So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Pr(o)of of the Pudding...

I was going to call this post "A Negative View of the Web by Academia", but then I read on and around my subject and this is what I found. This is how an article from Mashable starts:

University Of Brighton Professor Places Ban On Google And Wikipedia

January 13, 2008 — 08:06 AM PST — by Paul Glazowski — Share This

So I read on and find out that a university professor at the University of Brighton has banned her students from using these tools for their research because " professor Tara Brabazon claims that students have grown too accustomed to taking

“the easy option when asked to do research.” "

And that is it with regard to direct quotes from the original source of the article. This Mashable piece goes on to decry academics, particularly in the fields of history, literature, science etc as almost Luddite in their fear of new technology. Apparently these educators fear the Chaos and will revert back to the "officially approved" doctrine.

Now, because this article interested me it almost prompted me to write a rant, but I thought ,"No, I'd better get more info," so I clicked the hyperlink shown in the picture below.

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This took me to this headline from The Argus: Lecturer bans students from using Google and Wikipedia.
This article starts off in a similar vein until we get to the quotes from Professor Tara Brabazon:

"Too many students don't use their own brains enough. We need to bring back the important values of research and analysis."

She said young people were finishing education with shallow ideas and
needed to learn interpretative skills before starting to use technology.

The article goes on to explain that Professor Brabazon is giving a lecture locally entitled, Google is White Bread for the Masses.

Now it is obvious that Prof. Brabazon does not particularly like her students using these tools for their research but I feel that her main bugbear is that students are using them, and them alone as their research. To my mind she trying to encourage a sense of academic rigour into her students, who seem to believe the first Google find or Wikipedia page they see. She is trying to get her students to go beyond those original sources.

I then went on to (ironically) google Prof Brabazon. Very interesting to say the least what she lectures on:

Tara Brabazon is Professor of Media at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom.

Not only is she no Luddite she lectures on subjects such as "Thinking Pop and Creative Industries". She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Internet Studies and has written 10 books, including The University of Google:  Education in a (post) information age.

Google is a
brand name that has transformed into a verb for web searching.  The
word has also entered popular culture.  But an absence in this
narrative of commercial success is the impact of Google on education.
Googling signals simple and intuitive surfing, rather than planned
researching, and quick answers to difficult questions.  The costs and
consequences of students entering this digital shopping mall for
research, scholarship and interpretation require attention.

Interesting eh? Obviously this professor knows a heck of a lot more about this than you would have believed from the first article.

This is what I had to do to write this post. And this is what Prof Brabazon is trying to get her students to do(ish). If I'd have simply written a commentary on the mashable article I would only have seen half the story, whereas by finding the original article and looking up the person concerned I got the whole story.
And I'm rather pleased with myself about that.

Did you like the title???

Technorati Tags: tarabrabazon, adamsutcliffe, google, mashable, wikipedia, research, universityofbrighton

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The Importance of Learning Another Language...or not, if league tables are invovlved

I caught this from Education Guardian in my Google Alerts for "languages" today and although I'm not directly affected being an MFL teacher in Scotland it got my goat.

Headteachers today blamed school league tables for a dramatic decline in the number of children taking languages.

I'm am in no way a supporter of league tables, but it is blatant rubbish that it is the fault of league tables that fewer kids are studying languages. I am willing to be corrected if wrong but is it not the choice of individual schools whether or not languages are compulsory post 14.

As the government published the latest tables for GCSE and A-level in England, John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said they created perverse incentives for schools to skew the curriculum for 14- and 15-year-olds towards easier subjects.

So is Mr Dunford saying that the sole incentive for dropping the obligation for language study is the incentive to make a school look better in a league table? Hardly the most educational rationale is it?

I always thought we were in the business of producing well rounded young men and women with a drive for lifelong learning and an ambition to to their best in whatever they attempt. Yes it is important to kids and mums and dads what grades appear on their certificate but it also important...no vital, that students come out of their time in school as confident, responsible ,world aware citizens. The study of a foreign language goes a long way to doing this.

I think more H/T's need to be stronger to resist the temptation to make their school look good through tables. A good school with good teachers and a strong ethos of achievement in the broadest sense will always shine through...except to those who are so blinkered as to believe that a league table in something  like education actually means something (politicians for example.)

But Dunford said the target had contributed to a dramatic fall in the numbers taking modern foreign languages now that pupils were no longer required to a take a foreign language after the age of 14. "This is widely regarded as a hard GCSE, a view that is supported by reliable research evidence, so, instead of taking French or German, students have taken subjects in which it is easier to reach grade C.

