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ELIZABETH KNITTLE, technology integration specialist for the Barnstable Public School District in Massachusetts, took her first tentative steps in the 3D online virtual world known as Second Life about two years ago. She wasn't impressed. "I looked around and I thought, this is crazy," Knittle recalls. "I just couldn't see the value of it, so I left. But then people starting blogging about it-- a lot of people-- so I had to reconsider. I decided that if I was going to understand this thing and be able to answer questions about it intelligently, I really just had to suck it up and get in there and participate. Once I connected with people inworld, it made all the difference." That early buzz among K-12 educators centered on Second Life's potential as a learning platform. And in the last few years, many colleges, universities, and libraries have established resources in what has become the preeminent multiuser virtual environment (MUVE). Today, more than 100 Second Life "regions" are used for educational purposes.

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.

come to Teacher Blogs, INTERFACE's online directory of blogs written by teachers in New Zealand. A growing number of educators are blogging and sharing news and views, insights, tips best practice, and generally helping to spread the word not just about t

The study on teachers in the United States who are using blogging as an instructional practice has finally been completed. The study shows that teachers perceive a significant increase in student learning through motivation for assignments and through dee

Student and Teacher Blogs that Succeed By Dean Shareski, May 1, 2008 from Educators' eZine There is a new teacher or student blog created every 2.2 seconds. Okay so I just made that up, but the point is we are seeing blogs created at blistering pace with the hopes of connecting with the world and providing an authentic audience for writers. Sadly, many of these well-meaning blogs die a slow death after a smattering of posts. Well-intended teachers and students often lack perspectives need for success. Blogs are easy to create. But just because something's easy doesn't mean it will stick. As someone who supports teachers in understanding and using digital learning tools, this is a pattern I've seen all too often. So how does a teacher or her students find blogging success? Here are a few things I've discovered in both my own blog as well as with my work with students and teachers.

A customized search created by Marshall Kirkpatrick to demonstrate how to use social media to get the "best of". This customized google search helps you narrow in on edubloggers out there.

Although starting a collection of art that expresses your inner feelings and aesthetic tastes is a worthy goal yet it is quite confusing to think, where do you begin with? It is also important to recognize the subtle difference between original art, a poster or a limited-edition work and where to buy great pieces of art especially if you are devoid of millions of dollars to spend on a single piece.

As a college student, essay writing skills are valuable. Upon graduation, it is evident that some students learnt these skills and earned their impressive grades. It is necessary that every student learns the following secrets and skills to earn those higher grades. Various strategies are used by the 'upper class' students. These strategies are some of the best kept secrets of college graduates:

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Read reader's digest online free were Our Authors write stories free for World So be fast and Publish your stories
and read reader's digest online free -Todays Most Read Articles Of Year
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with world