Skype and Twitter going more mainstream

Monday, April 20th 2009 by Wes FryercloseAuthor: Wes Fryer Name: Wes Fryer
Email: wes@isteconnects.org
Site: http://www.speedofcreativity.org
About: Wesley is an international learning consultant, author, digital storyteller, educator and catalyst for educational reform focused on blended learning, differentiated instruction, and creative engagement. His bio is available on www.wesfryer.com/bio and complete vitae on www.wesfryer.com/vitae.See Authors Posts (74)

Technology “norms” can change fast. Not too long ago, if you mentioned “Skype” or “Twitter” to someone in casual conversation, it was not unusual to receive a quizzical response. Thanks in part to mainstream media influencers like CNN and Oprah, however, these technologies and terms are becoming more mainstream and finding their way into the everyday lexicon of a larger number of people. Conversations on micro-blogging networks like Twitter and Plurk have NOT historically been focused on celebrity personalities and media-mogul corporations, and they are not going to take that focus (IMHO) anytime soon. Some bloggers have lamented the frenzy which accompanied last week’s “Oprah blessing” of Twitter, which the CSM article “Oprah tweets, Twitter arrives” highlighted. I definitely agree the celebrity focus on Twitter can be silly as well as misguided at times, but overall I think it can be beneficial for more people to become familiar with these technologies thanks to their use and acknowledgement by mainstream media personalities. We’re living in an attention economy, and it is WONDERFUL for more people to have the constructive value of communications platforms like Skype and Twitter brought to their attention.

Last week, Oprah made news worldwide by getting onto Twitter for the first time. Oprah already has over 380,000 followers, and is following 10 people so far. No, sadly she’s not following ISTEconnects or me. YET. ;-)

I’ve noted on ISTEconnects previously that Oprah’s use of Skype as a regular part of her television program is raising awareness about the constructive value of videoconferencing software programs as communications platforms and not simply sources of malware for school networks or tools for Internet predation. (Sadly, school district IT departments frequently promote those views.) This same constructive role is being played by CNN currently. This is a photo of CNN’s use of Skype today in a news report, in which an “expert” was brought in to share ideas and answer questions.

How long will it be before more communications networks in our schools will be opened to permit videoconferencing and micro-blogging with tools like Skype and Twitter? I started the collaborative wiki project “Unmasking the Digital Truth” recently to address that very question. I don’t have a definitive answer to this question for all contexts, but I do think it is important we share and amplify the positive, constructive ways these tools are being used and can be used to support learning inside and outside the classroom if we want to change school policies on things like content filtering.

See Neil Stephenson’s guest post here in ISTEconnects, “The Many Roles of Skype in the Classroom” for more ideas and examples on how desktop videoconferencing can and is being used in schools today. Many of us may have been HBO (“Here before Oprah”) when it comes to both Skype and Twitter, but I’m not among those lamenting her noted arrival. The fact that Oprah as well as CNN are using and promoting tools like these can provide us (as educators and educational change agents) with more openings to discuss the constructive uses of these tools in our schools at PTA meetings, school board meetings, and other gatherings.

Positive, constructive, mainstream awareness of digital communication tools like Twitter and Skype is a good thing, on balance.

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