This release of Blackboard adds several exciting new features and a completely redesigned, modern Web 2.0 user interface. You'll get a "sneak peak" at some of the many reasons you might just like Bb 9.1, including: The new user interface - more customization options and fewer "clicks" to get something done! Drag 'n Drop functionality for both students and instructors Blogs, Journals, and Wikis -- Oh No (Oh Yes)! Updated (i.e. more manageable) Group tools Useful (and needed) enhancements to the existing Assignments tool and the Grade Center And many more

Where Levine gets it wrong is to assume that this shift is being driven by the demand of digital natives for new methods of teaching and learning. Levine writes that, "Today's traditional undergraduates, aged 18 to 25, are digital natives. They grew up in a world of computers, Internet, cell phones, MP3 players, and social networking." I recommend that Arthur Levine, and all of you, download (buy, whatever) a copy of Clay Shirky's new book Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age. Shirky talks about the fundamental_attribution_error, the tendency to explain behaviors as the result of character as opposed to the opportunity structure.

Bb Learn 9.1 documentation

If you don't know what Facebook groups are, there's a good chance you haven't spent more than an hour on Facebook. However if you are a rare exception, we thought it would be useful to explain groups. According to Facebook, groups are "for members of groups to connect, share and even collaborate on a given topic or idea". While the company continues to make a distinction between groups and Facebook Pages, we see these products eventually merging over time.

The nuances of Copyright and Creative Commons and the differences between them can be confusing. I recently came across this neat little video that does a good job of explaining Creative Commons and what Creative Commons licenses allow or do not allow people to do with your works. A PDF of the images in the video can be found here.

Open educational resources (OER) are any resources available at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research. The term can include textbooks, course readings, and other learning content; simulations, games, and other applications; syllabi, quizzes, and assessment tools; and virtually any other educational material. Open resources are issued under a license that spells out how they can be used: Some may only be used in their original form; in other cases, resources can be modified, remixed, and redistributed. OER expand the access to educational resources to more learners, more of the time, and they have the potential to spur pedagogical innovation, introducing new alternatives for effective teaching.

"Social media is transforming our culture, opening new ways to connect with others and promoting the growth of communities of interest. Higher education is already feeling the impact of social media, and I think we're just at the beginning of that process. 9thPeriod offers a way for the University to leverage social media for pedagogical ends. I'm happy that the Learning Technologies Grant program has funded this opportunity to explore how social media can help support UGA's mission."

A key reason some ideas are so successful, conventional wisdom has held, is that a few highly influential people espouse them. In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell wrote that what he calls "social epidemics" are "driven by the efforts of a handful of exceptional people." Those exceptional people tend to be experts on a subject who love to talk. Such people can convince dozens of others of their opinions. An excellent sales strategy, then, would be to find those few critical people, persuade them of the value of your product, and leave it to them to convince others. It's a compelling idea, but does it really work? Social network theorists Duncan J. Watts of Columbia University and Peter Sheridan Dodds of the University of Vermont in Burlington decided to put the notion to a test. What they found is a disappointment for "viral marketers" who specialize in selling products by influencing influential people.

Using Twitter at social media conferences has become a great way to do just that. But Twitter isn't appropriate for every situation. Your audience isn't on Twitter.You don't want the discussion to be public.You need to see only relevent updates.That's where TodaysMeet comes in. TodaysMeet gives you an isolated room where you can see only what you need to see, and your audience doesn't need to learn any new tools like hash tags to keep everything together.

Daniel Pink's lecture about his book, Drive. While directly addresses the business world but the connections to education are apparent. Speaks to why incentive pay for teachers is a ridiculous idea. Even why grades are a lousy incentive for students.

Facebook is the world's leading social network, with over 300 million users and more than 900 employees. But how do you get the most out of it? To answer this question and more, Mashable has created The Facebook Guide Book, a complete collection of resources to help you master Facebook.

Twitter parade

The end of the school year is quickly approaching for many of us in the teaching profession. In fact, my last day of school is 27 days from now. Like many other high school classes, my classes will soon begin reviewing for final exams. One of the review activities that I've had students do in the past is create multimedia timelines containing key events and concepts from the year. Last year my students used XTimeline to do this, but there are other good options available. Here are five ways students can create multimedia timelines.

The Ultimate List: 300+ Social Media Statistics

Free YouTube Download. Download all possible YouTube videos to your computer: - a single YouTube video; - complete YouTube playlists and show lists; - all video responses to a YouTube video; - all videos of a selected YouTube user or a channel; - all video from the user favorites. The beauty of this YouTube downloader lies in its simple set up. By default, output files are saved into the program's folder in My Documents, and they retain the name of the source video.

Social media may have started out as a fun way to connect with friends, but it has evolved to become a powerful tool for education and business. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter and tools such as Skype are connecting students to learning opportunities in new and exciting ways. Whether you teach an elementary class, a traditional college class, or at an online university, you will find inspirational ways to incorporate social media in your classroom with this list.

The Socialbrite team is here to help people in any sector get up to speed on the social Web and find the right strategy and tactics to help your organization or cause. We want to put the right social tools and strategies in your hands to bring about positive change, whether you're a nonprofit, an NGO, a social cause organization, an educator or a media maker. We were featured in Mashable's 4 Social Good Trends of 2009.