I wrote a post last week about my interest in exploring different web applications useful for student social networking. In other words, tools that could be used by different classes throughout the world to collaborate.
I’m exploring this kind of network to use specifically as my class begins to work with “sister” classes around the world. I posted earlier about tools I thought they could use with students in places where time zones cooperate so that both classes could be online at the same time.
In addition, it’s very possible that this sort of timing is not going to be possible. So I need to identify other tools students can use when that’s the case. Blogs, specifically Edublogs, could be one way with students commenting back-and-forth, as well as using VoiceThread (once we can use it in our District, at least!). A closed social network could be another. Such a network might also be useful if there are more than two classes working together.
Since I wrote that post there have been a few new interesting developments.
Steve Hargadon came up with a great list of education-related social networks, including many student ones. Most of the groups he listed use Ning.
Also, I learned (from Mashable) about another site that offers the possibility of a closed network that classes can use called Big Tent.
Britne Rockwell from Ed Tech Hacks and I have been discussing writing a comparison of the sites I’ve mentioned in these two posts (and possibly including others). With luck, one of us will write it soon (I hope its Britne!) so it will help me figure out which one I should use next month with my students!
I’ve also written about Mixbook, which is a slideshow creation site that has an intentional feature that allows “not-in-real time” collaboration.
Any other ideas out there?
(Rita Zeinstejer points out in the comments that I forgot to include Daft Doggy Voice Recording in this list. That’s an excellent addition that I should have remembered, particularly since I ranked it near the top of several of my “The Best…” lists. Students can easily leave voice recordings for each other using that web application. I would also add Daft Doggy’s web tour feature, where students can also leave comments.)
Hi, Larry,
Again, my congrats and my admiration to the efforts made to compile all this valuable information and to share it!
I’ve been through your list, some sites I do know, like Voicethread (which I like a-priori, would love to try it with stds!), and Edublogs.
I have been working with Vance Stevens on a project on tagging, which I find tremendously useful for easy connection between like-minded people… And for that any blog would do. I also keep sticking to blogs, as they give teachers a good control (sorry about this trail of traditional teaching left…;-)) mainly when it’s students’ first incursion in technology and need a lot backing and support)
I have several tools bookmarked to peruse in detail, like Daft Doggy Voice Recording, which allows you to record up to 6 hours of voice recording and save it to our servers. http://www.daftdoggy.com/recorder/record.php
And Mind42 (beta) , which allows teachers and students to share and modify mindmaps on line, and also to export them in a few different formats, at http://www.mind42.com/
And we could go on and on…
Nice having met you online, hope we can work on a project together.
Rita