Create Your Ain Social Network Seven Steps

Social networking is i of the fundamental concepts that is driving Web 2.0 these days. With the opportunities social networks offering for collaboration as well as communication, this is sure something nosotros every bit educators should hold upwards thinking nearly beingness involved in.


In this tutorial I'd similar to exhibit you lot how to do your ain social network on Ning, simply past times next 7 steps. I've published these every bit a downloadable PDF alongside hide shots, then that you lot tin impress them upwards as well as follow them / percentage them.

• 7 steps to creating a social network>> (944k pdf)
  

Perhaps though, to a greater extent than importantly it's worth thinking nearly some of the issues, as well as pros as well as cons surrounding the utilisation of social networks.

Some advantages of creating your ain network.

• Control over the content
  You tin brand sure nobody posts anything inappropriate or irrelevant.
  
• Control of who joins as well as the powerfulness to block or ban people
  You tin protect your members, ban anyone who doesn't bear or simply bound membership to people you lot desire to invite.
• Increased reach
  You tin increase the accomplish of your F2F activities as well as acquire to a greater extent than people involved inwards the collaborative / collective evolution of your project.
  
• Good for your personal / career development
  You tin larn a lot through beingness an administrator as well as develop some useful skills as well as knowledge.
  

Things to consider earlier you lot launch your network

• Closed (just people you lot invite) or Open (anyone who wants to join)
  I would advise starting off alongside simply people you lot invite start to encounter how things receive got off. Deciding to brand the network opened upwards could receive got a lot of consideration as well as demand much to a greater extent than 'policing' moderation from you.
  
• Do you lot receive got the fourth dimension to deal the network?
  This is ever a fundamental interrogation for teachers. Keeping the network active as well as upwards to appointment is going to receive got time. If you lot don't receive got the fourth dimension / resources to set into it, best non to start.
  
• Do you lot receive got or tin you lot detect content to input to the network?
  Content is withal the original motivation for teachers / students to acquire involved, fifty-fifty if it's simply every bit stimulation for communication / collaborative work, you lot demand to receive got something to offering as well as your members are going to demand to 'get something' from visiting your network, or they won't hold upwards coming back.
  
• How / Will you lot hold upwards able to rear collaboration betwixt the members?
  Bit similar the betoken above. Just providing a network isn't going to do collaboration. Ning is simply a platform, you lot receive got to render reasons, tasks, activities for members to collaborate on, or it simply won't happen.
  
• What functionality (groups, forums, video as well as photograph sharing) do you lot desire to brand available?
  Providing all of these on Ning is easy, but don't render anything you lot can't use. If you lot render the powerfulness to percentage photos / videos, brand sure you lot receive got something to percentage as well as reasons for sharing those things. You'll too demand to recollect nearly who tin percentage add together as well as create. Are you lot going to proceed consummate command or percentage it alongside your members?
  
• Will you lot desire to include advertising or enquire it to hold upwards removed?
  If you lot are using Ning for educational purposes you lot tin contact them as well as enquire for advertising to hold upwards removed. You tin too pay for a Ning platform as well as generate some coin from the advertising yourself. I wouldn't recommend this every bit the amount may good non justify what you lot receive got to set upwards alongside from the advertisers. It's too amend to acquire the advertising removed earlier you lot invite people to join, every bit some of the links tin hold upwards inappropriate.
  
• What data volition you lot desire members to add together when joining?
  You tin determine what data members demand to submit when they bring together as well as determine who sees the information. You detect out a lot nearly them this way, but people tin hold upwards set off past times having to give away their information, then it could hold upwards best simply to allow them decide.
  
• How long volition you lot desire to proceed the network live? (limited menstruation or indefinitely)
  If you lot exclusively intend to utilisation the network for a specific fourth dimension express projection it mightiness hold upwards goodness to brand this clear to your members, then they proceed records of anything they develop inside the network. Then when the projection ends you lot tin delete it alongside a clear conscience as well as proceed the spider web tidy.

Looking at other networks
Before you lot start your ain social network it's a goodness thought to receive got a await circular at what others are doing. You mightiness acquire some goodness ideas, encounter some potential pitfalls you lot desire to avoid, or fifty-fifty determine someone already has your expanse covered as well as simply determine to bring together them instead of recreating the wheel. Here a 4 networks for teachers that are good worth checking out.

• Mexico English linguistic communication Teachers' Alliance
  http://metamexico.ning.com/
• Teachers helping teachers
  http://teachershelpingteachers.ning.com/
• EFL Classroom 2.0
  http://eflclassroom.ning.com/
• Classroom 2.0
  http://www.classroom20.com/

Evaluation criteria
Deciding whether you lot desire to bring together or recommend a network tin hold upwards a tricky process, but every bit I've been looking closed to for ones I desire to hold upwards component subdivision of I've built upwards a listing of criteria that I detect quite useful to receive got inwards the dorsum of my mind.

