Twitter Is For Real: The Learning Paradigm has Shifted

Source: http://bit.ly/1ylhCLa

Here's a question: Would you decline an opportunity to attend an all-expenses paid education conference that promised sessions and recourses related to your work as an educator? Furthermore, would you decline if the session leaders shared their presentations and resource material? 

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you have no need to use Twitter. Because Twitter for educators is exactly that- a FREE, global education conference you have the choice to drop in on 'sessions' and gather resources whenever you want.

Connecting and sharing resources with other educators and communicating/collaborating in real-time conversations (chats) throughout the globe is exactly how Twitter is used by educators.  Evident is a culture of sharing, generosity and gratitude. Whenever "tweet-savvy" educators attend conferences, they share information they are learning in real-time via the conference-issued hashtag. Which means: you can learn along with them from wherever you are (and whenever you want to "tune-in").

By following educators and education leaders, you have access to their blogs and resources that they have shared over time. Arguably one can 'curate' enough resources that, if read, synthesized and put into practice would equal a graduate degree's worth of learning in a relatively short time. Along these lines, it will be interesting to see if personalized learning routes will be accepted as a valid 'credential' by employers in the future if an individual can demonstrate a strong knowledge base on a topic/subject despite never having attended a traditional college or earned a degree in the area of expertise.  

This is for real. The learning paradigm has shifted and, leaders in education have pointed out: It is now a choice for an educator to remain in isolation and ignore the opportunity to connect, learn and become better teachers for their students. Tens of Thousands of educators across the globe are personalizing their education and professional development because they recognize that they are the lead learners in their schools and classrooms. Twitter and other online networks (ie, Google+) are accelerators of this process

Join the Learning Revolution. It's time.

10 Google Things to Try for Digital Learning Day

Digital Learning Day is March 13th. Here are ten things to try. All compliments of Google.

1-Use Google Timer to time activities in the classroom

2-Unsend an email

3-Create and Use the built in Task Feature (Google’s To-Do List)

4-Add new fonts to Google Docs.

5-Do Smarter Google Searches Tailored to your exact needs.

6-Find Lesson Plans  sorted by App, Subject and Grade Level.

7-Explore Museums  and curate your own gallery with the Google Art Project or explore the Google Cultural Institute

With Google Cultural Institute you can find landmarks and world heritage sites, as well as digital exhibitions that tell stories behind the archives of cultural institutions across the globe.

8-Create playlists in You Tube for use in class.

You Tube is owned by Google and you already have You Tube account.  If you regularly use You Tube videos in class, you may want to create a playlist with different topics to help organize them.

9-Manage your classes with Google Classroom

Google Classroom helps teachers create, assign, and collect student classwork and homework paperlessly. More Google Classroom resources here

10-Finally understand what Google+ is. Join/follow communities related to your interests and/or communicate with fellow colleagues.

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Get better and learn more about any Google App using the Apps Learning Center

Connecting With Students

Students, especially our youngest ones, enter the domain of school with open hearts (and imaginations). Too often, we meet them with fixed minds and ignore the gift of these open hearts and minds that they bring into school and into our classrooms. Ultimately, they learn that occupying the mind with things to remember is more important than either of these. Eventually they lose touch with their true nature, disconnect and fall into the 'game' of 'learning'.

If there is to be true Educational 'Reform' at all, it must begin with a paradigm shift of seismic proportions: one that reorients our compass from student's minds to their hearts-to WHO they are not what they THINK. This necessitates an internal shift within us as well. We need to open ourselves up  as well so we meet our students halfway.  Students will always remember how we made them feel, not necessarily what we made them think.

When students trust a teacher they are more apt to listen and learn from them.  Trust is not built by teaching facts.

“Relational trust is built on movements of the human heart such as empathy, commitment, compassion, patience, and the capacity to forgive.” ― Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life

Be Not Afraid of the Hyperlink

(original photo by Michael Nagle, Getty Images) 

We can't and shouldn't expect all educators to spontaneously understand emerging technologies, social networking and the rich proliferation of tools and apps available for learning these days.