Oh dear, so languages is seen as a hard subject...SO WHAT?. What is wrong with a little academic rigour? Nothing for those that respond to that. But learning a language doesn't always have to be so difficult. Surely in England there are lower level courses students can take where students don't dwell so much on the hard grammatical stuff, but learn more about the culture of the countries where those languages are spoken, whilst still covering the basics. Any language teacher will tell you that parents at parents' evenings constantly bemoan the fact that though they didn't like languages at school they wished they had paid more attention because they go to France every year on holiday...

It's easy to blame league tables...they can't exactly respond via a blog can they.It just seems to me that everyone is taking the easy option: H/T's because they get to skew their stats a bit and pupils because they don't want to do something thats a bit difficult.

There have been so many articles written worrying about our lanck of linguistic prowess and what it means for future generations. This is just one I picked up on. (The Language of Ignorance?)

The rest of the world is becoming more multilingual - and monolingual English speakers are being left behind. Those that have learned English as a foreign language have every right to compete for jobs in the English speaking market, and if they are more qualified than those that speak English as a primary language, this could leave a huge chunk of the UK population without jobs.
Many think of languages as a non-vocational option of study, but in reality learning a foreign language can open up a vast array of career opportunities, ranging from work with well-known multinational companies to international organisations or charities, with the added benefit of travel abroad.

  

Without a language skill more and more of our kids will be at the back of a queue for all the good jobs. Come on give them a chance. Yes its hard, yes it can be a pain in the arse sometimes but it is encumbent on  us as educators to give our students every chance to succeed in a world which is changing everyday...it's then up to the students to grasp the opportunity given.

And yes I know H/Ts have lots to think about when making their decisions about the curriculum but simply blaming the league tables is to my mind down right daft.

Technorati Tags: languagelearning, language, johnduford, educationguardian, adamsutcliffe, gcse,

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Ready for la rentrée

In actual fact I won't be. Still laid up with my prolapsed discs and looking like surgery (according to the chiropractor)
However never let it be said that I have stopped working. I have a great S4 French class, most of whom I have taught all through school. Just in their moment of need their favourite teacher isn't there...me that is. Due to the supply situation in the 'Shire there is no MFL teacher to fill in so they have a really nice lady who unfortunately isn't a French teacher.
Now I would dearly love to really put 2.0 tech to the test and deliver the odd lesson via my apple and the pc in my room, but this ain't possible. So in order to give a helping hand I've put together this wee presentation to assist with the prep of a folio piece. I will be posting this on the departmental resource blog along with written details.
How nice am I...more likely how frustrated at being out of the loop.

Click To Play

Technorati Tags: teaching, learning, technology, french, languages,

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Learn 200 words a day

200words-a-day.com

Just got this link through my google alerts for languages. For any of you MFL teachers out there have you heard of this, do you have experience of it. If so drop me a comment.
It sound to be too good to be true, but I like the idea if only for increasing students grasp of vocab.

Teaching Modern Foreign Languages in Schools Using Accelerated Learning Software
Free Trial in your School - read on only if you are open-minded...
Many modern foreign languages (MFL) teachers have difficulty in attracting, and retaining the interest of students who are studying languages in schools. Teaching vocabulary is one of the areas of difficulty.

The 200 Words a Day! techniques, which use the
teachings of the world's memory masters, might hold the solution if
this sounds like you might be facing.

Now to approach my PT. What is there to lose by talking to them and trying it out. We are always complaining about how students don't learn enough vocab. Obviously it wouldn't/shouldn't replace the usual courses etc but it could be useful.


Technorati Tags: language, learning, teaching, french, german, spanish, 200words-a-day

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Stinkin'Thinkin'

I know this  article on bbc has already been blogged about by Ewan and Doug Dickinson, but just felt the need to add my 2 penn'orth.

Children often bring the fascinating gadgets they were
bought as Christmas presents into class, but these can cause disruption
and hamper learning.

I wonder if Kevin Brennan has been into a classroom where this disruptive technology has been harnessed to fantastic  educational effect. Let me think off hand who do I know from the blogosphere in MFL teaching has successfully disturbed a lesson with great educational output. Lynne Horn, Sharon Tonner, Me, Ewan, etc.
Yes these "toys" can be disruptive IF the purpose of using them is not explained and the penalties for misuse calmly pointed out. My classes erupt with joy when I say get out you phones and turn on Bluetooth, but this is always accompanied with a proviso that if a student uses their phone in class for something other than waht they have been tasked to do it will be confiscated...thus far no probs. Don't worry I have heard all the arguments about losing things and damaging things as well and these are real arguments, but they should not be excuses for trying.

