140 University: Providing Classes in the Form of Knowledge Nuggets and Related Links

Intelligence and creativity absolutely amaze me. I have to admit that every person that I meet seems to be a genious in some way. I don't know if that makes it seem like I don't know anything myself, but people really do amaze me! Each individual human brain and the experiences that shapes it over the course of a lifetime provides such unique perspective.

Take today's post for example. Everyone knows how much I like technology (this is where you can fill in the blank with anything you like... educational technology, home theater, pc's, keep going...and going), but sometimes I can't fathom the purpose for a particular technology. It intrigues me, but what do I really need it for? Do you ever get that feeling?

Twitter was one of those technologies that intrigues me and I can absolutely see some business applications, but do I really care how many times a friend of mine takes his bulldog for a walk in Central Park or the exact time twenty people leave work for the day? Not really. No, not at all.  And the same could be said for that aspect of Facebook or MySpace (however, I could always see more applications for these forms of social media).

I have been told a few times that people are beginning to use Twitter in the development of skills standards, but I still have some reservations about that. If you Tweet every 20 or 30 minutes about what task you are performing, won't Tweeting become one of your tasks or skill sets? OK, I know I'm taking that a little far, but you know what I mean.

Today I have found a place where creativity and intelligence have met to create an interesting educational approach for the use of Twitter (it can also be used on Facebook). The Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies launched 140 University on January 18, 2010.

140 University has 19 departments (archived classes) and I think this is a great way that you can extend your educational learning by discovering and sharing new information. This site provides "classes in the form of knowledge nuggets and related links to web pages, videos, etc - in less than 140 characters (of course). Explore the classes that you are interested in!"

Take a look at the last posts in Engineering:
21 Jan 2010
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal constructed in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal http://bit.ly/8b4h7U

20 Jan 2010
Journey thru the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific takes 8-10 hrs or 1.52 mins with time-lapse photography http://bit.ly/5IKmLi

19 Jan 2010
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a British engineer, was the creator of the Great Western Railway and numerous bridges http://bit.ly/5ywEGf

I also like the thought that learning can be shared in "real time" and not just from a static piece of information. As Thomas Jefferson stated, "He who knows best knows how little he knows" or as Seargent Schultz from "Hogan's Heroes" stated, "I know nothing."  I'm not sure which quote I belong under, but individual intelligence and creativity truly do amaze me!  J.T.