Instant Messaging "Catch-up" (Thing 7, Part 2)

In a December 2007 Digital Divide article, William Kist describes Instant Messaging as an "untapped resource" for teachers. Instant Messaging (IM) is second nature to today's students, and I hear more and more about it being used as a communication and productivity tool in the business world.

With so many of these tools advancing more quickly in the personal lives of our students, we are playing "catch-up" in the classroom. It is the sort of tool in an education environment that gets "red flags" waving. Some typical questions in using the tools of Web 2.0: Is it safe? How do we make it safe?

It is imperative that we address and direct our students in the etiquette of using this tool as it is being adopted in the professional world. So, how are schools are tapping into this tool? Addressing the etiquette of IM? Integrating IM?


Martineau, Pamela. "Tapping Instant Messaging" Digital Divide. 12 December 2007
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2007/09/12/02im.h01.html