1
Joshua Spees
Making Technology Work for a National Coalition of Arts Integration
Technology offers some key benefits that could go a long way towards
making the most of the National Coalition for Arts Integration (NCAI). The most
obvious benefits of technology and the largest growth sectors have historically
been in the communications field (Yousefi, 2011). In researching the current uses
of technology by many of the programs involved in arts integration, a larger
picture began to appear. The key to a successful national coalition lies in
communication between the programs, administrators, teachers, students, and
communication to the public at large.
Disruptive innovation theory, a term coined by Clayton Christensen, can
provide a roadmap for implementing technology in the most useful and efficient
ways. Disruptive innovation does not take hold by forging a direct attack on the
existing system, instead it seeks to implement innovation by providing a product,
service, or a technology at the edge of a system where it can fill in existing holes
in the system and appeal to those consumers or users who cannot afford or do
not need the advanced features or services provided by the current product,
service, or technology. (Christensen, 2008) This creates an opportunity for the
product, service, or technology to gain a foothold in the market and competitively
grow over time eventually usurping the current incarnation. Many technology
implementations fail because they try to replace an already successful product or
service. By creating a coalition the opportunity exists to implement technology at
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the ground level and make it a part of the system from the beginning rather than
implementing technology into an existing architecture. This will help create a
niche for technology to become an important and useful part of the coalition.
There are three key areas where technology can be provided and
supported by the coalition. Communication and collaboration are pivotal
elements of any successful undertaking and should be the first element that
technology can provide for the coalition. The President’s Committee on Arts and
Humanities (2011) has called for the strengthening of arts integration through the
avenues of teacher preparation and professional development and it should be
the second focus for technology. The third and final element to be provided is a
comprehensive website containing information regarding the NCAI and each of
the state level programs that is easily accessible by anyone. All three elements
provide necessary communication of important levels of information and
discourse.
The first key area is collaboration. Sharing of information between
programs will be the paramount objective for a successful coalition. The NCAI
should provide a web-based platform capable of allowing sharing on every level
from state level directors down to students in the classrooms. This platform will
offer the opportunity for users to share on a 24/7 basis in addition to yearly
conferences, meetings, or even school hours. Having an open and continuous
dialog between users will add a new dimension to the discussion and offer the
chance for the discussion to move forward at a more rapid pace.
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The first and most important level of sharing and discussion should take
place between coordinators and administrators of the different arts integration
programs. Many of the programs currently have great ideas that have worked on
a state and school level basis regarding everything from implementation to
professional development. Each program has experienced both successes and
failures and each new school added to the program presents a new set of
challenges. Each state has gone through a set of growing pains and found
solutions to the problems at hand. Some states may still be looking for a solution
that another state already has. This is where the administrative and program
level sharing can provide an extremely important outlet and repository for useful
ideas for state level administrators and coalition leaders. Users can share ideas
and implementations that work and also what has not worked. The platform could
provide a way to share videos, images, and paperwork. Discussions can be
ongoing and happen in real-time or over a longer period when the time is
available.
There are many great options to provide this level of communication. Ning
(www.ning.com) is an online platform with a small fee for service charge used for
creating social networking sites where users can create and maintain
conversations with all of its users, upload photos, videos, and files, and create
their own blogs to share their experiences and ideas. Ning has thousands of
successful sites and hundreds of successful education sites. ArtEd 2.0
(http://arted20.ning.com/) is a Ning site dedicated to art education and has over
10,000 members sharing resources currently. Classroom 2.0
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(http://www.classroom20.com/) is another Ning dedicated to Web 2.0 and social
media in the classroom and has over 60,000 current members from 181
countries.
Elgg (http://elgg.org/) is another open source and free platform for creating
a social networking website capable of meeting the needs of a coalition. The
Elgg platform currently provides networking tools for UNESCO, NASA, Harvard
University extension school, the University of Florida, and the New Zealand
Ministry of Education among others. Buddy Press (http://buddypress.org/) is
another popular and open source option and is based on the already popular
Word Press platform and used by a diverse range of clients such as CUNY
Academic Commons and the Cultura Digital, the Brazilian Digital Culture
network. The appendix for this chapter has many other examples.
Communication and collaboration are listed as important skills needed by
students in the 21st century. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills) Collaborative
efforts in schools have been recommended and researched on many different
levels with great degrees of success. (Gregory, 2009, Hathorn & Ingram, 2002,
Johnson, 2001) A successful collaboration should have broader impacts than just
those involved, foster unity between participants, create and sustain diversity, be
flexible, and create a better understanding for all of the participants involved.