One thing stands out right away, however, as I lead workshops on the read/write web and social networking for educators: teachers who have the most immediate success adopting and applying web-based technology to their situation are those that are not afraid to click hyerlinks.

As a member of my school district's technology committee, I am in the process of identifying what teacher's technology proficiencies should be. Questions being considered are: What tech skills are indispensible going forward? Is it OK that teachers are at varying levels with regard to technology use? What do we do about this fact? What separates those that 'know and can do' and those that do not (or won't)?

With regard to the last question, I think it really comes down to basic curiosity which is the precursor to learning anything. Curiosity + critical thinking (knowing what resources have value) + risk taking= learning and transformation. The risk taking in question with regard to web-based technology use is the aforementioned click factor. Either one clicks a link (and risks) finding a shoddy site or a gold mine of information and/or connections to others that can feed an entire teaching unit or full curriculum, or one sits and stares at one site (and gains and learns very little).

Based on these observations, I believe what we really need to be building into professional development these days is the 'capacity to click' in our teachers. Clearly, it is necessary to teach specific tech-based skill sets (uploading, downloading, sharing, bookmarking, subscribing, etc...) but if teachers would use crictical thinking to do targeted searches and then not be afraid to click with abandon, they will be able to learn much on their own.

It is how I learned. But I was unafraid to click (to find out). I was interested to 'know' about things. This drive to learn is alive in me every day. I know I am not alone. Every single person I am connected to in my personal learning networks shares this trait with me. Why are we like this? Was it learned? What life experiences differentiate clickers from non-clickers? And how do we build that capacity (curiosity) in others?

Be not afraid of the hyperlink.  You just might learn something.

Finding Real Reasons to Embrace Technology in Schools

"Knowing how to make use of online tools without being overloaded with too much information is, like it or not, an essential ingredient to personal success in the twenty-first century." -Howard Rheingold (in Net Smart)

"I would challenge each of you to truly analyze how you are using the technologies that you are using." -Nick Sauers 

Nick Sauers has an interesting post citing the results of an Educational Researcher article that analyzed how wikis are being used in schools.  He is essentially asking us to reflect on why we are using the technologies we are using.  While it is OK to use tech tools for efficiency purposes or for the "fun factor", we need to ask more and more whether the technologies we are adopting have value in terms of student learning.  That should always be the bottom line.


The Digital Native argument is getting tired. If you haven't heard, the digital native argument goes something like this:  Kids are immersed in technology. Kids seem to intuitively understand how computers and mobile devices work without having to read a manual. They "communicate" and "collaborate" with each other with these technologies despite us (teachers).  Let me be as clear in this as I can be: It is not a strong enough argument. Anymore.


Principal Eric Sheninger's post, "Education Should Reflect Real Life" is short and to the point.  As always he makes good points, such as:

"Many of us firmly believe in the potential that technology has to transform the teaching and learning cultures in schools.  Whether it is used to enhance lessons, assess learning, engage students, or unleash creativity, technology has a defined role in variety of school functions."

He then shares a video by Power on Texas which ends well but made me cringe at first because, once again, the digital native paradigm is raised.  Ultimately in the video, teachers are interviewed and they cite real evidence that students have become more engaged in their learning and test scores have risen as a result of the technologies that have been adopted in the classroom.


This is where we should focus now:  finding real, evidence-based reasons to adopt technology in schools.  We need to reflect on our goals and employ technology use as a tool for increased student engagement and learning. Thankfully, evidence is being gathered and shared.  It is up to us to mine through the available (digital) information and collect the data to support the use of technology as a tool that improves student learning-and to continue to do Action Research studies on our own uses of technology with students.


Data doesn't lie.  And 'digital native' is just a term. Some (economically privileged) students have and employ technology to their educational benefit but many need to be shown smart ways to learn in digital realms without being overloaded with too much information. We then to need to assess their use and determine if the technology was truly helpful to learn pre-existing curricular learning objectives. My bet is that the technology is helpful when used mindfully but we shouldn't justify our future technology purposes just because students text each other. A lot.

Join Education Chats on Twitter

image courtesy Shelly Terrell

#Edchat has become an incredible collaborative tool for educators to debate and evaluate solutions to various education, learning, teaching and curricular questions/problems through Twitter.