When oh when oh when are politicians going to shut up about education and leave it to those who really care or alternatively see what can happen in classrooms before reacting to

Technorati Tags: education, teaching, web2.0, technology, "kevin brennan", gadgets, mp3, ipod

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Non-Web Applications I use - Part 2

iMovie 06
I love this almost as much as GarageBand. Notice I have specifically mentioned the previous version of iMovie rather than the 08 one. I don't get the new one...well actually I've not spent enough time with it but it didn't leap out at me. iMovie 06 interface is simple and to my way of thinking, logical. You upload your film edit it and then export it in whatever way you choose. I had few problems a bit ago with it not transferring files properly to my usb storage drive but that seems to have been solved by an update. I enjoy mucking around with it and trying new things and this and GarageBand have released a (quite) creative part of me that I didn't know was there. I've even got some senior students using it for their drama project and they seem to find it easy enough.
As it is part of Apple's iLife suite it fits quite happily with GarageBand, iPhoto etc, so you can add garageband jingles as part of the soundtrack (same for iTunes) or you can use pictures from iPhoto.
There are all kinds of themes you can integrate into your projects but I've not investigated those as yet...one step at a time.

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iPhoto
The new iPhoto is great. No longer do you have to search through your library photo by photo, your uploads are automatically sorted into date organised events. The new editing tools are also miles better than the previous version; even though I know next to nothing about photography and editing even I can make a photo look better. I really like the facility to use your photos to create things such as calendars and card etc. I created 2 fundraising calendars for the school using iPhoto and a colleague's pictures. Dead easy and they look great. As I don't have a .Mac account its not that easy to email photos direct from iPhoto. I did try out the MailPlane app but gave it up when I had to pay and went back to Thunderbird...but this is why I have a Flickr account anyway.

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iShowU
iShowU is a screencast recording application. I tried out the demo version at first but wasn't all that impressed. Then I heard about Jing and tried that but I couldn't get it to record anything. So I went back to iShowU and started to muck around with the demo...lo and behold I worked it out, so I bought the full version. It seems to be relatively simple to use, but it took me some time to come out with a recording I was satisfied with. You can set the amount of screen you want to capture, and the quality of image you want (there's a huge choice and I found what I wanted through the old trial and error technique. You can record from the inbuilt computer mic or via a usb mic (recommended). Using this app I have produced a couple of tutorials for my Connecting Classrooms Partnership wiki.

Welwitschia Wiki Tutorial pt 1

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iTunes
Do I really need to write about the "best digital jukebox on the planet". Create playlists, upload and browse album covers, burn your playlists and let the grace note database do the work when you import your cd's. But thats not all. Of course iTunes links with GarageBand and it is here you can store and convert your podcasts, vodcasts etc.. Then of course there's the store, a great place for music but more so a great source of free learning resources in podcasts. Finally I like to use iTunes to "impress" my registration group with my wide and eclectic taste in music...it's not worked yet though, "Who are Bad Brains?"

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iWork 08 (Keynote)
iWork 08 is the new suite of presentation and spreadsheet tools from Apple. Pages is like microsoft publisher, Numbers is a spreadsheet application and Keynote is Apple's Powerpoint. I can't comment on Pages and Numbers as I haven't used them but Keynote leaves powerpoint languishing far far in the shade. It is stunning and so easy to use..the only difficulty is deciding what your presentation is about. The themes are amazing, as are the text effects and transitions. It simply looks superb. You can record your presentation and export it to post on the web or on dvd. You can import pictures, films, music, anything, because it all fits nicely with iTunes and the iLife suite. I love it, AND if necessary you can export to PDF, Flash or PowerPoint...but it just doesn't look the same.
Here's what I produced (during my enforced absence) to promote a languages-based filmmaking project.

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Mousepose 2
A very cool presentational tool from Boinx. It helps you highlight the particular area of the screen you want to show by spotlighting that area and dimming the rest. The new version also includes keystroke visualisation, enabling your audience to see which keys you are pressing. You can also visualise your mouse clicks. Look at this pbwiki tutorial I made to give you some idea.

