Journalist Amy Gahran, the author of the blog Contentious, says that as a reporter, "the main concrete benefit I've experienced from participating in social networking sites is the ability to quickly share knowledge with a trusted network of friends and colleagues." How? Amy explains in this post here.

Want to see real-life copywriting in action? After we interviewed Sarah Williams, the head of Wordsmith in England, a couple of months ago, we wanted to learn more about her innovative "method acting" approach to copywriting, as she calls it. (Check out our interview with Sarah here.) So we asked her if she wouldn't mind sending us an actual case study... we could study! Sarah graciously agreed. Here it is: Continue reading...

Shannon Reed is an award-winning playwright who teaches high school English to a large pack of bright young women at a private school on the beach in Queens, New York. She graciously contributed this column:

Last spring, the faculty at the small private school where I teach gathered in the traditional faculty meeting place -- a circa 1960's Home Ec room that probably shudders each time we refer to it as the "Consumer Sciences Department" -- to learn, from an exceedingly cranky member of the New York City Board of Education computers-in-the-classroom team, how to log into a website. As the woman snapped and snarled at everyone, I wondered, disinterestedly, what was her problem? Then I watched the faculty try to complete the simple tasks of accessing the internet and setting up a password and user name at the website. It quickly turned disastrous.

Continue reading...

Want to understand how technology is impacting students, teachers and schools? These blogs tackle the issues -- and controversies -- surrounding educational technology:

DITBits

The K12 Geek

Not So Distant Future

These websites write about the impact online "social media" is having on business, the tools available and how companies are using blogs to communicate with their customers. Check them out:

hyku

Like It Matters

Business Blog Consulting

PR 2.0

Miguel Guhlin, the innovative educator we interview in this week's "Teachers at Work" feature, recommends these "must read" blogs on technology in the classroom and other topics:

Moving at the Speed of Creativity

2cents

The Savvy Technologist

Remote Access

Bud Hunt, the teacher we interviewed about student blogging, suggests these links for educators interested in working with Internet technology in the classroom:

"Check out my bloglines account, the contents of which are my regular reads. Another place that folks should look for resources and conversation is EdTechTalk.com. I also recommend Educationbridges, a community of teachers experimenting with social networking and other Web 2.0 tools."