Thing #19 - Beyond Facebook: Other Social Networks

I am a member of Facebook, Pinterest, and TeacherPop.  I am sure that I have probably signed up for some more social networks during the course of this class.  I am more active on Facebook than any of the other networks.  I think that Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with family that is in another state and also local friends.  We share pictures and exchange information, and it’s always entertaining to look at what funny observations my friends have made.  I looked through the networks that are mentioned in Thing #19, and I liked Good Reads.  I think that Good Reads would be a fabulous education site that students and teachers could use to find a good book fast for research or for pleasure.  I loved Crafter.org.   I could get lost on there for days!  I liked the contributions on TeacherPop, and I think that the little Frog song would be great in a kindergarten or first grade class.  For my purposes, I think that my five year-old grandson would enjoy it and could maybe gain some understanding of what adding and subtracting is about.   

Thing #18 – Explore Social Networking

At first glance, it is difficult for me to consider social networks like Facebook and Twitter as viable in the classroom.   I always have associated them with social activity rather than as instructional opportunities.  However, I researched further and discovered that these apps can be very effective teaching tools.  Why am I not surprised?  The point of education is to make learning relative to students who eat, breathe, and sleep technology.  They all  connect with social networking, so why not facebook and tweet in the classroom?   Both of these tools can encourage student engagement and discussion about course material and class projects, which would then optimize learning both in and out of the classroom.  This method reminds me of the online discussion forums that I have used with internet classes.  The online discussion is always part of the final grade, and the instructor sets up the guidelines and introduces discussion topics.  The same could be done with Facebook and Twitter being the facilitators for discussion.  

Teachers can also set up Facebook accounts tailored to classroom topics in order to quickly disseminate information and also to engage students in the lesson.  Tweets can be used for the same purpose.   They are just quick bursts of information but can challenge students to be short and to the point – only 140 characters allowed per tweet.   Another good instructional way to use this tool would be that students could follow any of their teachers. That would be an effective way to keep students informed about upcoming assignments and lesson material. 

I probably like Facebook better than Twitter just because I already have a Facebook account and am more familiar with the set-up.  I have only tweeted a couple of times, and I was more interested in figuring out how to say something in an abbreviated form than in the content of my message.  In other words, I got distracted.   The only real thing that I dislike about either one is my mental block about viewing them both as social outlets; but taking that into consideration, what a great way to trick students into learning when they are “socializing!”   All in all, I have to say that I prefer Facebook – both personally and from an educational perspective  since it allows for more in-depth commentary and dialogue.

Thing #17 - Tagging and Social Bookmarking with Delicious

I like easy things, and Delicious would definitely make my school life easier.  I can relate to having an overloaded “Favorites” folder, and this tool could streamline my research process and my “saved” files.  I like the Delicious concept much better than the sticky notes apps that bookmark favorite internet sites and information.  The way Delicious utilizes cross-referencing with the tagging feature makes perfect sense, and the social bookmarking component allows for group collaboration.  I think that both Delicious and wikis would be particularly helpful for group projects.  Also, from an educator standpoint, Delicious could be beneficial to teachers to compare notes and share lesson plans.  I liked Digg also, but it sort of reminded me of a Facebook with tagging added since you share with a community of members.  I liked the organization of the site with category headings that can point you to the most popular stories and videos.  I didn’t like StumbleUpon as well; but from an education standpoint, I can see how it could help a student or teacher locate information and relevant websites in a timely manner.  Of course, one other big bonus of all these sites is the storage component and being able to access bookmarked information from any computer.  Of the three, Delicious was my favorite (for the school possibilities), but Digg is a close second.

Thing #16 - Get Organized with Web 2.0 Tools

          Since I had customized a start page with iGoogle in a previous blog post, I decided to try Page Flakes to create this start page.  Page Flakes reminded me a lot of iGoogle – it was extremely simple to set up.  I selected the news and miscellaneous categories that interested me and then submitted to save my settings.  I moved some of the boxes around to balance out the page, and editing was a simple process.  I also started an online Google calendar, and it was a quick procedure as well.  I liked the "invite other guests to a calendar event"as a means of notification, but the recipient needs to have an email program like Outlook in order to open the invitation attachment.  I think that an online calendar is an effective method for reminding parents and students of upcoming activities and due dates for assignments – sort of like a syllabus.  It would help organize student work and manage students' workload, which is an essential life skill.  As a tool for instructors, one of these calendars could help a teacher stay on top of day-to-day meetings and lesson plans, as well as to keep a record of upcoming personal appointments and activities.

