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After placing students into one of two social network groups, this study finds that Twitter was more effective. One group used Ning to interact with lecturers and the other used Twitter. The Twitter group scored on average one grade higher than Ning users.

High school level project using a wiki and ning community. Students from multiple classrooms around the country contributed resources and responded to research within the wiki. They participated and communicated in Ning, an online social network.

Finally found an article that focuses specifically on middle school educators and social media. The more and more I envelop myself with the Knowledge Quest journal, the more I want a subscription. I recommend taking a look at this publication and article. This article puts an emphasis on Web 2.0 apps like Ning and Wikis, and the use of webinars to help mitigate fears surrounding the usage of social media in the middle grade levels.

Sounds like a useful article. I have never heard of Ning or Knowledge Quest. I went to check in out but the link is down.

Includes a nice list of 9 free alternatives to Ning.

Abstract Distance education as a primary means of instruction is expanding significantly at the college and university level. Simultaneously, the growth of social networking sites (SNS) including Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace is also rising among today's college students. An increasing number of higher education instructors are beginning to combine distance education delivery with SNSs. However, there is currently little research detailing the educational benefits associated with the use of SNSs. Non-commercial, education-based SNSs, such as Ning in Education, have been recently shown to build communities of practice and facilitate social presence for students enrolled in distance education courses. In order to evaluate the largely unexplored educational benefits of SNSs, we surveyed graduate students enrolled in distance education courses using Ning in Education, an education-based SNS, based on their attitudes toward SNSs as productive online tools for teaching and learning. The results of our study suggest that education-based SNSs can be used most effectively in distance education courses as a technological tool for improved online communications among students in higher distance education courses.

This is a great article about projects teachers have done with digital tools. Not all of them used social media, but some used NING, blogs, and Google Docs for networking and sharing information. I like the fact that many of these projects are about using social tools like blogs to enhance writing skills

Provides a space for students to gather to learn and to "think publicly" about Biology.

Suggestions on ways to maximize efficiency, reminders that telling/sharing may not be the same as facilitating, and examples of ways to turn routine activities into collaborative or connective activities.

I actually found myself getting excited about the thought of communicating with staff in a more effective and efficient way. So many times we attend staff meetings and have to take that time to read articles instead of using it to benefit our students' learning. I would love to see this changed SOON! #EdTechSN

This is a great article about social networking in schools.

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/06/16/03networking.h03.html M. Gottlieb Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. Ms. Tolisano launched her "Around the World With 80 Schools" project with a goal to introduce her school's students to peers in countries around the globe. She built a social-networking site using Ning for teachers from all countries who wanted to participate. Tolisano sets up meetings between classes using Skype, students prepare a list of questions and chat with students in Canada, Finland, New Zealand, and Spain, among a long list of others.

New Milford High School in New Jesrsey has embraced the use of social media. One example of use had students blogging daily during a field trip to Europe to visit Holocaust sites.

This is an explanation of what a personal Learning Network is and how it can be effective.

What is a Personal Learning Network? This is Marc-André Lalande's take on the matter in less than two minutes. It's simple and easy to understand for those that need it simplified.

This link is to a presentation on The Educator's PLN website. The video gives an overview on learning theory from ancient Greece to the present day, concluding with Siemens' theory of connectivism. This is very easy to understand and basic reasons are given for the advent of each theory with an explanation of each. When discussing connectivism, the speaker, Dallas McPheeters, talks about online self-organizing social systems (OSOSS), which are the communities that form via social networks. MCPheeters feels that technology allows history to repeat itself, providing the very best of every theory to any and every situation.

This website talked about 5 key resources needed for educators to being and grow their own personal PLNs. http://ning.com offers podcast downloads, discussion forums, videos, relevant blogs, videos and more resources. Powerful Learning Practice is a professional development opportunity that teacher can attend. It offers hands-on applications and the know-how to build and use technology within the classroom. Webinars are conferences people can attend online to join discussions and offer insight to like educators. EdChat is something we can join now on twitter using the hashtag #EdChat every Tuesday. Game based-learning tutorials and talk can be found on http://edweb.net where mentors and people who've successful implemented these practices in their classrooms can offer advice and help.

Those are 5 really good resources. Thanks for sharing.

In an animated video, Steven Johnson examines how good ideas develop. He proposes they rarely happen in a moment, but develop over time. It is necessary for those good ideas to come in contact with other good ideas from outside sources. When we have systems that allow for these ideas to come together, we are creating an atmosphere where better ideas can flourish. He believes that an increase in using the internet will lead to an increase in connectivity and more good ideas than ever before.

I enjoyed this video very much! Somethings are so obvious but the realization doesn't hit until you hear it or read it. In this case, I enjoyed the narration of how a good idea is very seldomly an "Eureka" moment. The internet was a work in progress for 10 years. I had no idea! Something that struck me is that great, life-changing ideas are usually a collaborative effort. I can also appreciate the narrator's stand that it is possible that all of the digital distractions might actually hinder those ideas. But, with technology collaboration on those ideas has gotten a little easier.

This is a good set of tools and instructions for creating and maintaining a PLN.

I found these piece both extremely interesting and valuable. So true the way the author discusses the outcomes of a one-shot workshop vs. a "job-embedded, ongoing" (love the terms!) framework such as PLCs. The main benefits of the PLCs are 1) their are embedded into each school day and are facilitated by teacher support staff and 2) they are not collaboration for collaboration's sake! Instead, they engage teachers into an ongoing dialogue that is of their concern or interest right here, right now! Thus, meaningful collaboration results in meaningful outcomes. Great read!

There's two tools I'm seeing less and less that were included in this blog post. I'm seeing less people using wikis and also Ning seems to have been replaced maybe by Google+? I see this blog as good discussion of using your time wisely and wonder how it might be updated say in 2 or 3 years with new technologies.

There are four main aspects to a successful PLN: 1. Tools - depend on learners ability level but commonly include social media 2. Connection - groups of people with similar interests and goals. There is no boundary for location of group. 3. Delivery - can be through any method the learner prefers 4. Opportunity - with the development of technology, this can happen anywhere the learner has access.

This wiki site was one of the most simplest definitions displaying the elements of a PLN: tools, connections, delivery, and opportunity. Tools allow the learner to use what is most familiar, connections provide the ability to build relationships with others, delivery includes how information is disseminated, and opportunity is when the learner has the time to practice.

This is a great site for someone new to PLNs. It provides a description of what makes up a PLN along with visuals. I also like the "growth" section of the wiki. In the first paragraph it discusses district PLCs. Many districts like to have vertical meetings, where all of the math teachers from elementary through the high school meet to see how their coursework aligns. These meetings are inconsistent because it is difficult to get all of the teachers out of class at the same time. Digital PLCs for vertical meetings would be a great way to allow for more constant collaboration.