Chats have now been expanded from the original #edchat’s created by @web20classroom, @tomwhitby and @shellterrell. They now exist for multiple subject areas. Most chats take place at a specific time each week and last for one hour with a specific focal question for the hour.

Here is a list of the most popular chats. There is great power when hundreds of teachers collaborate in real time. That’s what chats are-teachers thinking and responding to real problems and questions we all face at once. 

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#EdChat defined by Shelly Terrell

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
#sschat 7pm	#edchat 7pm Archives	#ipadchat 1pm	#artsed 7:30pm	#gtchat 7pm
#musedchat 8pm	#scichat 9pm	#web20chat 6pm	#mathchat 8pm	#elemchat 7pm wiki
			#langchat 8pm #langchat wiki	#midleved 8pm Archives

Making the Case for Technology Integration Without Invoking the Digital Native Paradigm

(Preamble: In this post, when I refer to students, I am referring to middle school-aged students in a rural-suburban area of Western, MA that I teach but I suspect that others may relate to my experience with regard to students and tech. use. I submit that students are NOT as tech savvy as most ed. tech enthusiasts would have us believe. The Digital Native Argument is alive and well but in my experience it is erroneous. After spending 3 years of my life as an Educational Blogger blogging about the need to change how we teach to accommodate ‘digital natives’, I have had to stop in my tracks and retreat from my position based on the real students before me. Their lives, experiences and even their interests were not in sync with the Digital Native Argument-a very seductive argument, indeed. So, here's my first blog post from the other side of the fence so to speak. With apologies to Marc Prensky whom I greatly respect.)

How do you make the case for technology integration?

How do you make the case for technology integration? Is it because kids are incessantly using technology, including many multifunctional mobile devices and they ‘demand’ that our pedagogical choices match their ‘digital learning style’ ‘in the 21st Century’? Are they really wired differently?

Most of what I read (and view) on the web regarding the why’s of tech use in education makes this argument. I’ll call it the Digital Native Argument. Videos are put up (copycat versions of original videos) that star ‘wise’, ‘tech-savvy’ children confronting an (apparently) ignorant non-tech using teacher. The claims are that kids spend countless hours immersed in media, texting, 'surfing', etc. and if teachers aren’t allowing them to do the same at school, they are out of touch and, well, ‘bad teachers’. These videos would have us believe that all this time spent doing media is all good. Unstructured, undifferentiated time but time well spent! Hmm.

Here’s where I fight a serious case of cognitive dissonance. I want to believe this is true. It’s tempting to believe in the past 9 or so years that students have suddenly and spontaneously evolved new brains; that they are wired differently and we should teach them accordingly. There is something to this but making blanket claims that ALL kids experience this type of engagement with technology all the time is simply untrue. That the time they spend using media is all ‘good’, ‘productive’ and ‘educational’ is seriously misleading, too. I know this is NOT true because I actually teach real, live, students not 'actors' on You Tube Videos repeating words scripted for them by adults. I teach in a technology lab. In the last 5 years, in a class of 20 students, maybe 5 have what I would call basic technological competence. They do not know the difference between a file, a software program or folder let alone the myriad uses and learning potential of blogs, wikis, podcasts and social learning networks. They do not know how to change the volume on a computer and they do not know how to do a basic Google search, let alone fire up a web browser other than Internet Explorer (to get to Facebook). Most, however, have handheld gadgets like cell phones or ipods and/or ipod touches. So, many otherwise technologically illiterate students have the ability to open i-Tunes and use it to sync music to their players.

When students do use technology, what do they use it for?

The middle-schoolers I teach (as did middle-schoolers 20 years ago) have one over-powering objective: socialization and connection with fellow friends and classmates. So guess why they love their gadgets? SO. THEY. CAN.CONNECT. WITH. EACH. OTHER. Once connected, they can spread the rumor about the pool on the third floor or the story about how Mr. Jensen tripped over a dry erase marker 3rd period. Or make plans to play or ride bikes. In other words, the majority of tech use by the majority of students is decidedly low tech. They are simply using tech to do what they have always done offline: connect, cajole, connive, and sometimes create. (future blog post). Mostly, students text or talk into a device that could be considered a tech device. Texting, of course is just typed talking. (Tsup? Nthn. Gowin 2 the game? Na. K. Cya. l8ter).

