Feb29th.net is a global blogging project that aims to cross all age groups and continents. As soon as Feb 29th 2012 begins in Tonga, the Feb29th.net will open up for posts for one day only. The blog will capture posts from all over our planet until midnight in the Western Pacific. The result will not only be a celebration of technology, but a celebration of audience and purpose… who will be the youngest author? Who will be the oldest? Which country will top the most posts? Will there be any marriage proposals?

The aim is to allow any visitor on 29th Feb to post on the special blog at www.feb29th.net; posts will be moderated on the day, as this will also be open to pupils in educational establishments across the globe. Get involved in this exciting blogging project by visiting the site and following things on Twitter and Facebook too.

I’ve been using Twitter for a few years now, using it to connect with other teachers and share ideas / resources with them. Lots of schools are now using Twitter too, as a way of communicating with parents and their communities, as well as posting updates about school events.

Image – Twitter website screenshot

As I recently set up a Twitter account for my own school, I asked for suggestions from other teachers about ways of using it. Here are some of the ideas:

• Celebrating children’s work, with links to examples of work online.
• Asking for feedback… so followers can add comments and share valuable feedback with the pupils. Tweet a sentence from a ‘Big Write’ and get instant feedback for the pupil,
• Posting school news,
• Posting live updates about school events (e.g. sports matches),
• Post updates from an educational visit (e.g. residential),
• Reporting school closure information,
• Send reminders about events in school or homework,
• Use to pose questions for children to debate/answer.

There is also a Twitter list of tweeting schools at http://twitter.com/SchoolDuggery/uk-schools.

Do you use Twitter at school? Feel free to add a comment to share your experiences.

The Teenage Cancer Trust have just launched an online resource for schools, which can be used for PSHE lessons and general assembly. It’s an interactive resource with lesson plans, discussion topics, video, and fits with syllabus guidelines. It touches on topics revolving around teenage cancer, looking at health, communication, relationships, bullying, and seeks to promote understanding and education about health issues.

If someone said ‘cool beans’ to you, how might you respond? If you were described as ‘teek’ would you be pleased or offended? Do you know what ‘CBA’ or ‘SDW’ stand for?

These terms are, according to this article from Guardian Education, some of the latest terms that teenagers used as part of their everyday conversation. As a teacher, are you aware of what they mean, and could you understand your students if they were to use these words in a class?

Take a look at the article to expand your vocabulary even further!

Image: ‘Not quite Sophie Beer‘