Educators Test the Limits of Twitter Microblogging Tool

Publication: Education Week's Digital Directions
Date: June 25, 2008

Summary: The "microblogging" and social-networking website Twitter has begun to capture the attention of educators, including New York City Writing Project Technology Liaison Paul Allison, who built his own site, Youth Twitter.

Excerpt from Article

Paul R. Allison, a teacher at the East Bronx Academy for the Future in the 1.1 million-student New York City public schools and the technology liaison for the New York City Writing Project, which aims to improve the literacy and writing skills of New York City students through professional development for teachers, was also intrigued by Twitter. But he felt uncomfortable with the lack of control for teachers—a concern that has led many districts to block the Web site altogether. Consequently, he built a site in January called Youth Twitter, which allows teachers to edit students' tweets by granting them "administrator" status.

"What we're trying to create here is a space that looks like Twitter and acts like Twitter, but you'll be able to make the argument that it's safe for kids," Allison says.

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