What’s the other thing students use technology for? MUSIC. Consuming (and making) music. Teens and music have always gone hand in hand. Thanks to technology, they can bring ‘their’ music with them wherever they go and 'share' with friends digitally (remember the mixtape?). There is an element of education and learning going on with all the music downloading and sharing which is encouraging and provides a good starting point for tech use in the classroom. We can examine how students find, download, consume and share music and use that as a model for how they can find, identify, examine, synthesize and share information related to our subject matter. Skilled i-Tunes use, however, does not qualify a student as a Digital Native. But, interestingly, the reason they have become skilled at i-Tunes use despite being decidedly technologically illiterate is that they want access to music and learning the basics of surfing, finding, downloading and syncing with i-Tunes had to be learned to get at it and then have it (music) as their own. Kids are fully and enthusiastically engaged in these processes. There is more to this which deserves another blog post but it illustrates the point that tech use is just a tool for achieving what students want. It's not about technology use for it's own sake. That is a good thing. We can learn from this. We adults DO get to caught up with the technology itself. In an education setting, tech use should rarely be about itself but about the subject matter at hand and increasing engagement and learning objectives through it's use.

So, how do you make the case for technology integration? I submit that one can justify technology use in the classroom for these reasons:

1- Cultural Competence

Technology is here to stay-both gadgets and software. It has become embedded in our social and cultural norms. Businesses are using technologies routinely and require tech. competency in a global climate. Individuals rely on personal computers and devices to absorb, synthesize and transmit information. As educational institutions we should be the ones teaching how to use technology for the highest possible purposes of investigating, researching, creating, thinking, reflecting, writing, documenting, connecting, collaborating, and remixing and synthesizing. In short: learning.

2- Engagement.

It is becoming increasingly evident without the need for the Digital Native argument that young people are truly engaged when they are using technology. Student engagement is the number one priority of any educational institution. Sadly, of course, it is lacking in many classrooms which look and feel irrelevant and outdated to young people (whether or not they use technology). Well planned technology use appears to be a cure for disengaged, "bored" students since having a hands-on experience using technology suddenly feels like the "real world" to students.

3. Individuation and Differentiation

I have written before that there is no such thing as a "class". And if a teacher actually utters those dreaded words, "Now class...." they immediately become Charlie Brown's teacher. No student sits in a classroom and identifies with the notion that they are part of this nebulous thing called a class. They are Julie, or Michael, Cesar or Alycia. And they want nothing more than to engage in activities that they can do as an individual...even if they might ultimately contribute to a larger group. Technology, makes this a reality for students-especially in 1:1 environments where students can complete tasks (learning objectives) using a computer, laptop or tablet PC. Once students are working on their own (individuation), we as teachers have the ability to differentiate learning activities as well depending on student capacity. The possibilities for differentiation using technologies are enormous and not limited to one mode (students can read, write, consume and create stories and media among other things).

FINAL WORD: Flip the Digital Native Paradigm

Our curricula and learning objectives should always drive our efforts at tech integration. Not the other way around. But, as teachers, we need to know what is out there. What website, software or app would enhance/enrich a student’s experience with your subject? We must always be on the lookout. Always learning (RSS feeds, anyone!).

We can be the Digital Natives for Education. We should stay ahead of the curve and know what’s out there and how it can best be used in our classrooms to support already existent educational aims, content and objectives.

Technology Is Not the Problem

How much sense does this statement make?

I propose that we outlaw cars because of all the drunk driving.

As unthinkable and absurd as that sounds, the exact same logic is often applied with regard to technology. This is something Nick Sauers recently ranted about on the 1:1 schools blog.

He writes:
My frustration is when the media, or other individuals, place blame on technology for things that truly aren’t new or unique situations.

