Here is a wonderful LiveBinder full of resources about using Twitter as an educator. Steven W. Anderson, District Instructional Technologist, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Quick Access To This Binder: http://bit.ly/twitterguideforedu
Over the past year, Pinterest has become one of the most popular social media sites out there, letting people create boards composed of various “pins” from the web, that organize ideas on just about any topic under the sun. Teachers have gotten in on the act as well, sharing lesson plans, classroom photos, cute ideas, and inspirational materials with others in the profession and anyone on the web who wants to learn more about education.
Whether you’re a teacher yourself, still a college student, or just want some educational inspiration for a kid in your life, check out these great Pinterest pins. You’ll find some motivational quotes, great craft ideas, and new ways to make your lessons fun and exciting!
by Larry Ferlazzo, In case you haven’t heard, Pinterest is the hot new social media site of the moment. It’s not even open to the general public yet, and you have to request an invitation. I’m not entirely convinced the Web needs yet another social media tool, but who knows?
Here are my picks for The Best Guides To Figuring Out Pinterest:
Pinterest: A Beginner’s Guide to the Hot New Social Network is from Mashable.
A Guy’s Guide To Pinterest is from Read Write Web.
A Quick Guide To Pinterest from Envigor.
Pinterest: A Step By Step Guide To Pinning Your Life Away is from Shoe String Launch.
Click Here to read the full story, CLICK HERE
And Richard Bryne has a nice article Investigating the Interest in Pinterest
You’ve probably heard a lot about Pinterest over the last few months. Not only has the company received $27 million in venture funds, but the site’s popularity has exploded from 1.2 million users in August to over 4 million today. SEE ALSO: Study Shows Pinterest Will Compete with Top 10 Social Networks [VIDEO]
But like any new social site, there’s always the question, “How does it work?” Have no fear, soon-to-be-Pintrest fan, we’ll show you the ropes.
1. What is Pinterest? CLICK here to LEARN
Here is a Pinterest to follow about iPads in Education. http://pinterest.com/recessduty/ipad-apps-in-education/
So are you into Pinterest yet. Last semester my students pretty much insisted I get in to Pinterest. I have to admit, pretty cool. Basically it is a visual version of Delicious! I don;t have a ton on my boards yet because I am trying to decide if I should use it in class. So this semester I am giving a choice. These pre-service teachers need to keep track of resources for their future!! So here is my Pinterest site in case you want to follow me! http://pinterest.com/cyndidk/. I actually think this has real possibilities in the classroom. I’d love to hear your ideas!
I do think to make it really useful, you have to remain logged in and install the “pin it” tool on your tool bar of your browser.
Ten ways schools are using social media effectively
Readers discuss how they use social networking in their schools, list helpful resources
In this article, educators and administrators share the ways they are using social media as part of the school environment. Some report using tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, to stay informed about trends and potential uses of classroom technology, while others say the tools provide an effective means for communicating with parents. Still others say social media is an essential component of distance-learning programs to keep online students connected with those in the physical classroom.
Read the full story, eSchool News, CLICK HERE
Using Twitter in High School Classrooms
Language-arts teacher Bill Ferriter in this blog shares some ideas from high-school teachers in a recent iGeneration workshop for using Twitter effectively in the classroom. Twitter can be a tool for helping students interact on classroom lessons, voicing their opinions and engaging in political discourse, or for imaginative or creative expression, Ferriter writes.
READ MORE: Teacher Leaders Network/The Tempered Radical blog (10/23)
The School at Columbia University in New York City has created its own private social network to teach middle-school students digital citizenship in a safe environment. The Social Network, as it is called, includes a site for videos and a site for photos, with each being archived at the end of each school year. “Drama happens. But my goal is: If you’re going to make a mistake, make it here, before it’s public and permanent,” the school’s technology integrator, Karen Blumberg, said.
Read the full story at Forbes, CLICK HERE
The effect Twitter and the social Web have begun to have on entertainment, journalism and other media-related industries is by now well known and much-discussed. Its impact on other areas of human culture and knowledge, however, is still emerging. For example, how does the microblogging service impact academics and scholarly communication?
Read the full story and see the infographic, CLICK HERE
What follows are T&L Advisor David Kapuler’s picks for the best social networks to help educators learn from their peers. Don’t see your favorite on the list?
Great list, Check it out: http://www.techlearning.com/article/51771 and yes, teachers are using Social Networks!!
FCC has taken a different step with their stance on social media and Internet filtering requirements as part of their E-Rate standards.
“Now that even the staid Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has loosened its tight rein on social media networks, it’s time for more educators to use these tools to improve classroom instruction and home-school communications.
