Workshop

Free & EasyCool Social Networking Tools

for the ClassroomBeth & MaryAnn

July 10, 2007Teacher Center of Broome County

Agenda:• Present a number of free, easy to use tools

and their applications for education

• Demonstrate each example

• Allow time at the end for practice, experimentation and play

What is the Web 2.0?• How does it differ?

• Read / Write web

• Culture of participation

• Collaboration is the key

Some Web 2.0 Examples:• Blogging and vlogging • RSS feeds and aggregators• Podcasting• Wikis• VOIP - Skype• Social Bookmarking – Calendar sharing • Photoblogs - Flickr• Folksonomy – “Tagging”

What is Social Bookmarking?

• Real power of Read/Write Web (Richardson)

– Store and share – collaborative process• 10 billion pages of info on Web

– Becomes more difficult to locate info– More types of info available

• Can retrieve favorites from any computer with Internet access

What is a Folksonomy?• Tagging• New taxonomy – replace librarians??• Better than indexing – users make own tags

– common language• Flexible and dynamic – not static• Used with websites, documents, photos,

presentations, videos

Why Social Bookmarking?• Save favorites easily• Share with others – either public or private• Share others’ bookmarks• Locate by topic or user• Access to limitless number of links and

photos similar to your favorites• Sites, books, music, photos, movies

Where do I find Social Bookmarks?• Furl.net

– Saves snapshot of page

– Archives page!– Can sort into topic

folders– Locate other users

with common interests

• Subscribe to other users’ Furl folder!

• Use RSS or email to subscribe

Where can I find Social Bookmarks?• Del.ici.ous

– Saves links, not content

– Simpler than Furl– Tag is most

important – comments not searchable

– Can link to tags – del.icio.us/tag/yourtag

– No email required to register

Where else can I find Social Bookmarks?

• 43Things.com• Jots.com – Furl and Del.icio.us cloned

– Can set up private groups• ScuttlEDU – connection problems• BuddyMarks• De.lirio.us• Shelfari• LibraryThing• Reader2

• Last.fm – music tagging• Technorati• BlinkList

• Multipost Bookmarklet Tool

How do I use Social Bookmarks?

• Assign readings• Track student research• Build database with students• Share with colleagues• Research with other schools• Send interesting links through RSS feeds• Professional development

Social Bookmarking – Further reading

• Social BookMarking Faceoff – comparison (2006)

• Education World - Sites to see

“A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.”

Wikipedia

• Staff development

• Student engagement

• Audience

• Comments and feedback

• Keep families informed

• Connect with the world

• Google blogspot• Think.com• Wordpress• Squarespace

How to set up and personalize your blog

A wiki is an online collaboration tool that allows multiple users to edit and view changes quickly.Wiki Wiki means = Quickly in Hawaiian

Collaboration• OM Teams• Grant Writing• Reports• Vocabulary

• Link Lists• Literature Circles• KWL’s

(iPOD broadCAST) An audio broadcast that has been converted to an MP3 file or other audio file format for playback in a digital music player or computer. The "pod" in podcast was coined from "iPod," the predominant portable, digital music player, and although podcasts are mostly verbal, they may contain music.

TechWeb

• Audience• Review• Reports• Interviews• Homework Help• Class make-ups

Podcasting NeedsPodcasting Needs• Computer

• Microphone

• Software – Audacity is free and works well

• Someplace to put your podcast on the web

Connect your classroom with the world

What is Photo Sharing?• PhotoBlogging• Uses tags to sort and share• Discuss and comment • Send photos to aggregator, Weblog or

Webpage

Where can Photo Share?• Flickr.com

– Free up to 20MB – 100 images/month– Need valid email– Can restrict access– Easy to upload – w/wo email– Add notes to parts of images!– Create albums– Create slide shows– More current than media

• GeoBloggers – combines Flickr and Google Maps

• Great Flickr Tools Collection• FlickrReplacr Bookmarklet

How can I use PhotoSharing?

• Find images to supplement lessons• Annotate historical photos uploaded from other sources• Photo “field trips”• Writing prompts (Flicktion)• Illustrate digital stories or poetry (“Chicago”, Sandburg)• “Remix” using Paint or photoediting tools• Leave annotations blank as test• Share field trip and class activity photos with parents• Share discussions about photos – subscribe to RSS feed

What is RSS?• Really Simple Syndication• Uses Aggregator to tame

avalanche of information• Like using Netflix vs going

to video store• “subscribe” to feeds from

blogs, wikis, podcasts,Flickr, del.icio.us, news sources, stores……

Where can I find RSS feeds?

• Bloglines• feedreader• GoogleReader• NewsGator• My Yahoo

Can I read more about RSS?

• AWESOME simple video explaining RSS and how to start!

• 50+ Ideas for Teachers – with written instructions

How can I use RSS in the classroom?

• Monitor student blogs• Monitor news, weather, sports• Professional development• Website searches• Del.icio.us • Keep research up-to-the-minute

What are some Future Tools on the Web?

• Personally-tailored news stories delivered instantly – No more news services

• Personal shopping – Amazon suggests purchases according to prior choices

• Second Life – virtual interaction• Education through interactive gaming?

In case you want more….• WebWare Top 100

sites• Go2Web2.0• Slideshare

Find this presentation…

• http://bethsedtechinfo. blogspot.com