So true. There are many ways that technology gets a bad name especially when (more) technology is proposed in school settings. Suggesting that social media might improve learning for students sends shivers up some parent's spines because they have been- as Steven Anderson has pointed out-"Dateline-ized". Consumers of traditional media are often given incomplete and highly inaccurate views about technology use by and for teens. (Watch out for them predators!). Without going into a million details, what is important to understand is that teen behavior precedes technology use. Human behavior is an independent factor that when combined with technology use can yield beneficial, creative results or can yield personally damaging results. The choice lies with each individual. As a mere tool, Technology is benign.

So. Technology Is Not the Problem. Inappropriate Use of Technology Is.

When we talk about technology in education now, we are talking about paradigm-shifting, never-to-be-the-same-again kind of learning opportunities. So many emerging technologies, apps, programs that can truly transform teaching and learning already exist or are in development. It is a monumental task to stay on top of it all. It is harder still to take the time to learn what's new and how it can impact learning.

NOT taking the time predisposes one to misconstrue the truth about technology use and it's myriad benefits in education because it's convenient to do so. Convenient but wrong.

To return to the above statement- The car is not the problem. Drinking and then driving one is.

Whose Definition of (Educational) Technology?

A challenge that I see emerging is that there are multiple definitions of the word technology in the Education Community. These definitions are based entirely on and limited by an individual's experience with computers/computing devices and [proprietary] software . Here are some personal observations noted recently:

• A curious dichotomy between 'great teaching' vs. 'technology' seems to creep in to many conversations. As if the two are mutually exclusive. (They're not)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies tend to believe that those with successful experience using technology are biased because they "like" technology/computers. (Actually, in many cases, education technology enthusiasts are only enthusiasts because they have seen remarkable results along the lines of engagement and learning with their students while learning with technology)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies believe all technology/technological applications are expensive. (Wrong. Most web applications and many cloud-based programs are....FREE. Many of these rival proprietary programs like Microsoft Office).

• Those with limited experience with current technologies make no mention of web-based, networked online learning spaces. The conversation remains in the realm of hardware and internet access. (Yes, you need to be able to access the Internet to use any cloud-based app but the hardware/device being used to access the web is beside the point. The learning moments happen in those networked spaces.)

• Those with limited experience with current technologies scoff at the idea of using Twitter or other social networking platforms as a Professional Development tool or Learning Resource. (Twitter is, to many education professionals a "Professional Development Superhighway".)

• Etc...(Add your observations in the comments below)

Here's one way of describing the problem:
Those with limited experience with current technologies are like people who stopped learning the alphabet at the letter "C". Knowing only 3 letters of the alphabet, they will argue that the alphabet is a limited resource. After all, you can only craft so many words with three letters.

They're right about that . (CAB) But guess what? There are 26 letters. And so it is with technology, except that the technological alphabet is ever-expanding. Which is why Lifelong Learning is imperative now. It's not just an option to stop learning and impose your limitation on those who know better. It's an indefensible position.

Why Should an Administrator Use Twitter?

The Assistant Superintendent of our school district just joined Twitter. Like so many of us when we took the networking plunge, he knows that there are positive ways to use it but is clueless as to how to begin. I wrote him a quick email summarizing some ways to use Twitter but I left so much out. Here's what I wrote:

Using Twitter makes more sense as you use it. What it is good for:

Starting a conversation..then linking to a page/post/info to continue it.
"We've redesigned our professional development page. Take a look and provide feedback using this form:...."

Making announcements:
"Today school is closed. Snow day! Have fun and be careful out there"
"We are seeking a new Superintendent. More info and a job posting is here..."

Sharing resources:
"Just found a wealth of information about 1:1 schools see the list here http://......"
"Great ipad music apps that have potential application in the classroom are listed here http://..."
"To learn more about 21st Century Skills and the 4'c's of 21stc Learning, see this website....."

To support and amplify information already shared by others (Educators, Superintendents, Principals)
"@AmazinglyAwesomeEducator just wrote a thoughtful post about implementing technology in the 3rd grade classroom. Read it here...."

To solicit advice and feedback:
"I am an administrator of a large, rural school district. I have no clue how to use twitter. Help me learn #education"

Please feel free to add your own advice and twitter handles in the comments below. Thank you so much!

image credit

Superbowl Commercial 2011: Be That Teacher!

