Far from being a distraction, an increasing number of educators are finding that Twitter and other micro-blogging platforms limited to the classroom setting are enhancing student participation. These social media technologies are helping inhibited students express their thoughts through other means, and are providing all students with a “back channel” to comment and pose questions. Critics observe that the introduction of this technology can lead to greater classroom distractions, and perhaps lead to inappropriate remarks or bullying behavior.

The State Library of Louisiana, in partnership with the state’s public libraries, has created a laptop check-out program to provide more residents with access to technology. The State Library will provide 640 laptops to the public libraries for users to borrow. The Internet-ready laptops will also have GPS software that will allow the state to locate them if they are lost or stolen. The program follows a successful pilot in selected Louisiana parishes.

Instead of rebuilding, many cities are dismantling aging freeways in urban areas. Long associated with the concept of progress, freeways are also expensive to repair and maintain, and cities as different as Seattle, Akron, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and New Haven are either tearing them down or debating their future. While some urban planners find much to applaud, noting that the removal of a highway can free land for new business or parks, others note that commute times will rise, and that results thus far have been mixed.

The Library of Congress and Sony have launched the National Jukebox, a new website which allows users to listen to stream over 10,000 recordings of music, speeches, poetry, and comedy from before 1925. Estimated to be the largest collection of historical recordings ever made available online, the Jukebox also allows users to create playlists and share music on social media sites. The Library plans to add tens of thousands of additional recordings in the future. With the introduction of the National Jukebox, the Library of Congress continues to find ways to make its collections more accessible to the public.

New York City’s Transportation Department has added a visual cue for speeders on its radar-equipped digital billboards—an LED skeleton walks across the screen as speeders pass by.  The skeleton is a less “substantial” version of the traditional stick figure that signals to pedestrians that they may cross the street, and is helping the city ensure that its citizens are instantly reminded of the perils of driving too fast.