• What features / functionality does the network offer? (Groups forums etc.)
  If there's no interaction, is it worth beingness a component subdivision of this network?
  
• Are the groups / forums active alongside a number of members exchanging information?
  Just because it has them doesn't hateful they are beingness used. Have a await as well as brand sure at that spot is something at that spot to larn as well as somebody at that spot to larn with.
  
• Are these features beingness used? (If the network offers the utilisation of photograph or video sharing is this beingness used?)
  This is a goodness house to await to encounter what members are actually sharing. Is at that spot original content or is it all grabbed from YouTube / Flickr?
  
• Can you lot detect out when the network was concluding active?
  Some networks are withal online, but receive got died. Either the members or creator has lost interest. No betoken joining an inactive network.
  
• How many members does it have?
  Open networks that exclusively receive got a minor number of members, may hold upwards less worthwhile. Most networks demand a critical volume to proceed them moving, unless the members are really committed.
  
• Are whatsoever of the members’ photographs inappropriate?
  Many people bring together networks to describe traffic to their / unsuitable sites. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick await at their avatar icon could good give you lot a clue to which these are.
  
• Check out some of the fellow member profiles. Does the profile reveal the member’s electronic mail address or other personal information that you lot wouldn't desire to share?
  Make sure that the network isn't forcing you lot to reveal to a greater extent than data than you lot would experience happy with.
  
• Are at that spot whatsoever ‘Google Ads’ on the site? Are these suitable or potentially offensive?
  Especially when recommending networks to others, it's goodness to banking enterprise tally this first.
  
• Is at that spot whatsoever interesting content on the site?
  Again, I withal believe that content is king. Content + collaboration = learning! No content, don't join.
  
• Who is behind the network?
  Always wise to know who you lot are dealing alongside as well as sharing your data / cognition with. Is it a grouping of similar minded individuals, or a faceless companionship alongside dubious motivations?
  

Why do your ain network for teachers?
Some suggestions:

• To back upwards item dispersed groups doing specific projects / preparation courses
  
• To tape as well as percentage examples of exercise as well as expertise specific to their context
• To aid prepare as well as develop teachers inwards the utilisation of ICT / Learning Technology

Why do your ain network for students?
Some suggestions:

• Class enquiry projects – do a network for your students based closed to a item subject that they demand to research.
• Inter-class projection – do a network for sharing data alongside students inwards some other schoolhouse / country.
• Create a fan site alongside your students dedicated to a item celebrity they like.
• Create a site to inform visitors nearly Kingdom of Morocco / your town or city, your civilization etc.
• Create an online classroom as well as add together links to materials, activities as well as tasks the students should do.
• Create a network to showcase students piece of job as well as proceed inwards contact alongside as well as involve parents.

Important

• You should non utilisation Ning alongside students below the historic menstruation of 13.
• Always protect your members’ privacy as well as brand sure their electronic mail isn’t displayed as well as they don’t percentage addresses or telephone numbers alongside people.

Well if later on all this you lot are withal interested inwards creating your ain network, hither are the 7 steps again:

• 7 steps to creating a social network>> (944k pdf)

I've created i myself for a preparation course of report for teachers that I'm involved with. Personally I've works life it actually valuable then far.
For to a greater extent than opinions as well as to detect out nearly choice platforms, watch Larry Ferlazzo's blog post on Social Networks for the Classroom

Good luck alongside your networking as well as delight do utilisation the comments below to percentage your experience of using social networks.

Best

Nik Peachey

Brainstorm Together With Ground Collaboratively

This morning time I spotted Problem Solvr

It's anonymous as well as thus students tin post away locomote honest without beingness identified.

What I'm non as well as thus certain about

• It's anonymous, as well as thus tin post away locomote opened upward to abuse.
• It shouldn't locomote used to supercede confront to confront combat inward class, where that is possible, merely could locomote useful to prime number students earlier flat as well as thus they accept to a greater extent than ideas when they come upward to flat for discussion.
• Carries some advertising, merely students tin post away locomote asked to ignore the ads.
• It's all the same beingness tested, as well as thus yous debates could disappear or at that spot could locomote bugs.

I intend Create your ain social network seven steps

How to practise a wiki

Using wikis amongst EFL students

Using wikis for instructor development

Online Video: As Communication

Sending Bubble Joy to your EFL / ESL Students

Microblogging for EFL amongst Plurk

Great Video Commenting Tool

Video conferencing for EFL

Best

Nik Peachey

3 Tools For Exploiting The Wifi During Presentations

Coming equally I produce from a background inwards linguistic communication pedagogy that emphasises that the instructor should nigh upwards too become the students to produce the talking, I ofttimes experience uncomfortable doing conference presentations, many of which even then follow the format of; speaker gets upwards inwards forepart of audience amongst presentation - does presentation - audience nous (try to remain awake) too desperately endeavour to intend of a few questions at the terminate to essay they were awake too listening.

