It's interesting how different communities are engaged in using different tools. Scootle was new for me but it seems that many of my current colleagues are using it successfully in their classrooms and loving it. I had a little play but think this is one that I could explore further - and with a specific topic in mind.
I was a little sceptical when I read that Twitter was being suggested in this module but once I followed one of the recommended tweets I started to sway a little. Twitter could be used well for persuasive writing or may I again say - plenaries. I like the word count restriction which could teach students to be succinct and straight to the point in their writing. However, there would have to be very strict rules and lots of Cyber Safety issues to consider before you started. I also think that this site could become quite addictive as the children of today's digital world await immediate responses from others. There would have to be a time cap on usage. Another issue here might be to convince parents of the educational value of this tool. Before my participation in this module I don't think I would have looked at the idea of my Primary aged children using Twitter as favourable.
Second Life was an interesting one. I can imagine becoming immersed and lost in this virtual world and losing all track of time. This could be a good one if it is well directed by the teacher. I was particularly fascinated by the opportunity to enter Van Gogh's painting - how this would have helped me years ago when I was studying Visual Arts!
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