Tag Archives: classroom

This article in the New York Times called Students  Speak Up In Class, Silently, Using Social Media, talks about using a sort of like a twitter in the classroom.  It is a backchannel system where students could ask questions and participate in lectures without having to raise their hands.  This is great when it comes to those students who are shy and do not like to speak up in class.  I hate speaking up in class, it gives me anxiety, and i get nervous.  This is how a lot of the students who are shy in class feel, and this new program helps them get through their fear and earn some participation points in class.  Its much easier to type in a comment or an answer to a question where no one has their eyes on you and are judging you.

This has become a little controversial.  Some say that schools worked so hard to keep text messaging and social networks away from schools and this type of program brings it back.  Some say its a great idea to create participation within the whole class, and let those people who do not participate in person, do so by the computer.  It encourages dialogue within the students, and a classroom experience that almost no-one has yet to experience.

This blog for example is a great way to communicate and give your opinions about the different articles that we each post.  It creates communication within the  students and the professor even for those who are shy to say anything in class.

-Armenis Perez