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There has been a lot of recent debate on the benefits of social networking tools and software in education. While there are good points on either side of the debate, there remains the essential difference in theoretical positioning. Most conventional educational environments are "Objectivist" in nature and highly structured in terms of students progress and choice. Social networking essentially requires a less controlled, user-generated environment, which challenges conventional views of the effective "management" of teaching and learning. Therefore, can social networking both as an instructional concept and user skill be integrated into the conventional approaches to teaching and learning? Do the skills developed within a social networking environment have value in the more conventional environments of learning?

Multifunctional web service that enables you to do almost anything with RSS feeds. There are 11 different feed tools you can use. Combine multiple RSS feeds, convert feeds into PDF, convert feeds to speech, create a mobile site from any feed, etc.

AwesomeStories is a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose - since the site was first launched in 1999 - is to help educators and individuals find original sources, located at national archives, libraries, universities, museums, historical societies and government-created web sites. AwesomeStories is about primary sources. The stories exist as a way to place original materials in context and to hold those links together in an interesting, cohesive way (thereby encouraging people to look at them). It is a totally different kind of web site in that its purpose is to place primary sources at the forefront - not the opinions of a writer. Its objective is to take the site's users to places where those primary sources are located.  The author of each story is listed on the preface page of the story. A link to the author provides more detailed information. This educational, curriculum-support teaching/learning tool is also designed to support state and national standards. Each story on the site links to online primary-source materials which are positioned in context to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment.

Really exceptional. Many thanks. incredibly interacive..Videos, audio, pictures, articles. lesson plans. Awesome.

Per David Warlick blog - "A recent report (Ready to Innovate/pdf) from The Conference Board and Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), reminds us that creativity, and integral part of innovation, is among the top five skills that will become more important over the next five years. Yet, according to their survey, school superintendents and American business executives differ in some significant ways in what this means."

An excellent comparison of the different communication channels!

As the popularity of taking classes at home grows, you might stop to wonder, what's the difference? What are the advantages of pursuing an MBA program online versus in a classroom?

Though this article is written for the business sector, there are many great parallels with how we experience social media's acceptance in the educational realm. The suggestions that are given are readily applied to our setting, as well. In the enterprise, many employees think blogs are merely websites on which people talk about their cat or their latest meal. Many don't know the differences between and advantages of such tools as message boards, blogs, and wikis. They have heard of these terms in passing, but the demands of their day-to-day jobs have prevented them from recognizing the distinct benefits of each tool. Solution: It is useless to advocate for social media tools in a vacuum. Unless you're describing a solution to a practical problem, busy workers will not respond to buzzwords like "wiki," "blog," and "community." Your client usually has about a 30-second attention span in which you can sell a social media tool. An aide in my arsenal has been the excellent videos by Lee Lefever at Common Craft. Lee visually explains social media concepts "In Plain English." Common Craft videos quickly explain complex and sometimes unfamiliar technologies in a few minutes, sans the buzzwords, hype, and sensationalism. Problem: Cynical Clients Who Don't Want to Share Information Unfortunately, some potential SharePoint users balk at the technology because they have no desire to share their knowledge for the benefit of the organization. These individuals tend to equate their knowledge with job security; therefore, they feel nervous about sharing out of fear that they wouldn't be needed any more.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder (involving an extra copy of chromosome 21) that leads to moderate intellectual disability, as well as a range of physical and health problems. Screening for Down syndrome during pregnancy can be done in a number of ways. The religion and ethics program presents two different women and the tough decisions they had to make after screening their babies for Down Syndrome. Are their actions morally right? or ethically allowable? or religiously authorized?

I believe that is what educators must do now. We must engage with these new technologies and their potential to expand our own understanding and methods in this vastly different landscape. We must know for ourselves how to create, grow, and navigate these

"One of the most demanded features for Twitter has been the ability to create groups, allowing members to focus on different sets of people they're following. For example, you could create groups for all of your fantasy league friends, colleagues at work, friends in real life, family members, and so on."

From Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog. Doug provides a link to the new Generations Online in 2009 report from the Pew Internet project. The chart of Generational Differences In Online Activities is an eye opener. (Since I have geezer eyeballs, the title of this post really appeals to me!)

Ton of free tutorials - Mac, PC and more. Great resource for students. Can help with papers, spreadsheets, presenatations and a lot more.

Watch free technology training videos. Get help and answer your computer and dadget questions with thousands of video tutorials for PCs, Macs, and tons of different applications.

Find a cause and make a difference.

"Nine great reasons why teachers should use Twitter: What's the point of Twitter? Why should educators get involved? What difference does using Twitter make?"

Woophy stands for WOrld Of PHotographY, a website founded by a Dutch collective of photo aficionados and internet designers who believe navigation on internet can be more visual, logical and associative. The goal of Woophy's founders is to create an accessible, visual, current, democratic and collective work of art comprised of a database picturing our remarkable world. With the help of (amateur) photographers across the world we strive to ultimately cover every inch of our world map with images that represent the world's beauty and peculiarity from all different cultural perspectives. Users upload their photos into a free personal account protected by a password, or download pictures for personal use. User email addresses and passwords are not shared with any third parties whatsoever.

The researchers found that 'girls showed a visual preference for the doll over the toy truck and boys compared to girls showed a greater number of visual fixations on the truck'.

In this post, educator Darren Draper uses video clips to explain the different types of copyright resources that are available under the Creative Commons. He also lists a number of sources for images, sound and video.

Timely information for our group! The learning time issue in particular is an important finding that points to a cost effective way to increase student learning time without tackling the issue of a longer school day head on. We know that more time on meaningful tasks is crucial, but the physical cost of attending a bricks and mortar classrooms is prohibitive.

The Internet is a useful and important part of our daily lives. Many can't remember how we handled even the most mundane tasks without online assistance. How did we even survive when we were kids? :-) However, along with the good, there is bad. Children and teens (but not their parents!) are very well versed in using the Internet, including web pages, blogs, uploading and downloading information, music and photos, etc. They are also trusting. This presentation will give an overview of the Internet and the inherent dangers. Learn the realities and dangers of ``virtual communities'' websites your kids frequent like Xanga.com, MySpace.com and FaceBook.com. Learn about the persistence of information on the net and Google hacking. Learn the differences between a wiki, blog, Instant Messaging, text messaging, and chat. Learn the Internet slang, key warning signs, and tips for Parents and Kids. This talk is for anyone who has a child, who knows a child, or who ever was a child!