Thing #5 - Micro-Blogging and Backchannleing

I've had a Facebook account for about a year now, but I must admit, I rarely post anything to it (my life is too boring!). I'm also leery of getting too involved in something that can consume precious hours out of every day like it has for many of my friends and co-workers. I'm not sure what application Facebook could have to elementary schools due to age restrictions (I've heard you have to be 13 to participate) and due to concerns about safety and privacy issues.

I have yet to jump into the world of Twitter. Before reading all the interesting links about Twitter in 11.5 Things, I thought Twitter was just an avenue for people to write totally mundane things about what they were doing at a particular point in time (i.e. I'm taking out the trash now :-( ). Unfortunately, some Twitter users still do this, but more and more it seems that Twitter is being used for sharing valuable information in real time. In my 11.5 Things research, I've learned that libraries can use Twitter to send out short messages to tell patrons about special events, new books, or changes in schedules. It was also suggested that librarians could send out a tweet-a-day on the latest tip for accessing information or a new application of technology. It can also be a great way to share ideas and request instant feedback from trusted followers. These all sound like worthwhile applications of Twitter and are going on my "to-do" list to follow up on.

Back-channeling is something that I was very impressed with when I saw it in action at a couple of training classes I attended. I particularly like the "TinyChat" version as it is easy to set up and provides more security by deleting all the chat data once the session is over. Back-channeling allows for participant interaction as a presentation is happening. Participants can share questions, compare reactions and express ideas without having to speak out loud or interrupt the presenter. There is the risk of participants getting off task, but the advantage of engaging everyone outweighs that risk in my opinion.