Many programs are making use of technology on a school wide level and some
programs offer levels of collaboration for students with others from around the
globe. Bonnie Koba, of the Connecticut HOT Schools program had this to say in
an interview about technology and collaboration:
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If a student who is working on a project about dolphins, for example, and
could connect with another student in another program or state to
collaborate on the project, then that would be a great use of technology in
my opinion (Spees & Koba, 2011).
Many of the platforms mentioned above, such as Ning and Elgg, could
also provide students with the opportunity to communicate, network, and
collaborate. These options can be built into the system or added at a later date.
There are also many existing stand alone platforms designed for this very
purpose such as GlobalSchoolNet ( www.Gloabalschoolnet.org ) and
TakingITGlobal ( www.tigweb.org ) that are non-profit educational organizations
whose purpose is to safely arrange collaborative online spaces for students to
use. Creating a networking and collaboration site for students to use as part of
the coalition can take the learning process beyond the classroom walls and offer
them a whole new set of peers to construct their knowledge with. Collaborations
are happening online at schools from around the globe, but opening up a
dedicated arena for students of arts integration to share in may help to provide a
safer, more familiar, and more productive environment for the students.
Successful collaborations have included the Art Across America project
initiated by a Wisconsin school teacher who worked with her eighth grade class
to arrange for a national exhibition of student work in conjunction with youth art
month. The call for submissions was placed on the Getty website and the
resulting show included 70 works from 35 schools in 30 states (Boylard, 2001).
Another example is the Art Miles (http://www.artmiles.org/ ) mural project where
students from around the globe are invited to create murals that will be linked
together. The appendix to this chapter has many other collaborative efforts.
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Online collaboration for programs using teaching artists can be facilitated
through the platform as well. Teaching artists can connect with teachers in an
online environment to help plan and create new learning situations for students.
This can be a great solution to the issues faced by rural schools where teaching
artists may have to travel farther distances to be involved at the school. This
could even lead to an eventual teaching artist exchange program where artists,
especially folk artists and regional arts specialists, could share their art forms
with wider audiences creating a more diverse learning environment for the
students. Lesson and unit plans can also be shared or co-created on a wider
scale with others in the network. Future educators can comment on the success
of the plans or add on their constructive edits. Building a library of successful
learning situations that can be used and built upon by others could become a
vital resource for schools and programs beginning the implementation process.
These lessons can also be a useful tool to promote the philosophy of arts
integration through documented learning situations.
The second key area is professional development. Most consider the
education and professional development of teachers as the key to educational
improvement in classrooms (Hawley & Valli, 1999) During our research it
became apparent that many of the arts integration programs are currently
providing professional development workshops ranging in scope and most are
offered during the summer months. The NCAI could provide online professional
development for teachers that can be accessed year round. Not only does this
open up more access to professional development on a state wide level, but this
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also offers opportunities to learn from other programs around the country, helping
to build connections and bridges between the programs, bringing them all one
step closer together under the umbrella of the coalition.
The Arts for All website ( http://pd.laartsed.org/Search ) is an excellent
example of a website that gives the user access to all of the different types of
professional development available to them from the different arts based
programs around the country. However, the website only provides program and
contact information. Imagine if the full range of development was available right
there online for the user at any time! This type of development can be achieved
for the NCAI through one of the suggested platforms above such as Ning or Elgg,
or can be achieved in more specialized platforms. Teachers can sign on and
view professional development seminar videos, discuss with other users, and
take online tests or quizzes if necessary. All professional development can be
tracked and cataloged by user so that achievements can be viewed later and
certificates can be printed or emailed to the users and any necessary
administrators.
Currently there are many opportunities for teachers to access professional
development in an online environment. TeacherLine, a service of PBS, currently
offers over 130 courses in professional development areas ranging from
language arts to STEM. (PBS website). There are literally hundreds if not
thousands of others. The success of many of the current online teacher
development programs has been positive, but more quantitative research into the
exact benefits in comparison to face-to-face professional development has been
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called for (Dede, Ketelhut, Whitehouse, Breit, & McCloskey, 2006). While this
type of professional development may never completely replace face-to-face
models, they can certainly be a valuable addition and provide more choices for
the professional development seekers.
