Original Post:
I have a great project going on here. 4 teams of kids are designing
the "School of Tomorrow". The ultimate goal is to identify the best way
for students to learn, and then create proposals for change to happen in
our own school. It is a competitive project. Each team will present to
a panel of judges AND to the student body. Judges will judge based on a
rubric. Students will vote for the best presentation and the 4 best
ideas from any team.
One of the teams has asked me if there are any safe, school oriented
social networking sites available - either web-based OR software that
could be used only within the school. Any information or leads that
you
could give me will be most gratefully accepted.
If you are interested in reading more - here is the basic outline of
the project.
http://nlcommunities.com/communities/wanderings/articles/155323.aspx
Also - here is the resource list I created on 21st Century Schools.
http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/school21.htm
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If you don't already know about The Collaboratory from Northwestern
University, I think it might be what you are looking for. We have been
using it for several years here. The students can work on projects
designed by one of our teachers or any other teacher or school that
participates in the Collaboratory. The projects can include online
resources, asynchronous threaded discussions, synchronous chat room
discussions, messaging (monitored email) and posting of digital projects
for peer review, all under the supervision of the folks at Northwestern.
Projects can be either inter or intramural as well. We love it!
http://collaboratory.nunet.net ( http://collaboratory.nunet.net/ )
From the home page, you can either take a tour (an overview of the
Collaboratory done in ppt), or register to participate. You can also see
that there are online classes available as well, to help you navigate
your way through any part of the Collaboratory that you wish to use.
Simply put, once you register, you can participate and create any type
of online project you wish, or you can request to use any projects that
any of us have already created. Then when you are ready, you register
your students, and have complete control over their accounts. For your
purposes, maybe all your students need for their project is the ppt
overview, but you may want to register and see what kids in grades k-12
are doing with it. Next week, our 4th grade will be working on their
History of Chicago project that we created two years ago.
If you or your students have any questions, please ask.
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If memory serve me correctly, I believe that the Seattle Public Schools
have their own "social" networking system that allows students to view
and comment on each others' work and collaborate. It is for academic
purposes yet has the social feel.
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A blog creation site that was specifically aimed at younger children
(latter half of elementary school age)? That is, something that's
simple, easy to use, with bright colours and appealing layout.
Thanks to everyone who responded, the suggestions are below:
Class Blogmeister
http://www.classblogmeister.com/
Developed specifically for classroom use.
http://edublogs.org/
"I've used edublogs- you can customize their templates."
http://www.epals.com/
"Epals is for all kids, but I do not recommend them as far as ease of
use."
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You might want to look at some blogging sites like wordpress.com (
http://wordpress.com/ ) A blog can be set up to be "invisible" to
the outside world and only accessible via a link; comments are moderated
and will only go live if the moderator allows them; links can be placed
on the blog to other student blogs. I don't know if that really fits the
bill and it's not exactly the purpose for which blog sites were intended
but it might work. HTH
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Jacquie, what about a Ning site, the web platform Teacher Librarian
Network uses? You have to be a member with a password to comment or add
content. I think it's www.ning.com (of course it's blocked by the
filter, though I can get to Teacher-Librarian Network that ends in
.ning.com. Weird. It looks like you can't get to the start to start a
"ning" but you can reach it after it's begun.)
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Yikes!
This is so incredible.I am blown away. Are these IB kids, honor
students, or regular ed? (IN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION: The kids are all
grade levels and all ability levels – and equal mix of low, average and
high performing students)
You do know you can make wikis private. On the setup page just invite
the students involved.
Zoho writer is good too. Also Google chat, the kids could make
different groups. No one else can chat with them.
Good luck with this project.
( mailto:kspielman@pylusd.org
)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try gaggle.net or ePals.com for emails and blogs along with
blogger.net. All of these allow the teacher to set up filters and/or
monitor all aspects of the socializing in school which may or may not be
required by your principal or district. These are the places I go to
for my 8th graders.
Jacquie
"The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for
poetry and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American
way." ~ The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-20-03
“Education is not about filling a pail, it’s about lighting a fire." ~
William Butler Yeats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacquie Henry, MLS
Ruben A. Cirillo High School (GHS)
Gananda Central School District
3195 Wiedrick Road
P.O. Box 609
Macedon, NY 14502
315-986-3521 x 3144
jhenry@gananda.org
Library Page: http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/indexgcl.htm
Blog: http://nlcommunities.com/communities/wanderings/default.aspx
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