an important marketing tool for celebrities, politicians and businesses, promising a level of intimacy never before approached online, as well as giving the public the ability to speak directly to people and institutions once comfortably on a pedestal. But someone has to do all that writing, even if each entry is barely a sentence long. In many cases, celebrities and their handlers have turned to outside writers — ghost Twitterers, who keep fans updated on the latest twists and turns, often in the star’s own voice. It is not only celebrities who are forced to look to a team to produce real-time commentary on daily activities, but also politicians like Ron Paul, who have assigned staff members to create Twitter posts and Facebook personas. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign used Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In 2009, people in Iran and Moldova created their own searchable tags on Twitter to organize protests against their governments and share information with each other and the world. In April, Moldovans used the network to rally more than 10,000 young people against their country's Communist leadership. And in June, Iranian opposition supporters angry over presidential election results used Twitter and other forms of new media to share news on rallies, police crackdowns on protesters, and analysis. With the authorities blocking text-messaging on cellphones, Twitter has become a handy alternative for information-hungry Iranians. While Iran has also tried to block Twitter posts, Iranians are skilled at using proxy sites or other methods to circumvent the official barriers. On June 15, a State Department official e-mailed Twitter to request a delay in scheduled maintenance of its global network, which would have cut off service while Iranians were using Twitter to swap information and inform the outside world about the mushrooming protests around Tehran. Twitter complied with the request and briefly postponed its upgrade. The episode demonstrates the extent to which the Obama administration views social networking as a new diplomatic tool. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton talks regularly about the power of e-diplomacy, particularly in places where the mass media are repressed. Twitter was also in the news in July, when a hacker made internal company documents public after breaking into an employee's e-mail account. And in August, it was shut down for much of a day by a two-pronged cyberattack that security experts said was aimed at a blogger from the Republic of Georgia; it was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the 2008 conflict between Georgia and Russia.

Twitter has become an important marketing tool for celebrities, politicians and businesses, promising a level of intimacy never before approached online, as well as giving the public the ability to speak directly to people and institutions once comfortably on a pedestal

Obama administration views social networking as a new diplomatic tool. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks regularly about the power of e-diplomacy, particularly in places where the mass media are repressed.

State of the Art Twitter? It’s What You Make It By [Articles by David Pogue|DAVID POGUE] Published: February 11, 2009 From The New York Times

"I was serving on a grant proposal committee, and I watched as a fellow judge asked his Twitter followers if a certain project had been tried before. In 15 seconds, his followers replied with Web links to the information he needed. No e-mail message, phone call or Web site could have achieved the same effect".

2) Teaching and learning possibilities. How this resource can facilitate teaching and learning. When planning a class, it is well known that students get really involved when the activity is meaningful for them. Many students remember vocabulary for ever when they have worked on a song of their favourite singer or group. Or they remember structures because they have enjoyed the reading of a story book or have had fun repeating chants. If they have learnt this in meaningful context, that is relevant to their own personal experience, it is quite possible that the class will be definitely profitable for their learning and for our purpose, which is being a facilitator in their construction of the language. Twitter is a wonderful tool to be exploited in the classroom as a source of the latest information: national or international affaires of any sort, information from our favourite artists’ to our closest friends’ minute-by-minute activities. Far known is that Technology is quite appealing for youngsters, so why do not take advantage of this

3) Example links. Title, URL and a very short review. Why have you chosen it as an example of use ·  http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/  The author is a teacher who shares great ideasfor using Twitter in the classroom.  ·   http://twitterforteachers.wetpaint.com  Its author says that it is a collaborative effort to teach teachers about twitter. There are plenty of examples of experiences in different levels of education.

Twitter, its resources and features Twitter is a free social networking and microblogging service created by Jack Dorsey in 2006. It allows us to answer the simple question "What are you doing?" by sending "tweets". Tweets are short text messages of 140 characters that you send to your friends, followers or co-workers for them to know what you're doing right now. Nonetheless it can be used for any other purpose, reason or even marketing strategies. Through Twitter you can follow your friends, relatives and even your favourite celebrities activities. The difference from mails and blogs is Twitter's short text pattern which is easier to follow. It was initially set for being compatible with SMS messaging. Tweets can be sent via mobile texting, instant message or the web.

Teaching and learning possibilities: Inside a classroom teachers can use Twitter in order to teach students the use of the tenses (mostly), real life experiences at present time, past or future, for example: Students can read what their favorite celebrity is doing right now, what him or her did yesterday, or what is planning to do tomorrow. They will be able to produce short sentences expressing what they're doing, what they did, or what they're going to do. The advantage of these short sentences is that students will be able to read many different ones, with different vocabulary and different time tenses, in a short time. The use of present, past and future can be taught using Twitter, English grammar mainly.

Example links: What is Twitter? (In Plain English) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o This is a video that explains what Twitter is and its functions.

http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/ Use of Twitter inside the classroom, its advantanges.