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Open Office
As I didn't want to pollute (and have to pay for the privilege) my PowerBook with Microsoft stuff I decided to use Open Office as my word processing application. Put simply it is an open source office suite (as m/soft office) which includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager and a drawing programme. The WP app is very similar to other office suites and it works quite happily with M/soft Office. In other words I can write something on it at home, email it to school and open it up quite simply as a word document. It offers all the features you would expect from a WP app. (I haven't used the others in the suite.)
I do quite like it but there are times when it (or more likely me) doesn't seem to be quite the same as Word which I am much more used to using. I can't really explain how or why, because I don't really know enough about it. But for my needs it works perfectly well.

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PDFPen
Not so long ago I had to download a pdf form fill it in and send it to someone (in Cameroon) via email. But you can't write on a PDF normally. So I thought I'd try this thing out. And it did indeed Smile on my Mac. It works. The form filling seemed to be a bit fiddly when I used it, but since then I have discovered how to lock the text filling tool on. Thats all I've used it for so far and I only have the demo, which leaves a not too obvious watermark on the document. In laymans (my) terms it seems to create another layer over the document on which you can then write. It served its purpose and who knows, I might need it again.

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Quicktime
Probably the most readily used and available platform for content in the world. I convert all my films and podcasts to quicktime which ensures that most people can access the content.

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Text Edit
When I just want to jot something down and can't be bothered opening Open Office I use Text Edit. Its a simple word processing app which lets you do quite a lot of fun stuff like importing music and film files. You can spell check, change fonts and format and create bulleted lists. Quite simple really.

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Thunderbird
As i use Firefox as my browser of choice and was looking for an email client to host multiple gmail accounts I decided to try Thunderbird. No complaints so far. I've linked 3 gmail accounts to it and it works like a dream...i.e. I don't have to do anything more than click. I'm not even going to go into all the other stuff it can do because I don't understand although it has good junk protection and as it is open source it is very secure (a strange but wonderful paradox isn't it?)

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Twitteriffic
My main Twitter client (I also use Twitterfox via my browser but that doesn't count for this post). I sings when a tweet comes in and there is a pretty looking blue bird in my dock. I use twitter but am not fully sure/convinced but can see its potential. I tend to use twitteriffic to advertise my latest blog posts. Oh yes its free if you are prepared to put up with 1 advert per hour otherwise I think it costs $14.95 to stay ad free...no prizes for guessing which version I have. The free one.

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Well that's all folks. Hope this mini series has been a little informative and not too tedious.

Coming soon, Web Apps I've not used yet but will do soon...bet you can't wait.

Technorati Tags: twitter, twitteriffic, thunderbird, textedit, quicktime, pdfpen, openoffice, mousepose, boinx, smileonmymac, iwork08, itunes, ishowu, iphoto, imovie06

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Non-Web Applications I Use - Part 1

This is going to be a biggie. Please have patience. (This also my first use of ScribeFire)

I've been meaning to do this for a while, as a follow up to the post I did back in October about web tools that I've used. The purpose of this post is to look at the computer based apps I use day to day or in putting together special projects. Unfortunately for you PC users I use a MAC so most of them are mac-based, however I'm sure there are PC versions of some things.

So here we go. To make it easier for me I'm just going to list in alphabetical order, as I go through the applications menu.

Audacity
A great, FREE audio editor. You can record directly to it via your computer (use internal or external mic), voice music whatever you want. You can also import audio files from other sources such mp3 recorders etc. Once your sound file is in the editor you can cut, paste copy etc until you have the sound file you want. You can also import copyright free music from various websites (google podsafe audio and see what it comes up with. Now to export your file as mp3 (the most commonly used and recognised form of audio compression) you also have to download and add a Lame 3 encoder. You only have to do this once and instructions come with the download. Click here for features, here for screenshots and here for tutorials. If you use a variety of different computers there is also a portable version which you can download to your usb drive and use on any computer. Here is the mac version.

My aim is ensure that at least one suite of the new pcs in school has Audacity uploaded to enable the students to use it in school. Asked for it ages ago, but we only have one technician and then I've not been there.

Audio hijack
Does what it says on the tin, records to record any audio on your mac. If your macine can play it, audio hijack can record it. With the pro version you can create podcasts containing music clips and skype / iChat recordings. You can record your vinyl or cassettes and have the recordings sent direct to iTunes. You can even record from multiple sources. As yet I have only used this once to record a skype chat with Joe Dale. The sound quality seemed fine. I think though that I would like to investigate the pro version further, I wonder whether it can't be used to record input from multiple microphones, then I could use it to record conversations with more than 2-3 voices and upload to garageband to edit.

