For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning and explore it. With so many to choose from, it might be handy to first select a category that interests you (like Books or Personal Organization) and then select a tool/site to explore. Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download. The majority of these are free, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
One site that became popular is the social networking site called Ning. With Ning, you can set up your own social network such as an after school or book club. This used to be free, but to curb misuse of the network it will eliminate anonymity by requiring a small service fee for educators, individuals, and small non-profits. To learn more about Ning, check out one of the librarian or school related groups such as: Library 2.0, Teacher-Librarian, or Computer-Using Educators. Of course, there is intense competition with other social networking sites like Facebook, one of the largest social networks. Many CSLA members have personal Facebook accounts for networking with friends and family. Public and commercial organizations also have Facebook accounts.
It is more and more common for an organization to have a Facebook and Twitter account in addition to its website because it is an easy way to instantly update or provide new information from anywhere, anytime. There are "share" applications that automatically post your Facebook message to your Twitter (and other social networking sites) so you only need to post once to communicate your message. To see an example of the "ShareThis" feature, see Advocate4Libraries and look at the bottom of each post for a green icon. "ShareThis" automatically re-posts to the author's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Readers can move their computer mouse over the icon and a pop-up menu appears with options for the reader to also "Share with Friends" via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Google Buzz, Blogger, MySpace, Digg, LinkedIn, Text, and more. Get the idea?
It is more and more common for an organization to have a Facebook and Twitter account in addition to its website because it is an easy way to instantly update or provide new information from anywhere, anytime. There are "share" applications that automatically post your Facebook message to your Twitter (and other social networking sites) so you only need to post once to communicate your message. To see an example of the "ShareThis" feature, see Advocate4Libraries and look at the bottom of each post for a green icon. "ShareThis" automatically re-posts to the author's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Readers can move their computer mouse over the icon and a pop-up menu appears with options for the reader to also "Share with Friends" via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Google Buzz, Blogger, MySpace, Digg, LinkedIn, Text, and more. Get the idea?
Discovery Exercise:
- Select any site/tool from the list of AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning .
- Explore the site you selected.
- Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?
- Join a Ning network or search for an interesting Facebook page, like CSLA
Web 2.0 – with so much to explore, just start with ONE. :)
We hope you're having fun with the exercises.
Suggested "tags" or labels: web 2.0 awards, technology trends
