In college, large lectures with 200-plus students are often the norm. Due to the sheer size of these classes, many students are too shy to ask questions and speak up in class. Looking to find a solution to this class participation dilemma, educators have turned to Twitter, the social networking giant, for answers.

Dr. Monica Rankin, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, experimented with Twitter in her classroom and was surprised to discover that it successfully engaged many more students in discussion. During her lectures, students tweet comments and questions to her through their laptop or cell phone. Dr. Rankin and her teaching assistant then respond to the tweets, which are displayed through a live feed at the front of the room.

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Yet another sign that Steve Jobs is going to rule the world: A recent survey at Stanford University has concrete proof of the emerging symptoms of iPhone obsession. According to their survey of 200 students, nearly half of them said they were “very or completely addicted” to their iPhones. Even weirder, 3 percent said they wouldn’t let anyone else touch their phone and 9 percent said they “have patted” their devices. Right. Moving on… the survey showed that iPhones held a much deeper meaning for many; they aren’t just mere devices used to make calls, listen to music, search the web, check e-mail and download apps—they are seen to be an extension of people’s minds and their identity.

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Charice Pempengco is only 17 years old, but she has already been compared by critics to the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.

The Filipina native, who in late February released her second single, “Pyramid,” featuring Iyaz, was raised in Laguna by a single mother after incidents of domestic violence occurred in her household. Instead of letting her circumstances hold her down, Charice stepped up to the plate, and in an effort to support the family, began competing at the age of seven in any singing contest she could enter, including “Little Big Star,” where she finished in third place.

Charice got her big break in 2007 via YouTube, when videos of her live performances garnered millions of hits. Since then, she’s made appearances on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and even performed at two pre-inaugural events for President Obama.

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Released nationwide yesterday, Chang-rae Lee’s fourth book, “The Surrendered,” deals with the horrors of armed battle, though it is far from being just another war novel. Lee, whose first book, “Native Speaker,” received critical acclaim and earned him prestigious awards, revisits the themes that launched his past works to fame.

Beginning this Saturday, March 13 through March 21, thousands of film aficionados will flock to the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Since 1982, the festival has been an annual event showcasing about 120 new Asian American and Asian films in unique venues throughout San Francisco, San Jose and Berkeley. There will be a range of short programs, full-length features, special guests, musical performances, forums, and even happy hours and parties. For a directory of all the films that will be shown, click here and for ticket prices, click here.

As a sponsor of the film festival, the iconic Japanese beauty company Shu Uemura will also be at the festival’s opening day this Saturday to lend their support.

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I was extremely impressed and blown away when I attended my first Kollaboration Los Angeles event last year, and this year did not disappoint either. The show, which is held in 10 cities across the nation with the goal of empowering Asian Americans through entertainment, filled the Shrine Auditorium with 5,000+ guests despite the rain this past Saturday. The three-hour extravaganza showcased the varied skills of 10 incredibly talented competitors, interwoven with electrifying guest performances from an array of Asian dance crews, singers and comedians.

In addition, Kollaboration had an incredibly star-studded judges lineup consisting of some of the most recognizable faces in Asian America. They included music-video guru Joseph Kahn, YouTube phenomena Kevin Wu (aka KevJumba) make-up artist Michelle Phan, actor Rex Lee from “Entourage,” journalist Lisa Ling, marketing professional Nita Song, and LA business and community leader Patricia Yoon.

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Last night’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards was a pinnacle moment for many, including Kathryn Bigelow, who made history as the first woman to the Best Director Oscar. But besides the many big name winners, it was also a huge night for an eye-opening film, “The Cove,” which won the statue for Best Documentary Feature.

The heart of “The Cove” is an urgent mission to bring awareness of and advocacy for dolphins—a message that can reach an even greater audience now that they have the huge recognition of an Oscar win.

Prior to the Oscars, I had the chance to check out the documentary (which is now out on DVD), since it has received many rave reviews and an audience award at Sundance last year. Directed by former National Geographic photographer Louis Psihoyos, the film closely follows a group of dolphin advocates, including the Oceanic Preservation Society and most notably, Ric O’Barry, who has an ironic back-story as a former dolphin trainer turned activist against dolphin captivity—the very industry he helped to create.

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Getting into an American medical school has always been notoriously difficult, overwhelming and discouraging for many, to say the very least. With only 131 medical schools across the country, only about half of applicants get accepted every year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, a nonprofit organization for prospective medical school applicants.

To put it plainly, this week’s American Idol results show was pretty rough. Unfortunately, the idol journey of one of our favorite contestants, John Park, abruptly came to an end. In addition, one of our other favorites, Andrew Garcia, found himself in the bottom four contestants for the week. What happened?

John Park’s take on John Mayer’s “Gravity” this past Tuesday garnered a mixed bag of comments from the judges. Ellen and Kara had positive things to say. “I thought it was a much better song choice,” said Ellen. “Way better than last week,” agreed Kara. Randy and Simon’s comments, however, were far more critical. “You didn’t bring anything new or spicy to it,” commented Randy Jackson. Simon Cowell chimed in, “I struggle with the believability here. I think in 20 minutes time, we’re going to forget that performance.”

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For various reasons, Asian Americans are often known for exceptional academic achievements that allow for entrance into the nation’s top colleges—or so we thought. As it turns out, being good on paper doesn’t mean as much if you’re just another Asian.

In a recent Boston Globe op-ed piece, “Do Colleges Redline Asian Americans?”, Kara Miller, a teacher at Babson College, explores why Asian Americans may still face discrimination in the college admission process. Miller suggests that despite the trend of high academic scores, exemplary extracurricular involvement and challenging life circumstances, Asian American student admissions are still limited at elite colleges.

“Princeton sociologist Thomas Espenshade, who reviewed data from 10 elite colleges, writes in ‘No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal’ that Asian applicants typically need an extra 140 points to compete with white students. In fact, according to Princeton lecturer Russell Nieli, there may be an “Asian ceiling’’ at Princeton, a number above which the admissions office refuses to venture.”

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