School Just Got Twitterful

March 26th, 2009

Amazing! Never thought I’d see my name next to old Bill Shakespeare.

– Ashton Kutcher, @aplusk, via Twitter

Well, to be honest, Ashton, neither did we! But it seems the world of academics is trying to get a little more pop-culture relevant each day – or at least in the UK, it is. According to The Guardian newspaper, cited in this Australian article, the British government is pushing to reinvent the curriculum for primary schools by making classes more tech-savvy.

While all the old subjects and staples will still be present, teachers will be encouraged to be more flexible, integrating lessons on Wikipedia, blogging, podcasting, and even – yes, Ashton – Twitter. (Though I thankfully doubt the courses would focus on analyzing Ashton’s latest tweets on the merits of chest hair.)

Naturally, there are already some detractors popping up to put down the overhaul. John Bangs of the National Union of Twitterers sorry, Teachers, accuses the government recommendations of jumping on the latest trends. That’s a bit over-simplified. According to the article, the report stresses the importance of studying these networks in order for students to familiarize themselves with effective global communication. Students would also have to improve their typing skills and – let’s all be thankful – their spelling as well.

So count me on the side of the UK government. The sooner kids learn how to effectively and safely use the Internet, the better.

And as always, check out what’s happening with the CollegeBound Network on Twitter!

– Genevieve M. Blaber

Entry Filed under: General, News, Pop culture & college, School Tools