Clint: His History of IM

IM for me began with a using local Bulletin Board System. These were local hosts that used ANSI graphics to connect local users for various interests. While these messaging was not as "instant" as today's AIM type programs, it really began they idea of social networking. Users could request help, files and directions for various computer activities. It was a way for friends in the area to join in a online discussion.
Next for me came CompuServe. We shunned AOL and prodigy at my house and went for the "serve". This introduced better graphics and wider interests than local bulletin board systems could offer. This was my first experience at communicating with anonymous people about subjects that interested me, like sports and computers. Again,the typical IM system was not there, but the boards became pretty quick responding. Almost a delayed IM, maybe on par with what Twitter or Pwnce is today. Still this really started the notion of social networking online across the entire country, rather than just in your town.
Soon after came that advent of IM. I used it with friends in college to keep in contact. I found that IM began replacing phone calls as the way to communicate. Sitting on your futon playing PSOne waiting for the infamous chime of the AIM to go off, was a college experience. It was a new way of communicating because it was quick and easy, and very much straight to the point. However, I soon found that one problem with IM is reading your own inflection into the messages. So sarcasms and subtleties are lost and can be an inherent problem with IM.
Since then, I use it to maintain my social contacts, however, text messaging has cut into that, along with communicating through mediums like Facebook.
I think that the appeal of IM is that you can talk and multitask much easier through AIM, than through talking on the phone. Its really the new way to communicate in a multi-tasking world.
Applying it to the educational world is tough though. I've been in classes where the teacher is ignored while virtual conversations occur around them. Also, as discussed in the article on page 491, conversations can be copied and pasted and shared throughout. This would obviously not be good in a test taking situation. However, in the case that it can be managed or observed by the instructor, the conversations could be quite beneficial. For instance, a student could get instant feedback or help if one was confused.
With 2nd graders, I don't think my opportunity to interact with them through IM is of great use right now, but it will be fun to see how the effect of IM in classes trickles down from the collegiate level to the elementary level.