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Disc Label
Lets you produce labels, covers, case inserts for cds and dvds that look seriously professional. It can import track lists and track info onto your design. You can use pictures from iPhoto and it is LightScribe compatible. Used it to produce  cover for the fundraising DVD I produced towards end of term, for the schools chosen charity, Spinal Injuries Scotland.

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(Photo copyright Slacker)

DVD Player
It plays  DVD's!

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Griffin Final Vinyl

A piece of software that comes with Griffin's iMic. The iMic is a usb audio adapter that allows you to connect your mac or pc to any sound input device. Along with Final Vinyl this device allows you to convert your vinyl and cassettes into mp3 files. Compatible with GarageBand, iMovie and Final Cut Pro. This could be useful to back up some of the older cassette based resources we have in the department.

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GarageBand

I love GarageBand. It is so easy to use and yet so powerful and great fun, and that's just the podcasting element to it. I've not even made a serious exploration of the music-making side. I've made podcasts, vodcasts, enhanced podcasts, imported from iMovie etc etc.  Well what is it. Its a recording studio on your mac. If you are so inclined you can record your own music by linking real or software instruments (as I say I haven't gone into this yet). With the newest version,'08, there is the Magic GarageBand function which can help you get started. (Here's one I did for a film I made about Huntly Cricket Club).
I really do enjoy being creative with this application. I like the recording process, the way it handles, how you can add images to reflect part of an audio recording (enhanced podcast) and I'm just beginning to discover all the effects and fun things to do with each track. What I love most of all are the included loops, sounds and melodies (all without copyright) contained in the package. I enjoy trying to find the right piece of music to fit the mood. All in all its my favourite toy. Tons better than audacity. Apparently the closest windows app would be mixcraft.

       

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I can Animate
THE animation tool for Mac. Used mainly for stop motion animation (think Wallace and Gromit). You can capture from a digital video camera or a web cam. Clips can be exported to iMovie. You can create animations by drawing within the app and you can also make time lapse films. I've tried stop-motion and time lapse, both of which are time consuming but still fun. Before using I Can Animate I tried a couple of other similar apps (iStopMotion and Frame Thief)
Both of these were fine to use but I Can Animate just felt more instinctive (and I didn't have to pay for a full version..ha!)
Tell me what you think:
Swordfight (Frame Thief)
Murder Most Fowl (iStopMotion)
But my favourite is this one
Yanick Gets His Hair Done (I Can Animate)

I would like to use this in class but the time it requires I just don't have. It's something I'd like to get kids to look into doing at home to get them creating something to which they can add some French. I had thought about an animated pencil case.

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iDVD
When I first got my own pc one of the things I wanted to was transfer stuff from mini dv cassette to dvd. It seemed as if I had to download and mash up all kinds of different apps (either that or I was just daft and didn't understand what I was doing) and it just didn't come together. Then I got the PowerBook from school...
iDVD segues so seamlessly with all the other iLife applications that even one with my lack of nouse got it. Making a dvd is so easy with iDVD. It has some lovely themes, especially the new ones, which sing and dance and make everything look professional.
You can put together a dvd from scratch by choosing everything from themes down to the buttons, you can make a Magic iDVD where you just choose your theme and add your desired media or you can create a dvd direct from your digital video camera and the application does everything for you.
My one gripe with iDVD is that it seems to take an age to swap between themes and options. The new version is better and it now tells you how long your project will take to encode (a long process.) At the end of the burning you also have the option to burn another disc without having to encode it all again.

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A 2oh student's plea.

Sean The Bass Player has come up with some interesting thoughts in his latest Students 2.0 blog post. In short he would like not only to be taught to pass exams but to ensure that students are kept up to speed with technology. His thoughts were piqued by the Queen going all 2.0 by posting her latest Message to the Commonwealth on YouTube, along with a variety of historical films.

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He asks that if an institution as old as the monarchy can move with the times, why can't education?

I think this question is very valid. Why indeed does the education establishment not move and evolve more quickly. Well we all know the stock answer boils down to funding, or lack thereof; but unfortunately there also tends to be quite a lot of inertia in classrooms. If a certain way of doing things has got kids past their exams for the last10 years ago then it will jolly well do so now...if it ain't broke don't fix it.

