Why Twitter Will Endure

Culture critic David Carr writes in the New York Times: "...has Twitter turned my brain to mush? No, I’m in narrative on more things in a given moment than I ever thought possible, and instead of spending a half-hour surfing in search of illumination, I get a sense of the day’s news and how people are reacting to it in the time that it takes to wait for coffee at Starbucks. Yes, I worry about my ability to think long thoughts — where was I, anyway? — but the tradeoff has been worth it."

New text: Curriculum 21

ASCD has just published "Curriculum 21- Essential Education for A Changing World." I think this new text should be on the desk of every principal. (In fact, many ASCD members will be receiving it during the month of January.) It was edited by Heidi Hayes Jacobs. (Full disclosure: the book includes a chapter I wrote on media literacy). Happy New Year and happy reading. Frank Baker

Can Games Change Education?

eSchool News reports: As video games continue to permeate our culture, schools and students are increasingly interested in using video games for learning. This interest has prompted universities and neurologists to explore what makes a successful educational game, what the current barriers to adoption are, and how gaming as a whole affects the brain.

Schools Shouldn't Block Social Network Sites

From Slate: Educators should stop thinking about how to repress the huge amounts of intellectual and social energy kids devote to social media and start thinking about how to channel that energy away from causing trouble and toward getting more out of their classes. After all, it's not as if most kids are investing commensurate energy into, say, their math homework. Why not try to start bridging the worlds of Facebook, YouTube, and the classroom?

Visual Literacy: 2009 Photos of the Year

On my website, the Media Literacy Clearinghouse, I annually post links to news organizations' "Photos of the Year." This year is no exception. I like to incorporate many of these images in my workshops in order to explore visual literacy. Since today's students are exposed to more images than ever, and because our world is so visual, I like to include this element in all of my work with both teachers and students. You might also be interested in my visual literacy web site.

Teaching New Media Literacy Can Help Youth Stay Safe Online

Anne Collier of NetFamilyNews is interviewed about the myths and realities of online safety.

Helping Children Find What They Need on The Internet

Excerpt from NY Times story: Sponsored by Google and developed by the University of Maryland and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the research was aimed at discerning the differences between how children and adults search and identify the barriers children face when trying to retrieve information.