http://www.techteacheronamission.com/blog/twitter-in-elementary-the-grammar911-project The #Grammar911 Project teaches grammar through the integration of Twitter. Many educators complain how social media has led to the degradation of the written language however this project puts grammar at the forefront. Not only do students correct "messy" sentences created by the teacher but have the opportunity to create their own for their peers to clean up. In addition, students can leave comments to other students' work. This collaborative project is authentic and addresses writing standards in the process.

http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/2008/03/07/plan-tweet-teach-tweet-learn-smile/ Plan, Tweet, Teach, Tweet, Learn, Smile is a multi-faceted project all beginning with one simple question Tweeted to the general population. The focus began as a probability lesson which quickly turned into a language arts and mapping activity. The responses provided a global perspective for the students, taking them to the far corners of the Earth.

http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/2008/01/18/geotweets-inviting-your-network-into-the-classroom/ GeoTweeting takes students on a real-time adventure using Twitter and Google Earth. In this project, the teacher provides several small bits of information to engage the students in their search. Working collaboratively, students collect information leading them to the final destination using longitude, latitude, time zones, and land marks.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-happiness-empathy-randy-taran Not only are teachers expected to address academic subjects, but also the social and emotional needs of their students. Finding a way to integrate technology and core subject areas may challenge some however some schools are having students contribute to a classroom blog addressing these needs themselves. Students not only learn life skills and how to manage their emotions, they are able to write about it and make comments on the thoughts of others. For teachers who are using this approach, they are definitely multitasking in a very positive way.

https://www.edmodo.com/public/4th-grade-book-club/group_id/1523413 Book clubs are a great tool to use to get students to read. Time constraints and scheduling conflicts sometimes make it difficult to manage a book club in the classroom. Edmodo provides the resources for students to participate in book clubs on their own time. Mrs. Amolo uses Edmodo to initiate discussions based upon a writing prompt. Students will then share their thoughts, providing greater insight to their comprehension of the story. Edmodo can also faciitate global book clubs, connecting students from around the world with one commonality, the book they have all read. What a great way to collaborate to share thoughts and ideas.

http://langwitches.org/blog/2012/10/31/thinking-about-learning-differently-talking-to-strangers/ Thinking About Learning Differently - Talking to Strangers uses Skype to introduce students to other students throughout the world. While books and maps were still used, Skype was able to connect these children in a real-time authentic situation They are able to see each others classrooms, listen to one another, and ask questions. These questions often lead to deeper understanding of the similarities and differences we all face. Topics and themes can be prearranged or spontaneous as long as the students are respectful. Skype can open doors to places we can only imagine.

http://teachinghistory.org/digital-classroom/tech-for-teachers/25425 For some, history can be a challenging subject to teach. Making it authentic can be difficult, however using Edmodo can take what happened yesterday and turn it into today. Teachers can initiate online discussions by posting a thought provoking question with students providing their thoughts on Edmodo. These comments will initiate online discussions helping the teacher to check for understanding. Although this approach can be used in any subject area, it is particularly useful when teaching a potentially dry subject.

http://learningandsharingwithmsl.blogspot.com/2014_02_01_archive.html Wanting to share her social media experience with her students, Ms. Lirenman decided to use blogging in the classroom. Joining Kristen Wideen's blog, Ms. Lirenman's students leave comments for Ms. Wideen's students and vice versa. Taking it a step further, Ms. Lirenman decided to introduce her students to Twitter. Through both of these social networking outlets, students are reading and writing to an authentic audience, gaining 21st century skills.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFocusShowOnline The FOCUS show, FOCUS standing for Finding Outstanding Classrooms Using Social Media, is bringing positive news from the classroom to others. Too often the spotlight on education is negative, making the public question what is really going on in the classroom. The FOCUS Show uses YouTube to being recognition to teachers and classrooms using social media.

http://www.slideshare.net/egermann/using-edmodo-in-the-classroom Eldon Germann has provided an outstanding Slideshare on Using Micro-bloggers in the Classroom. The tenth slide contains a comprehensive diagram of how Edmodo is used in his classroom and the eleventh slide has a rubric to follow. Since micro-blogging is a scaled down version of blogging, the entries will be smaller and more to the point. This will allow the teacher to check for comprehension without having to spend more time reading longer entries.

http://edcsd.org/edcsdpress/ssvanselus/2010/11/23/edmodo-the-culture-builder/
dmodo: The Culture Builder Principal Blog does not address specifically one project but demonstrates how Edmodo can be used by students to create groups in which they have an interest. These groups allow students to share and discuss issues and are placed on the principal blog. Since the groups are student generated with the approval of the principal, they have pride in ownership. eDCSD: The Colorado Cyber School takes great pride in the fact that their students belong to such a collaborative community with Edmodo being the delivery tool of choice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Shelly_Terrell/Personal_Learning_Networks_%28PLNs%29
I realize that Wikipedia is not always the best resource however this site reinforces the fact that the learners all have certain goals, needs, interests, motivations and problems. It also brings to light that members of a PLN will collaborate and learn differently from one another.

That is a very good point. For this project, I agree that Wikipedia was appropriate but unfortunately in other situations it may not be as acceptable. I suppose it depends on the circumstance the information is needed.

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/11736/A%20brief%20introduction%20to%20CoP.pdf?sequence=1.

This article provides a brief overview of communities of practice, the characteristics, and where the concept is used. Included also is a comprehensive table of what nine different communities of practice would look like and questions they would ask themselves.

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/networks.htm.

Siemens discusses how motivation, emotions, exposure, patterning, logic, and experience are key components to learning through networking. Personal learning networks are formed based upon a common ground with networked learning being a subset of connectivism.

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.

Beginning with behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, Siemens leads into how connectivism needs to be integrated into these three to bring students into the 21st century. Connectivism helps students acquire skills necessary for the ever-changing digital age.

http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131.

After discussing the methodology of personal learning networks, it then discusses the importance of building, maintaining, and activating the networks. There are nine factors, which influence personal learning networks. They are communality, organization of the contact, network of a contact, reputation, benevolence, like-mindedness, real potential for collaboration, real potential for learning, and trends in the work environment.

http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/523/1103.

Connectivism is the sharing of knowledge, which is distributed and saved on a variety of digital devices. This article also raises the question of whether or not connectivism is a learning theory.

http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/1732.pdf.

Discusses how communities of practice have changed from being geographically defined to unlimited boundaries created by the digital age. Since this barrier has been broken, it is much easier for people to collaborate and participate in communities of learning internationally.

http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/docview/904949815/fulltextPDF?accountid=9649.

This paper answered one of my questions regarding "new" learning theories and why it is important to always be receptive to something new. The importance of personal learning networks and library sources are directly linked to connectivism. It reaffirms that students learn by being connected to information.

http://journal.km4dev.org/index.php/km4dj/article/viewFile/9/4.

Besides providing two different perspectives on social learning, this site offers a useful table on the knowledge sharing within communities of practice. Discussed also is the theoretical background of networking. It is important for students to learn how to share their knowledge, and experiences while learning from one another, keeping a common goal in mind while networking. This article brought to light how communities of practice and networking are directly correlated.