bp10_20091108_Social Bookmarking for Educators with Diigo

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Social Bookmarking for Educators with Diigo

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bp9_post_20091108_Social Bookmarking: Delicious

Before getting started on what social bookmarking is and how it can be used in Education, I believe it is important to understand some basics. The first is bookmarking, often this is as simple as saving a favorite address of a website or url. While this may seem simple enough even bookmarking can have its problems. I've listed some of the most common issues I've encountered below:

• depending on how many bookmarks you have, it can often be simpler to just relocate the site using a search engine.
• sometimes the site can be used as a resource for multiple areas and naming is difficult

• bookmarking really only works on one computer, if you have multiple computers that you use the bookmarks will be different on each one.

Social bookmarking allows the user to save their bookmarks to a public website and tag them with keywords.
Tagging is simply labeling the information with search-able keywords, it is a way to index material you have located or would like to locate.
Folksonomy is a tagging system that is created by a user or a community of users, these are informal organizational structures.
How does it work?
Social bookmarking allows the visitor to search the sites for potential resources based on the tags or keywords that have been used, it is also most powerful in helping the researcher to see how others have tagged the site, allowing the researcher to try these keywords in their own search.
It also allows the researcher to tell how many people have visited and then tagged the site for use.

What are some of the social bookmarking tools?

• Digg.com
• StumbleUpon.com
• reddit.com
• clipmarks.com
• Diigo.com
• Delicious.com

While these all are social bookmarking sites, be sure to browse through them then choose the one that is right for you.

The Pros & Cons of social bookmarking
Pros

• It allows users to express their perspective on the resource through the folksonomies & tagging
• Users can find others that have been researching similar information, the potential then exists to create a link with others and possibly create a new learning community.
• Users of social bookmarking can take advantage of others insights to research topics. While some connections may be obvious there may be other related connections that someone is exploring that may provide additional connections.
• Provides a free way to organize websites, podcasts, wikis, blogs, images, and media content.
• Offers both public access and complete privacy.
• Supports learning 24/7.
  

Cons

• Tagging is done by amateurs, these can often be inconsistent.
• No one oversees the tagging process or changes how they have been organized and tagged.
• This is just one more thing that requires maintenance, it requires updating.

Educational Uses
Students often spend their time researching using a variety of different computers. This will allow them to create a series of bookmarks they can pull up from anywhere and continue their research or writing. It will also empower students to follow the tags, expanding their research while allowing them to contribute to the process. Students can view others tags and learn from the collective intelligence they provide. It also encourages students to think critically about the site content as they make sense of the tags and annotations. It creates a collaborative environment where students can share and build their own personal levels of confidence. Tagging provides a different way for students to connect with information. It is not the same search process that would occur in a library.

References
Berger, P. & Trexler, S. Social bookmarking:Locate, tag and collaborate. Information Searcher 17.3, p.2-5.

Educause Learning Initiative (2005). 7 things you should know about social bookmarking. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from Educause Learning Initiative http://www.educause.edu.ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

Terdiman, D. (2005). Tagging gives web a human meaning. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from CNET News http://news.com.com/Tagging+gives+Web+a+human+meaning/2009-1025_3-5944502.html

bp8_post_20091108_Bojam: Web 2.0 is for Musicians too

Bojam is still running a Beta site but the concepts it offers are what is exciting about this Web 2.0 tool, The idea that musicians will have the freedom to join other musicians without having to travel or worry about geographical boundaries. Musicians can search for other musicians, you can search music and discover some great talent. Musicians can connect, collaborate, and radically change the industry.

The musician only needs to have the hardware (instrument) and all of the recording software is provided by the site.

Check out this youTube video of their launch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZoyD13w64

The power of this comes from its ability to connect the professional with the amateur. There are often amatuers that would not become professionals because of the time or networking that is required. This will help those individuals begin to build their social and professional network.

bp7_20091105_Follow that Blog...

In pursuit of finding some great Web 2.0 tools I stumbled upon one of my classmates Blogs (http://rockinweb20/blogspot.com) Classrooms are Not Just for Squares. The tool being highlighted was Middlespot. See for your self it looks like a wonderful tool for students doing research to see what they have and what they need.

I left my comments below,

"What a great concept, I was not real sure what a mashup was, but you did a great job of breaking it all down and the example you used was terrific."

Please visit the site and let me know if you agree.

bp6_20091107_Flickr

Flicker has been around for a while (2004), there are some interesting lesson plans that have been created based on the use of Flickr.

Some of the lessons use the site as material for writing promts, an introduction to social networks, a way to introduce folksonomies and tagging concepts.

Well the list goes on but while I was able to find several interesting lesson, I doubt that I would use any of these in my classroom, however it did prompt me to consider some of my own lesson and consider how I would use Flickr. I teach concepts of photography, camera angles and shots, basics of cinematography. Flickr would be a great way for students to practice photo recognition, to search for a variety of types of camera shots and angles. It would be a wonderful way for students to reinforce the definitions of these terms with examples. The search process would realy allow students to view multiple images allowing them to start the process of comparing styles and help to develop their own critical eye.

bp5_post_20091102_Web 2.0 Tools to Use: edu.glogster

Well, if you have tried glogster and want to use it in your classroom, now is your chance. Take a look at the newest educational support that provides a great creative as well as interactive tool.

Student accounts can be created (up to 200) and you can monitor the accounts. Best of all, while our district has filtered out Glogster, the edu.Glogster is available. It is a super easy way to develop a unit plan or even a skills test. I am developing one for my Computer Apps class that will help them with their career planning, resume building, and personal statement. While the information is a little dry, this should keep the interest and motivation going. It will have information areas, skill challenges, questions with responses, you get the idea.

There are several good tutorials linked to the site that will walk you through a step by step process but also help you do some additional things like add this to your blog or wiki. If you have a blog or wiki for the class then you can integrate several different ones by sharing the different url's that are created for each Glogster you create. Our district recently purchased Discovery/Education and the media from their site drops in beautifully. I think this is one of the tools that should make it into every classroom.
Ready to try your own? Go to http://edu.glogster.com/ and sign up.

bp4_post_20091102_Blogging to support learning in the 21st century

Blogging is a good way to develop your personal voice, to defend your theories, discuss with others and find a way to write for peer understanding. It can require a great deal of work before the publish post takes place. Using blogging as a tool for the classroom often means that there should be discussions around what is appropriate for the educational environment versus your own personal blog. There are several secondary pieces that need to be taught to support blogging in the classroom.

I found that there are several support articles and teaching tools. The listing below provides some good resources for incorporating blogging into your classroom.

Take a look at this Blog Basics that McGraw-Hill has created:

http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/blog-basics /

Doug Caldwell created a nice site that provides some excellent examples of blogs in action:

http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4992

Whether you choose to start your own blog, use it as a parent communication tool,

or in your classroom, blogging may be just what you have been looking for.