I may or may not watch the Superbowl each year but I always watch the commercials because they tend to be a bit more creative and/or edgy than the usual commercial fare. This is possible on You Tube almost immediately after the commercials air.

This year, 2011, the Volkswagon Passat commercial gets a two thumbs up vote. The Education takeaway for me is this:

Teachers: BE the Dad in this commercial. Whatever that means to you. However you define it-BE that Dad. The one who effortlessly and invisibly empowers young people to BELIEVE in their own efficacy, power, beauty, creativity. The one who inspires a sense of AWE. The one who empowers students to believe in themselves.

Changing Minds As Ed. Reform

One of the things I most admire about High School Principal /Twitterer Eric Sheninger is that he wasn't always as open or as tech savvy as we now know him to be. He is proof positive that Educators/Administrators can, indeed, change. Once upon a time, he supported blocking sites that could be useful in the classroom. Until he was educated about the benefits that could be had there.

It almost seems crazy. He's a very regular Twitterer and Blogger and has a healthy Social Media presence. Every one of his tweets and blog posts have value (either philosophical or practical). He appears to be the icon of 21st Century Ed. Tech Leadership? Yet only 3 years ago he wasn't-and he admits this.

That is the fact that matters. He admits that he changed. He admits that he once held a worldview that potentially limited resources that could better student's education and lives. But he listened. He learned. He changed. And the best part is that now he's right out front singing the praises of instructional technology and tools that can assist, ignite and enhance the learning process.

His story, because it is real, is that one that we can tell our local administrators. His story can change minds one at a time. When minds get changed, the web opens up and our schools can enter the 21st Century.

Selected Quotes from #blog4reform Blog Posts

"Social Media is the vehicle that will move things. It has changed politics, it has changed business, it has changed the media and IT WILL change education."
-Burlington High School Principal's Blog
(Twitter: @bhsprincipal)

"I want children to be allowed to develop their strengths and interests beyond reading and writing. Science, Math, Social Studies, Music, Art, Physical Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Civic Studies… these are all essential for children."
-Avenue4Learning
(Twitter: @michellek107)

"..We cannot and must not talk about school reform without talking about equality of opportunities for kids outside of K-12 classrooms."
-Educational Insanity
(Twitter: @jonbecker)

"If we are all in agreement that we are preparing our students for the world, then we need more creativity in what we are doing and not less."
-Kevin's Meandering Mind
(Twitter: @dogtracks)

"Many of our students are checking out mentally, and sometimes even physically, because school has lost it’s relevancy to them. We are one of the few first world countries that still tries to force everyone to fit the college-bound educational mold. Why?!"
-Education 2.0
(Twitter: @AdrianneElayne)

"To improve education nationwide, teachers and parents and community leaders must LISTEN to one another, RESPECT and TRUST one another. There's no room for arrogant leadership, paternalism, one-upmanship or power plays if we're going to serve the best interests of all of America's children."
-thanks2teachers

"Reform in education begins with passion. Are you driven by passion?"
A Principal's Reflections
(Twitter: @NMHS_Principal)


"Dear Politicians, Pundits, and Celebrities–

If you want to help, and I’m idealistic enough to believe you do, please get out of the way. We can do this, but not if we’re constantly distracted from our purpose by things that force us to do, less effectively, that which we’re already doing. We can create real change that finally crumbles the bars of social Darwinism, but not if we’re starved out of our schools from lack of funding. We can, as professionals, continue to push each other from behind and pull each other up that mountain of “refinement,” but not if we’re afraid that innovation will lead to punishment, or that adopting today’s curriculum will only mean that we’ll be wrong tomorrow when everything changes again."

High Jinks Below Stares

"I am convinced that the best ideas come from classrooms and communities across the nation. I am committed to supporting the great work that is happening in states and districts."
-Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
U.S. Department of Education

MORE TO COME...

Has Kindle Reached a Tipping Point?