The inertia thing is quite a difficult problem to deal with as it involves trying to persuade folk to do things they have no desire to do, and I don't wish to go in depth about that here.
But what about the other issue that crops up...funding. Many schools operate on networks that are long past their sell by dates. (My place has only just replaced the Windows '98 machines we were operating.) Now obviously updating these costs a heap of cash, but many of the very usable applications available on the net are free, especially to educators. I'm thinking of applications such as YouTube (or any video hosting site), Flickr, Animoto, Voicethread, Skype etc., etc. All these and more are free and are outstanding resources for educators and their students, BUT how many of us can actually access these sites in schools? Many are banned in the name of child protection, for (a very real) fear that kids will access inappropriate content.

This is where we the educators and students such as Sean ( and his 2.0 colleagues) need to step in by dealing with digital literacy on a daily basis; by educating and encouraging thoughtful, sensible use of the resources on the web. Then maybe, those who hold the keys to the filters may unlock them when they see that these tools are being used wisely and how useful they are to education. And then Sean et al  will feel that they are getting an education that goes some way to preparing them for a future that we cannot yet know.

Photo credit:  Dia 48 - School's Out, originally uploaded on April 18, 2007
by MëL

LAFTAS and Festival Pocket Films

A little while ago I blogged and posted my presentation for the LAFTAS (Language and Film Talent Awards) promoted by CILT.
In school we are using it as an opportunity for our S4's to think about the study of a language and its relevance to their future working life. I am hoping we get a whole raft of amusing, interesting films to judge.
This morning though this post cropped up in my reader from Liz Kolb's From Toy to Tool Blog. So here's a call to all creatively minded language teachers.
Enter the Festival Pocket Film. For the 4th edition of these awards the organisers have introduced an international section specifically related to producing films for viewing on mobile equipment (phones, pda's etc).
Here are some more details:

Project typology :
  All collective / participatory projects which use mobile technologies such as mobile communications terminals, small digital cameras, etc. and which result in an audiovisual presentation or diffusion of : films, news reporting, video blogs, video casts, webTV...

Examples :
  a teaching, technical or artistic workshop
  an audiovisual documentation of a particular community by its members
  the constitution of an audiovisual cooperative
  an informational relay program regarding environmental, - public health and cultural problems a participatory artistic project...

If and when I eventually get my back sorted an return to work I hope to be able to get something together for this project.

Online Teens

How creative are you?
Thanks to David Warlick for drawing my attention to a recent survey of teenagers in the US, by PEW Internet.

Content creation by teenagers continues to grow, with 64% of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engaging in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004.

How much longer can the vast majority of educators continue to ignore the fact that a huge number of the youngsters they teach each day are connected and online AND being creative. How many educators can seriously say they have actually created something recently. (I can. I can.)

Girls continue to dominate most elements of content creation. Some 35% of all teen girls blog, compared with 20% of online boys, and 54% of wired girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. Boys, however, do dominate one area – posting of video content online – online teen boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls (19% vs. 10%) to have posted a video online somewhere where someone else could see it.

Interesting that girls are dominating the blogging side whilst boys dominate the posting of video online. Could we learn from this fact. Do we need more visual ways of educating to bring more boys on board?

Another thing that comes out from the survey is that teens appear to be inveterate commenters:

89% of those teens who post photos say that people comment on the images at least "some of the time." Teens who post videos report a similarly large incidence of feedback, with nearly three quarters (72%) of video posters receiving comments on their videos.

Now we all know that at times these comments can be insulkting and appropriate but there are times when these comments can be useful critiques and show a level of thought and dare I say it a kind of Peer Assessment.

For me the "killer" info in this survey is this:

For many teens they are now an integral part of the system of communication that they use to conduct the work of their lives. Fully 41% of the teens who use MySpace, Facebook or other social network sites say they send messages to friends via those sites every day.

If just under half of all teens are using social networking sites to communicate educators must get involved in this (r)evolution at some time, otherwise we are going to lose all contact with those we are charged with educating.

Tellingly, even more so than internet stuff, mobile phones are THE preferred method of communication:

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of teens now have a cell phone and for teens who have them, they are the premier communication method for talking with friends.

Why? Well they are relatively cheap, easy to use and many can do most of what kids want them to do (and they don't have to share access with parents????). Although it pains me to say it I think these things are going to overtake computers as the primary net access source, so rather than banning them in schools
we need to educate about appropriate use and harness their power and omnipresence.

What do you think?

All quotes taken from PEW Internet and American Life Project Press Release (19 Dec 2007)