Tap into the Backchannel inwards Your Presentation’
Live polling
Getting audience answer during presentations tin endure done quite easily past times getting a present of hands, but I tend to notice that pretty unsatisfying inwards damage of capturing too sharing data, then I’ve started using a polling / survey tool called Urtak Creating Social Polls too Questionnaires Using Urtak’
Make greenback taking collaborative
Many listeners at presentations produce their best to proceed notes during presentations, then if your audience has wireless connectivity why non become them to produce this collaboratively? H5N1 non bad tool for doing this is Sync.in Collaborative Text Editing Tool for to a greater extent than information on Sync.in.
Of class these tools aren’t simply useful for conference presentations, but tin endure used for online grooming webinars equally good equally classroom pedagogy if you lot operate inwards a wireless enabled classroom environment. Be certain to practise amongst them ane at a fourth dimension origin for brusk tasks equally you lot gradually construct them inwards to your presentation skills repertoire.

Good luck too I promise you lot notice these tools useful too presently convey your audience multitasking equally good equally listening.

Related links:

• Let us Now Praise Famous Women
• The Web 2.0 School of the Present
• Social Networks too the Web 2.0 Revolution: Part 2
• Creating Social Polls too Questionnaires Using Urtak
• Survey Creation Tool for Students
• Create Quick Online Polls
• Create an ESL EFL Video Quiz
• Make your ain chat room
• Express Your Opinions

Best

Nik Peachey

Peer Editing Inward Digital Too Mobile Environments

For years immediately I cause got been happily using EtherPad based services similar http://primarypad.com/ and http://sync.in/ to acquire participants on the grooming courses I deliver to piece of work collaboratively to exercise in addition to peer edit texts. Increasingly though I've been having problems alongside the reliability of the complimentary services these companies furnish in addition to the lack of reliable compatibility alongside mobile devices.

At concluding it seems that immediately I cause got a really elegant solution inwards the shape of https://quip.com/.
Quip looks a lot similar Evernote in addition to has a similar interface alongside documents contained inwards notebooks, only i of the large differences is that Quip was designed specifically to enable peer editing in addition to collaboration on documents in addition to has a really clear agency of showing in addition to tracking the changes.

Here's a brusk tutorial showing y'all how it works:


Why should nosotros acquire our students peer editing?

• It improves their awareness of accuracy
• It tin hand the axe improve the character of their writing
• Pushes students to convey that writing is a procedure that needs revisions in addition to redrafting
• The mightiness to collaborate inwards digital environments is probable to live on an of import existent footing digital literacy

What kinds of peer editing activities tin hand the axe nosotros exercise alongside students?

• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside planted errors (10 - 20) inwards to piece of work on a notice in addition to right together. These could live on the lyrics of songs they similar or stories or articles they cause got read.
• We tin hand the axe acquire students to right each others' compositions earlier nosotros await at them.
• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside specific features missed out in addition to acquire them to piece of work together to add together them. These could live on linking or referencing devices, punctuation, vocabulary words, grammatical features such every bit prepositions or articles etc.
• We tin hand the axe acquire them working together to rearrange parts of a text into a meliorate guild or structure.
• We tin hand the axe hand them the bare construction of a even out in addition to inquire them to embellish it in addition to acquire inwards to a greater extent than descriptive in addition to interesting.

What I similar almost Quip

• It's free
• Nicely designed interface
• Works in addition to looks good inwards both tablet  app shape in addition to inwards the browser
• Clearly tracks in addition to highlights changes to documents yesteryear dissimilar users
• It looks secure in addition to enables y'all to limit who sees in addition to works on the document spell editing
• Has a sort of chat messaging characteristic which works along side the notes for changes
• We tin hand the axe usage it to acquire students collaborating in addition to working together exterior the classroom

What I'm non in addition to then certain about

• It requires registration, which tin hand the axe tedious things downward inwards class, only it does every bit good add together a grade of security
• I haven't tried it alongside larger groups all the same in addition to then I'm non certain how reliably it volition piece of work when scaled upwards to country having a whole shape piece of work synchronously on a unmarried document
• Not certain how long it volition remain complimentary (There is a Quip Business already available)

I'm immediately looking forrad to my side yesteryear side class in addition to then that I tin hand the axe endeavour Quip out in addition to acquire a fleck to a greater extent than experience alongside it. I promise y'all every bit good notice it useful alongside your students. Do drib me a employment in addition to permit me know how it goes.

Related links:

• What exercise y'all experience are the primal digital literacy skills that 21st century learners need? 
• Get Students Checking Grammar in addition to Collocation 
• How I usage social media for my professional person development  
• Two Contrasting Views of Educational Technology 
• Online Teacher Development Works Best - xv Reasons Why
• Developing your digital written report skills
• Temporary Bookmarking
• Creating a personal homepage
• Social Networks in addition to the Web 2.0 Revolution
• Create your ain social network seven steps
• A Tick List of 21st Century Digital Skills for Teachers 

Best

Nik Peachey