          For to-do list apps, I checked out Remember the Milk and MyStickies.  I like the visuals in MyStickies, and the premise made sense, but I don’t think that I would use it because I prefer a filing system like Diigo for storing favorite websites and tagged information.  I liked Remember the Milk’s layout, and I thought that the set-up could be beneficial for disorganized students to adapt in order to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.    The system has tabs for organization, and it can be used with other apps including Google calendar.  It gives a good overview by housing the “to do” list in one central location; and for education purposes, the information can be emailed to parents and students to streamline the exchange of information.

Thing #15 - What in the World is a Wiki?

          Well, I uploaded an image to the 23 Things Sandbox  and added a comment, but it didn’t show up on the Front Page right away, so I’m hoping that the site will update and display my comment at some point.  I need confirmation!  Using the wiki seemed like a fairly simple process, and I can see what a useful tool this could be in the classroom for students to share information and to collaborate on projects.  I liked the how-to video that explained wikis in very basic terms  – demonstrating  how a group of people could keep adding information and comments to any subject that is open for discussion.  The wiki can be used to track information and for editing and for brainstorming.  I think that this app would quickly engage students because of the technology aspect –a much easier way to organize than a string of emails.  The wiki reminds me of a blog except that everyone does the writing and has equal creativity input.

Thing #14 – Go with the Flow

Both mind mapping and flow charts are easy to use and to set up for personal and group projects.  I chose Bubble.us  for mind mapping, and I really liked the simplicity of the program.  It was very easy to construct a chart using the colored bubbles and arrows.  I quickly put together a diagram of triangle types, and I think that Bubble.us is a good visual aid to use in the classroom when presenting new concepts– especially to break down a more complex topic into smaller teachable components.  It is a simple but very effective way to organize thoughts and brainstorm, both on individual assignments as well as on collaborative research.   The mind mapping tools organize and connect ideas to a central topic, whereas the flow charts link material in a sequence – so that the ideas “flow” in the natural order.   I tried to use the Flow Charts program, and it kept locking up on my computer, so I selected Gliffy to create a flow chart for my research paper on dyscalculia.  Gliffy is easy to navigate, and I was able to set up my outline in no time at all.  The Gliffy flow chart provided good visuals and enabled me to easily organize my ideas for my paper.  Both programs also have “share” features, which are essential for group projects and collaboration.  I think that mind maps tools are great for brainstorming, and the colorful graphics can be used to enhance any course material.  I like the flow charts for outlining, and I think that they can be adapted for any subject to teach procedures, to conduct research, and to design lesson plans.  Wonderful tools! 

Thing # 13 – Web-Based Applications

Google Docs and Zoho Writer are two web-based applications that offer document set up, file management, and edit/share options for group collaboration.  Both programs track and color code the editing as it occurs, in order to provide an accurate document history and to show all group members and the instructor the final edited version.

Both applications exist inside the web browser and can be saved to a personal account that can be accessed from any computer.  The formatting and layout of the two are similar to Microsoft Word and Excel.  Google Docs is easier to navigate and has more education templates that can be adapted for classroom use.   Zoho more closely resembles Micosoft with its tabs and page layout, but I had more difficulty maneuvering around the site.   For example, I was unable to conduct a search for “education templates” – although I was able to locate them when I scrolled through the entire list one by one.

The instructional benefits of both pieces of software are the simple editing and collaboration options.  A teacher can set up a project and form a group for collaboration and then review each student’s progress on the project through the version tracking feature.  He or she can add comments and editing as well.  The document is stored at Google Docs or Zoho, and this outside storage capability eliminates the problems of incompatible Microsoft versions.   Teachers can also use the editing and group collaboration to consult with colleagues on professional research and projects. 

I decided to test both programs by creating a Lesson Plan on each site to save and export for my blog post.  Google Docs has a Lesson Plan template, so I used that to fill out my lesson plan.  Zoho has an extensive list of templates, some which are teacher-oriented, but there is no Lesson Plan template, and I was unable to make modifications to a pre-formatted template that was not set up for lesson plan.  I ended up typing my lesson plan on a blank document, and it reminded me of creating a document in Microsoft Word.

I think that both of these sites are very effective classroom tools, and the whole editing / collaboration concept is genius!  I enjoyed experimenting and comparing the two sites, and of course, I discovered that there are pros and cons in both.  Google Docs is more user-friendly, but the drawback is the requirement for very fast internet hook-up when doing any typing.  I had some problems typing my lesson plan document directly on the site, because I was typing faster than my wireless connection.  The letters kept being skipped, and I had to go back and add the missing letters.  I would use Google Docs again, but I would upload a Word document to the site for storage, editing, and/or group collaboration.  The templates are also easier to modify than the ones in Zoho.  I would also use Zoho Writer again, but I would have to become more familiar with the settings and the set-up to be more comfortable with the program.   

I have posted the lesson plan document (in the post right before this one) that I exported from Zoho Writer, and it was a very simple procedure.   I was unable to upload an HTML from Google Docs to my Blog: so  right now, Zoho is my favorite of the two.