Here's how I evaluate tech items: I evaluate them based on a number of factors such as functionality and features, reviews, hypothetical projections about how I would or wouldn't use an item and, if possible, the real experience of people I know with regard to the 'thing' in question. It's not entirely personal for me-it's about information gathering if I have an initial interest in something. My guess is this is the same for many who are involved in work at the intersections of education and technology. I will more likely want that something if criteria in all of the above categories tip in favor of owning the item. Since there's so much data gathering involved, I'm not often at the point of 'wanting' something----yet. The other problem is the data gathering isn't necessarily a formal process either. I do it when I have time or the inclination. I believe that a tipping point has been reached for the Kindle.

Here's how receiving an Amazon Kindle e-Reader fared:
Functionality and Features
I've always been impressed with the Kindle. Kindle functionality has always appeared to be right in line with what would be expected of an e-reader. Sony didn't see what was coming and lost the e-book market they should have dominated (the Sony Reader beat the Kindle to market by a full year).

• Kindle E-ink allows reading in bright light, the weight of the divice and side page turn buttons allow it to be held with one hand.

• 750,000 books and growing-includes free downloads for books out of copyright.

• Free book backup (Amazon keeps your books on file and ready for download at anytime, should you need them).

• The battery lasts for a month with wifi off. Wifi allows connection to the internet and whispernet technology delivers books within 60 seconds.

• Newspapers can be downloaded and read on it.

• PDF reading is built in.

• The latest Kindle has Twitter and Facebook Integration so book passages can be 'tweeted' and shared.

• Music can be listened to while reading (if desired)
  

Reviews
As for customer reviews (as of this writing): of 6,099 reviews, 5341 of those reviews are rated at 4 or 5 stars. As for commercial reviews, here are a few for the latest Kindle:

"New Kindle leaves rivals farther back." - New York Times

"Amazon's newest Kindle is the best ebook-reading device on the market. It's better than the Apple iPad, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the various Sony readers…" - Fast Company

"Battery life is long enough for space shuttle missions." - Wired

"What's clear, however, is that if you're looking for a standalone e-reader (i.e., a portable replacement for physical books), this is the go-to, standard-setting device." - Engadget

"Its solid build quality, along with its improved design, integrated store, and cross-platform transportability… all add up to a winner that shoots to the head of the pack."- PC World

Hypothetical Projections about how I would use the Kindle
This is where it becomes more subjective. I do read constantly. Usually I have several books going at once--both printed and e-books. I have been using the Kindle app for i-phone and read books on that device. This is where it has become difficult to 'imagine' how things would change if I were to suddenly to own an actual Kindle. I've actually grown accustomed to reading on the i-touch. I can hold it in one hand and I like the ability to leave the app momentarily to check e-mail, or the weather or my twitter feed, etc.. But, lately, I have been coming around to the idea of owning an actual Kindle for the following reasons.

1-I would be able to read it comfortably at the gym while cycling or using the treadmill. I have tried to read the i-touch while running (on the treadmill) and it is somewhat a comedy of errors-the screen is small and I have to touch it to turn a page every few seconds making me lose my stride (and balance). The Kindle would be a bit easier for this purpose.

2-The capacity of the latest Kindle is now around 3500 books.

3-I like the aforementioned Twitter and Facebook integration comcept because I have actually had the thought while reading on the i-touch, "I wish I could share this with....". To do this I have actually taken a screen shot of the page in question with the text highlighted. Now saved as a photo, I have uploaded this to Facebook. Pretty round-about way of sharing text.

4-I can actually use my i-touch for other purposes while reading on the Kindle itself.

5-It's actually attractive. It's sleek and stylish and the e-ink is easy on the eyes.

6-I trust that Amazon is going to continue to improve the Kindle with new services.

Real experience of others
Everyone I know who has one, loves it. A Kindle of someone I know died after the warranty had expired. The screen just showed lines instead of text and nothing she did (recommended at Amazon) would fix it. A single phone call explaining the problem resulted in a NEW KINDLE being mailed overnight for free, no strings attached.

Final Analysis
I think the Kindle has reached a tipping point and as one evaluates whether or not to buy an ipad instead, I think price will further tip in the direction of the Kindle. Is it a Kindle Christmas?