Facebook & Twitter in the classroom!

Here's an update on the as-Web2.0-as-possible summer school class I'm running:

Ning -- we're using a course Ning: it is great. Students have done group work collaboration on it, and some students are using it to get last minute essay writing tips from me over the weekend!

Facebook -- the Facebook assignments are starting to roll in, although they're not due for another few days. Students had to create a Facebook profile page for a character in the novel The Great Gatsby. I look forward to reading the profiles.

Twitter -- we had an informal, in-class debate about character morality the other day. While I facilitated turn-taking in the face-to-face classroom, several students were back-channeling their opinions on the screen at the front. It was great to have the opinions flying in two ways, and the back-channeling provides a transcript of the arguments!

More updates soon, perhaps after the Facebook assignments have been marked. :-)