The third and final key area that technology could provide for the NCAI is
a comprehensive website. In doing our research for this report we came across
varying levels of information on the different state art integration programs
available online. Each state is currently tasked with providing this information and
with budget cuts to many of the state level programs web documentation and
program information becomes a tertiary issue. A website at the national coalition
level could provide all of the key information about the different state level
programs in one place, easily accessible to those interested in pursuing or
implementing arts integration and free up needed time and funds for the state
programs. Communicating the philosophy and successes of the different arts
integration programs at a NATIONAL level then becomes a driving force towards
national policy recommendations for arts integration. In essence, this creates a
united front for the cause of arts integration.
The site can contain any current or past research and data being on the
current programs involved in the coalition thus becoming a repository for
everything arts integration. The network can also provide lists of teaching artists
and community members willing to provide time and instruction to the schools,
much like the arts integration program in Louisiana (ICI) has done. This could be
a valuable resource for schools in rural areas that do not have access to local
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teaching artists. The Arts for All website mentioned above is another example of
the kind of access and information to professional development options. The site
can provide a section containing the success stories of schools involved in the
different programs and provide valuable qualitative evidence to researchers and
those interested in the arts integration methods. The website can also be used as
a call to action for the public when the NCAI needs support in the form of voices
or funds.
The implementation of technology at the ground level of the NCAI could
provide profound benefits and rewards in the future. The three uses suggested in
this chapter could all be unified under many of the platforms and open source
models suggested by the author. Many of these are sufficiently flexible to meet
the needs of the NCAI in the present and future. It should be noted that
technology and software are constantly evolving and will provide even more
options in the future even as software companies and programs change or
disappear. Some of the names may be different in five years, but essentially the
concepts will remain the same; Facebook may have replaced MySpace and
Friendster, but the concept of social networking is still evident and growing in
popularity.
Technology could also benefit the coalition by making the most of valuable
funds needed to create and sustain a coalition. While technology can never
replace many of the benefits of face-to-face communications and peer sharing
events, it can be a successful, effective, and relatively inexpensive addition to
help make the most of the NCAI budget. By using existing platforms and open
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source software the coalition could avoid having to build a platform from the
ground up saving thousands of dollars.
Garnering support through a unified online presence could be extremely
helpful to the growth of arts integration as a learning method. By creating a
website and an online communication and collaboration network available to all
in the arts integration community capable of documenting and sharing the
successes and philosophy of arts integration the NCAI will have a solid
foundation and the necessary tools to affect future policy change.
Bibliography
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Boylard, M. (2001). Art Across America. School Arts, 100(6), 19.
Christensen, C.M. (2008) Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will
Change the Way the World Learns. McGraw-Hill, NY.
Dede, C., Ketelthut, D.J., Whitehouse, P., Breit, L, McCloskey, E. (2006). A
research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development. Retrieved
from www.gse.harvard.edu/~uk/otpd/Dede_research_agenda_final.pdf
Gregory, D.C., (2009) Boxes with Fires: Wisely integrating learning technologies
into the classroom. Art Education, 62(3), 47-54
Hathorn, L.G. & Ingram, A.L. (2002). Online Collaboration: Making it work.
Educational Technology, 42(1), 33-40
Hawley, W., & Valli, L. (1999). The Essentials for Effective Professional
Development: A new consensus. In L. Darling-Hammond & G. Sykes
(Eds.), Teaching as the Learning Profession: 25 Handbook of policy and
practice (pp. 127-150). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Johnson, C.M. (2001). A Survey of Current Research on Online Communities of
Practice. The Internet and Higher Education, 4(1), 46-50.
Partnership for 21st Century Schools. (2010). 21st Century skills map: The arts.
Tucson, AZ: Author
PBS Website http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/ Retrieved 11/20/2011.
President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. (2011). Reinvesting in
arts education: Winning America's future through creative schools.
Washington, DC: Author.
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Spees, J. (interviewer) and Koba, Bonnie. (2011). Phone interview. November,
2011.
Yousefi, A. (2011). The impact of information and communication technology on
economic growth: Evidence from developed and developing countries.
Economics of Innovation & New Technology, 20(6), 581-596.
doi:10.1080/10438599.2010.544470
Appendix:
List of online collaboration and networking sites by platform and by academic
subject.
BuddyPress:
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Students Circle Network : Connects students, schools & teachers. There
are over 10,000 course resources, 15 study groups for students to
schedule study sessions, Social Networking features similar to Facebook
and University, Scholarship and Internship offers and provisions for
students. Students connect to share ideas, learn in a social Q&A
environment.
