Homeschool World Forum

[discus_sam]

This is a good initial list of what homeschool twitter feeds to follow, courtesy of Squidoo:

http://www.squidoo.com/-best-of-homeschool-on-twitter-list

Here's another good account to follow for general education information (they give out a scholarship as well):

http://twitter.com/DiscusAwards
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Discus Awards -- honoring the all-around high school student
Nominate today for an award and scholarship

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[Theodore]

Be interesting to poll and find out how many homeschoolers actually use Twitter. I personally prefer not being limited to 140 characters or inundated in stealth advertising, but maybe I'm just too old (nearly to 30!). Opinions, anyone?
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The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.

[discus_sam]

I think there are a few benefits that homeschoolers could capitalize on by using Twitter. For organization purposes, here's a brief (informal) numbered list:

1. The first benefit is simply the basis behind the entire social media industry. Homeschooled kids can follow each other to keep one another updated on their experience, and give advice to their fellow peers on certain things that have really worked well for them, or others that haven't.

2. The same goes for the teacher; curriculum can be discussed, links to good sites can be shared, and you could even develop a co-op where classes are taught via Twitter.

3. Finally, the argument about the heavy dose of advertising is well-taken, but I would contest that advertising isn't always bad just because it's advertising. There are some very relevant products/services that we may not know about that could have a presence on Twitter. Twitter would be a great, free way to find out more about some great new products and services meant for the homeschooling community.

These 3 points go beyond Twitter, and essentially cover the pro-social media perspective when it comes to homeschooling. Social media is great for so many reasons (and not so great for equally as many), but in the end, like anything else, it's as useful and relevant as you make it. If you can find a way to use it that fits your style, it can be very beneficial and make the whole homeschooling experience easier and more rewarding.
_________________
Discus Awards -- honoring the all-around high school student
Nominate today for an award and scholarship

www.DiscusAwards.com

[Theodore]

One could make the debate that if you shorten the chunk size of a discussion enough, it leads more to distraction than meaningful conversation. I guess my question is - why Twitter rather than blogs and forums? What is there that makes Twitter better than other mediums, rather than better than nothing?
_________________
The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.

[discus_sam]

Theodore,

Your point is well-taken. I guess I would highlight the accessibility of Twitter. The fact that you can access Twitter from your computer, or your phone, means that discussions can happen in real time. Forums and blogs don't have that element of conversation to offer.

The other point I would highlight, is using Twitter as an organizing tool. Sure, there are ways to aggregate blog and forum posts, but with the new feature Twitter lists, you can now create a list of all the Twitter accounts you follow that provide relevant information. With bloggers posting links to their latest entries, and with administrators on forum perhaps posting interesting discussions, you can now see all this in real time, in one place.

Look, Twitter certainly isn't for everyone. In the end, people have to do what they're comfortable with. My personal promotion of Twitter still comes from the potential I see in it, rather than what's already there. But the possibilities truly are endless, and I think if enough people use it, it can become of the most useful tools for connecting with other people and information that's important to them.
_________________
Discus Awards -- honoring the all-around high school student
Nominate today for an award and scholarship

www.DiscusAwards.com

[Theodore]

I think some blogs have RSS features that allow you to "subscribe" to them as well.
_________________
The Farming Game - Software Edition for PC, Mac, Linux
The board game has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide, garnered many awards, is used by over 2,000 schools, and is used extensively by homeschoolers.