Students Speak Up in Class, Silently, via Social Media - NYTimes.com

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With Twitter and other microblogging platforms, teachers from elementary schools to universities are setting up what is known as a “backchannel” in their classes. The real-time digital streams allow students to comment, pose questions (answered either by one another or the teacher) and shed inhibitions about voicing opinions. Perhaps most importantly, if they are texting on-task, they are less likely to be texting about something else.

Students Speak Up in Class, Silently, via Social Media - NYTimes.com