Our Tumblelog:

http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/microbloggingfsi2011 

Discussion

What are the best practices for using Tumblr in education? Share your ideas and resources!

Pros

• Combines features of Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr into one utility
• Stronger focus on visual design and display makes it more useful for the arts (compared to Twitter)
• Multiple "Tumblelogs" on the same account, one for each class / section
• Tumblelogs can be password-protected or public

Cons

• Same risks of all third-party software apply
• Content on the site is not stored indefinitely; content that users want to save should be archived elsewhere

Best Practices

• Announcements to students
• Minor writing assignments, discussion
• Posting current events & other examples of course content 
• Build students' online presence in their field, network professionally for future career success
• Teach students to maintain a positive, professional online identity

Resources for Teaching with Tumblr

Articles

"Tumblr, the Next Emerging Platform?" David Capece. 2009. Fast Company. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/david-capece/sparxoo/tumblr-next-emerging-platform This is a little dated, but succinctly explains Tumblr's features and how they could be useful in education.

"Follow, Heart, Reblog, Crush: Teaching Writing with Tumblr." Adriana Valdez Young. Learning Through Digital Media Experiments in Technology and Pedagogy. http://learningthroughdigitalmedia.net/follow-heart-reblog-crush-teaching-writing-with-tumblr

"How I use Tumblr to Help with Writing." Web Teacher. http://www.webteacher.ws/2010/12/03/how-i-use-tumblr-to-help-with-writing/

Recap: Tumblr in Higher Education." Seth Odell and Betsy Soler. Higher Ed Live. http://deboraheo.posterous.com/tumblr-in-higher-education You'll have to scroll down the page to get to the actual section on Tumblr, but it's an excellent outline that summarizes the pros and cons of Tumblr, distilled from a 40-minute YouTube interview.

Teachers Teaching Teachers: Archive for the "tumblr" Category. http://teachersteachingteachers.org/?cat=219

Find People/Groups to Follow

#Education tag on Tumblr -- See what people are tagging on Tumblr related to education

#Higher Education tag on Tumblr -- See above

Revolutionize Education Tumblr Blog -- "This blog is dedicated to teachers as lifelong learners that are always seeking new ways to improve their teaching through strategies and technologies..."

Team Teachers Tumbr Blog -- "Team Teachers is a common space for educators on Tumblr to gather, find one another, and participate in community events."

Tumblr Teacher List Redux -- Links to a spreadsheet listing educators who are on Tumblr, and a link to a form to add your own info to the list. This list and the educators on it give some insight into the various fields of education represented on Tumblr, which you can then explore for examples and ideas for your own Tumblr account.