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Ning

What is it?ning image

Ning is a free online application platform that allows users to build social networks and websites for public or private use.

Ning allows the user to choos a combination of features to create a customized social network including:

Ning also allows seamless intergration with internet applications such as:

Ning

What are the educational uses and benefits?ning image

Ning offers a myriad of social networking features in one location thus creating a website with the educational benefits of multiple other applications including benefets such as:

Blogs
  • Student maintained blogs: Students can regularly post about current course topics. For example, in a foreign language course students can post a few paragraphs each day in the foreign language to gain more experience than with regular textbook exercises.
  • The instructor can use the blog as a classroom environment by posting and updating information through the use of blogging software.
  • Instructors can facilitate online discussions among students in order to help keep them involved in the course.
Discussion Boards
  • Allows instructors to assess class participation.
  • Allows instructors to assess understanding of a concept or topic.
  • Use of discussion boards creates a classroom community.
  • Often the discussion board discussions take the place of lectures. This creates a situation in which the instructor is viewed as a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage."
  • Guest "speakers" can participate in question and answer sessions on discussion boards in asynchronous time.
  • Gives students who might not otherwise participate a safe environment to voice opinions.
  • Students can participate in groups to present on a topic.
  • Students can collaborate to present and defend an argument.
Facebook/Myspace
  • Allows for the creation of groups for current students and alumni. Groups can be created for a class, an activity, an interest, and so on.
  • Allows for the easy distribution of information and media.
  • Allows for easy posting of event schedules.
  • Promotes school activities.
  • Promotes communication among students and instructors and provides an alternative method of communication between students and instructors.
  • Promotes collaboration among peers.
  • Provides a sense of “belonging” among students.
  • Can be used as a recruiting tool among departments, universities, and potential employers.
Podcasts
  • Can be used in distance education for delivery of asynchronous or synchronous audio lectures.
  • Provides a fast and convenient medium to extend course lessons beyond the face to face classroom.
  • Gives students the ability to listen to a lecture multiple times.
  • Allows for flexibility in taking class notes.
  • Can replace or supplement traditional class notes.
  • Beneficial to auditory learners and learners who multitask.
Photo Sharing Websites
  • Online photos can be viewed as slide shows, downloaded, printed out and e-mailed
  • Allows user to store, search, sort and share photos.
  • Can to share photos of activities, resources, and research.
  • Users can embed hotspot areas with pop-up messages and links into an image
Polls
  • Determines understanding of a subject.
  • Can be structured as assessment questions to determine if a class has the grasp of a specific piece of information.
  • Determines attitudes of learners about a topic.
  • Polls can be used as an icebreaker to start discussion on a topic.
  • Polls can assure the anonymity of those who might not otherwise participate in class activities.
Social Bookmarking
  • Allows people with similar interests to create communities of users and thus influence resource tags.
  • Allows instructors and students to access information in a particular framework or context to share with peers and colleagues.
  • Allows for the classification of information based on a person's perspective and based on organizational structures.
  • Provides a constantly evolving list of resources.
YouTube
  • Can create collections of relevant content
  • Is a public host for media.
  • Can evaluate student work in alternative mediums.
  • Add creativity, imagination, and insight into an assignment.
  • Reaches a variety of learning styles.
  • Easy for instructors and students to post media.

Ning

Can I see an example?ning image

  • Classroom 2.0: A ning social network for educators using collaborative technologies
  • Distance Learning: A social network for distance learning professionals and ideas on how to use Ning in a distance setting
  • Ning in Education: An example of how Ning can be used for educational social networking

Ning

How do I get started?ning image

  • Sign up for a Ning account
  • Use the Ning template to add the features you wish to include in your Ning social network website
  • Launch the Ning webpage
  • Invite users to join your Ning social network or allow users to join without invitation
  • Add widgets and badges to further customize the site with features such as Flickr or Facebook/Myspace intergration

Ning

Where can I learn more? ning image

  • About Ning: Information on what ning is and how to get started
  • Classroom 2.0: A ning social network for educators using collaborative technologies
  • Distance Learning: A social network for distance learning professionals and ideas on how to use Ning in a distance setting
  • Ning in Education: An example of how Ning can be used for educational social networking
  • Ning: The Ning home page
  • Ning Help Center: Information on using a social network and creating and managing a social network in Ning
  • Wikipedia - Ning: A detailed explanation and examples of Ning
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