Weeks 6 and 7: Social Networking Resources
These social networking resources can be used by educators to help build digital literacy and collaborative communication in the elementary classroom.
Thinkquest
Thinkquest is a site that offers project based learning. Students under age 12 to under age 19 may access the site to explore, communicate and compete with project entries. It has a library of topics that extends from arts and entertainment to sports and recreation. It shows over 8,00 websites created by students around the world.
NETS Standards
Thinkquest is a site that helps students apply all of the NETS standards
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology operations and Concepts
Facebook is a popular extensively used social network site. You can post items to friends , family, or associations. Messages, photos and creative projects and videos can be posted on Facebook. Teachers would have to set up a safe Facebook blog for elementary student use. This site may be appropriate for older students if they follow the NETs Standards for Digital Citizenship. Students can practice safe and responsible interaction on the internet as they collaborate or share information.
NETs Standards
Digital Citizenship
1. Advocate and practice safe, legal and responsible use of information and technology
2. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
3. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
5. Exhibits leadership for digital citizenship
Twitter is a site where you can post ideas stories and opinions in Tweets, or 140 characters. This site requires a teacher for assistance to post a response for younger students . Students may respond to a particular prompt, or evaluate a reading, math or science topic and respond to the posting.
NETs Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students will demonstrate creative thinking and create innovative products and processes using technology.
Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate collaboratively.
YouTube
YouTube is an endless format for posting and viewing videos. It is available for all users and you can located videos on just about anything. Last year I utilized YouTube Music videos to supplement our existing music program. I could pull up various music examples from a variety of genres.
NETs Standards
Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively
Google+
Google + is a great site to post images and interact with a blog
Students may upload photos and and text or responses. They may post projects and interact with each other.
NETs Standards
Communicate and Collaborate
Students will use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning o f others.
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Blogster
Blogster is a site where students can create blogs. Literacy projects can be added to the blog site. An explanation for science or social studies topics can be explored.
NETs Standards
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and collaboration, Critical Thinking, problem solving
3. Solving, and Decision Making
Wordle
Wordle is an interactive site that my students would enjoy. They can create posters to express an idea or a concept in social studies or science. Students could use the Wordle format to tell about a story or a character.
NETs Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Prezi
Prezi is a site used to create videos, using, images, graphics and tests. Videos can be shared. The format offers many steps to manipulate the text and graphics.
NETs Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Animoto
Animoto is a site students can access to create videos in response to literature or other curriculum areas. Images and music can be added to complete creative videos.
NETs Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Flickr
Flickr is a site to present, access or share photographs. Students could add images to their written work or videos.
NETs Standards
Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Ning
Ning is a group based social network used by educators. The site is used to help facilitate conversations within interest groups and allow for presenting multimedia.
References
Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities, Kist, W., Doyle, K., Hayes, J., Horwitz, J., Kuzior, J.T.
Language Arts, Volume 88 Number 1, September 2010
iste NETs Standards
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students
Robin Nelson 