In August, the FCC clarified an earlier ruling that led to widespread blocking of social media networks by school districts receiving discounted internet access through federal e-Rate dollars.”
Distractions Begone! Facebook as a Study Tool
The Facebook application Hoot.me seeks to turn Facebook into a study tool for students. The app diverts students away from their wall and news feed and asks them, “What are you working on?” It then connects students with live group-study sessions on their chosen topic. The tool also could prove useful for educators, providing a way for them to hold “virtual office hours” for students, the tool’s CEO and co-founder, Michael Koetting, says.
Instead of the typical Facebook prompt, “What’s on your mind?” Hoot.me asks its users “What are you working on?”
Read the full story, KQED.org/Mind/Shift blog
by Lisa Nielsen, best known as creator of The Innovative Educator blog, is an outspoken and passionate advocate of learning innovatively. Today she writes about Personal Learning Networks and has one of the best explanations I have seen.
“In the 21st century teachers are no longer the sole imparters of information. Instead their role shifts to empowering students to learn independently in part by developing personal learning networks in areas of passions, talents, and interests. Not only are these real-world connections valuable, they enable learning to move from the preparation for life to the living of life by providing individuals with access to learners, leaders and experts around the world bringing together communities, resources and information impossible to access solely from within school walls.”
Read the full story, Click Here
by Pete Cashmore
Editor’s note: Pete Cashmore is founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular tech-news blog. He writes occasional columns about social networking and tech for CNN.com.
“CNN) — Google+, Google’s new social networking service, might cautiously be called a hit. With 25 million visitors at last count, Google+ may well be the fastest-growing social network to launch thus far.
A glance at Google+’s most popular users, however, would indicate that the social service is still a playground for tech’s early adopters.
The unofficial leaderboard of the site’s “most circled” users is dominated by technologists — from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Even I make the list — and while that’s surely flattering, I’m hardly a household name.”
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
Educators say rules can block “good” sites, teachable moments!
Book banning has long been a controversial issue in the nation’s schools. Now some educators say banned websites pose as great a threat to kids’ education and intellectual freedom.
- “The Internet is not going away,” says Karen Cator of the Department of Education.
Filtering software and school rules designed to keep out violence and pornography are also blocking key educational and otherwise useful sites, teachers say, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube — not to mention Google and National Geographic.
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
And read the companion story: Among educators, Eric Sheninger is something of a social networking hero. Click Here
I suspect there will be a series of posts about Google+ and links to resource related. And I am guessing I will not be the only educator doing that. We are all trying to wrap our brains around Google+ and why we should use it and how it will benefit us.
Today my Mac|Life newsletter had an informative article…..
“Google+ is slowly becoming the new go-to social network. So much so, that you might be feeling left out of the scene because you just have no idea what’s going on or what to actually use Google+ for. We put together a helpful little primer to get you started on Google’s new social network, to get you all “plus one” in no time!”
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
“Many early users of the latest platform for social networking have begun sharing their ideas about the potential for supporting learning. There is much to be anticipated – I always believed that the community element was missing from the use of Google Apps for Education.
Perhaps Google+ could provide the platform for schools to help positively teach social networking and tie in the use of the different apps more seamlessly together.
Take a look at what educators think so far and feel free to share your own ideas with the Google doc, or leave them in the comments here.”
Read the full story from Tom Barrett, CLICK HERE
I started with Google+ yesterday and like others, I am trying to figure out how to use Google+ mostly educationally (in my classes and with my students).
Tom Barrett has a Google Presentation of 20 Interesting Ways to use Google+. It does give me some good food for thought. My summer class is over on Thursday, so not enough time to really implement it there, but, I do think I will give them some resources and we can dig around and hopefully have a class discussion about the possibilities of Google+, I’ll let you know how it goes after class Monday. And, I do have some time to think about how I could use it in my fall class.
So, I encourage you to set up a Google + account. Actually, if you already have a gmail or google docs account all you really have to do is sign in to Google+. If you are struggling to wrap you head around Google+, as I am, here is an Interactive Tour that may help. http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/+/demo/
If you have ideas, I would love to hear them.
Google+: It’s the hot social network on the block. In just three weeks, Google’s competitor to Facebook and Twitter has amassed more than10 million users, and its users are sharing more than 1 billion pieces of content daily. It’s become a hotbed for early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses around the world.
Google+ isn’t the easiest thing to understand, though. It has a lot of features that can confuse beginners. Even advanced users can miss a lot of the little gems and nuances that define Google+.
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
