As a whole, the education industry is usually relatively slow to integrate technology into the classroom. In lots of schools nationwide, unbridled access to computers and the Internet is still the exception rather than the rule. Sure, school districts use computer networks, e-mail and teacher pages on school Web sites to more efficiently communicate with staff, students and other teachers. However, using technology to enhance learning is often a by-product rather than the thrust of technology in the classroom.
I saw this post and wanted to share my experience. I use myclasshelper.com and I really like it because it is web-based software that has the functionality of Ning and google docs. It's also free.
It has a scheduling/calendar tool and notifies parents via email and text message (if they enter that info). It's also secure and the teacher can upload any permission slips etc that they need to.
For room parents it is great because you enter what you need brought and the parents mark it off as they RSVP and the sofware tracks it all for you, then before the event it sends you an event update.
I was using it to help my ASB student. I am hoping the school will adopt it on a wider basis this year!
In our area there is a huge budget crunch for the schools, using the free technology that is out there seems like a no-brainer way for schools to save $$.
I am strong proponent of the use of social networks in academic settings. The problem of creating a safe social networking environment that speaks to all school community members needs to be addressed. That means not only network security to protect who sees what within the network, but also oversight to ensure that cyberbullying and inappropriate content are flagged and removed quickly. As a consultant I work with a company that has coined the phrase "academic social network." The academic social network is secure behind a firewall. It is classroom and student centered. Teachers setup the virtual classroom and calendar and can see all of their students but no student that is not in their classrooms. The registration process ensures that information is seen only by those who have the right. Students have ownership over the creation of their own profiles, contribute to blogs, post movies, videos, music, art, news, etc., all within the framework of the classroom. Students can invite non-class members to be part of their circle of friends, but they have to seek them within the school network behind the firewall. Parents have access to classroom content and their child's profile and content but are restricted from seeing any other child's work or page. Anyone can deem content inappropriate and flag it for administrative review. Schools can be linked as well as whole districts but the rules of privacy remain enforced by the system. In my own research into this field, very few current applications address the security and privacy issues that are of great concern when people think about social networks and their applicability to the school environment.
kids do not go on facebook to learn....kids go on facebook to look at other ppls pictures and at the same time feel cute or act as if it were their "digital life" if u will. I think all web 2.0 should be blocked simply for the reason that non computer savy people are getting on here and sharing personal information out the wazoo. They want to help students study, how bout taking the internet away?
Schools have been VERY slow getting online. My children's school have been reluctant in posting any identifiable information online (even in private/password protected areas) because there are some parents who are concerned about their and their children's privacy (photos, name, phone, etc.) I think teachers/admin are worried about the liability.
So, most of the online initiatives have actually been driven by the PTA organizations. At my son's school, they use docs.google.com, my younger daughter's school uses www.qlubb.com, and my oldest daughter's pta uses ning. They all have their pluses and minuses - I like the spreadsheet sharing of Google Docs, I like the ease of use of Qlubb, and I haven't yet registered for Ning (on my to-do list).
I just want to say that this is a great article. I am a teacher and have used Jooners this past year to share my class curriculum with parents - giving them the nudge to make topics from plant cells to orbiting planets dinner conversation!
My room parent also used Jooners to coordinate volunteers for EVERYTHING...field trips, class parties, and our school's book fair. She would just make a list of what she needed and parents could sign up online to volunteer. The best part was that when people came to the sign-up page, they could see who had already signed up for what - so it eliminated tons of emails.
It also worked for parents with no email. She just put the list on our classroom door with a deadline, then pre-filled these volunteers in before sending out the online form. Worked perfectly for everyone!
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Social Networking Gets Schooled
Posted by: Jack M. Germain July 28, 2008 06:00 AMAs a whole, the education industry is usually relatively slow to integrate technology into the classroom. In lots of schools nationwide, unbridled access to computers and the Internet is still the exception rather than the rule. Sure, school districts use computer networks, e-mail and teacher pages on school Web sites to more efficiently communicate with staff, students and other teachers. However, using technology to enhance learning is often a by-product rather than the thrust of technology in the classroom.
It has a scheduling/calendar tool and notifies parents via email and text message (if they enter that info). It's also secure and the teacher can upload any permission slips etc that they need to.
For room parents it is great because you enter what you need brought and the parents mark it off as they RSVP and the sofware tracks it all for you, then before the event it sends you an event update.
I was using it to help my ASB student. I am hoping the school will adopt it on a wider basis this year!
In our area there is a huge budget crunch for the schools, using the free technology that is out there seems like a no-brainer way for schools to save $$.
So, most of the online initiatives have actually been driven by the PTA organizations. At my son's school, they use docs.google.com, my younger daughter's school uses www.qlubb.com, and my oldest daughter's pta uses ning. They all have their pluses and minuses - I like the spreadsheet sharing of Google Docs, I like the ease of use of Qlubb, and I haven't yet registered for Ning (on my to-do list).
My room parent also used Jooners to coordinate volunteers for EVERYTHING...field trips, class parties, and our school's book fair. She would just make a list of what she needed and parents could sign up online to volunteer. The best part was that when people came to the sign-up page, they could see who had already signed up for what - so it eliminated tons of emails.
It also worked for parents with no email. She just put the list on our classroom door with a deadline, then pre-filled these volunteers in before sending out the online form. Worked perfectly for everyone!