CourseCracker:
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Elementary School Teachers: Connect & collaborate with other
elementary school educators to share information & teaching techniques.
Orange County Math Teachers: The group homepage for the OCMTA to
house all meeting dates, official documents, and online meetings.
Teacher's Lounge: A place for educators to meet and network in a
relaxed, off-topic environment.
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Diigo:
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Classroom 2.0 : "A place for members of www.Classroom20.com to share
links, Classroom 2.0 is social networking site devoted to those interested
in the practical application of computer technology (especially Web 2.0) in
the classroom and in their own professional development" (Ddescription,
¶1 [2010.04.23])
http://groups.diigo.com/educators/bookmark
Picasa in education / en educación /en educació / educação. We share
resources for education in picasa. Compartimos recursos para la
educación en Picasa. Compartim recursos educatius a Picasa.
Compartilhar recursos para a educação no Picasa
Elgg:
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Schools in ME - Schools in Middle East social network and
community.Schools in ME, is welling to be the biggest social network and
community for education in Middle East, it’s a good place for schools,
students, teachers and parents to meet all together using the power of
community communications to set their goals.
The Schools United - The Schools United website is a networking site
dedicated solely to the education community worldwide. It provides
schools and staff with the no-cost facility to share educational resources,
ideas and experiences. The site encourages schools from around the
globe to 'link' with each other prior to sharing these resources.
LL4Schools - Learning Landscape for Schools - an e-safe Social Network
(based on Elgg) for schools including blogs, wikis, social bookmarks, file
storage, access controls, etc.
Primary School Teaching - Primary School Teaching is a site for teachers
to share resources, lesson plans and other teaching materials.
Contributors recieve a profit share from ads placed on the site. Primary
School Teaching is mostly a UK focused site.
Carnets2 is a social networking system fort students and staff at the
University of Paris Descartes (France) designed specifically with academic
uses.
Groups:
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iTeach Mobile (formerly on Ning) -iTeach Mobile is a community of
educators exploring the use of mobile technologies such as cellphones,
iPods, & hand held game systems in the classroom
Facebook:
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don Quijote Schoolon Facebook. Here you can find a network of Spanish
students.
Schools on Facebook private, secure Facebook application.
Multilingualism Global group to discuss the learning and teaching of
languages
e-Learning in developing and developed countries - The challenges facing
e-learning in developing countries are ongoing and require everyone's
attention. Global learning and cultural exchange via e-learning can unite
and contribute to co-existence and world peace. The group was created
on Facebook to collaborate and hopefully bridge the digital gap so that all
learners can benefit from e-learning. Please join the group so we can
collectively search for ways to promote, develop, and encourage others to
see the value of connecting the world via e-learning.
Active Learning Group is a discussion group in Facebook for discussing
methods of engaging students.
Teaching Critical Thinking is a discussion group in Facebook about
teaching higher order thinking.
Teacher2Teacher Network Groupis a discussion group in Facebook
concerning the private and exclusive social network for educators around
the world.
Wikieducator - Turning the digital divide into digital dividends using free
content and open networks. Vision: A free education curriculum for all
sectors and levels by 2015. Register for free online courses on how to use
Wikieducator for instruction and learning.
Atlantis - EU - US Exchange Scheme for Staff & Students at Universities
in Sunderland, Algarve, Hagen, Little Rock Akansas, Troy Montgomery,
San Diego
CMU Off-Campus Programs - Here any current, past or prospective
students of Central Michigan University's Off-Campus Programs can join
and receive updates on current news, events, and programs.
Class Connector by 9thPeriod.com - Class Connector on Facebook allows
you to find other Facebook and 9thPeriod.com users that are taking the
same classes you are from around the world.
Web2.0ERC is a European Union funded education project that is building
simple Web2.0 tools for educators (multiple languages). The Facebook
group is a 'Community of Practice' to exchange and discuss the use of
Web2.0 tools in the classroom.
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Edutopia - A facebook community of 45,000+ teachers, administrators,
parents, and individuals passionate for change in education.
Linked In:
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Great Books Group
Learning, Education and Training Professionals Group
Response To Intervention & Universal Design For Learning Central Group
Teacher2Teacher Network Group - This network is meant to be a meeting
place for teachers (k-HED, SPED to Gifted), parents, Education
Professionals, etc. to share resources for Response to Intervention and
Universal Design for Learning.
Visual Mapping in Education: A forum to build connections and exchange
ideas/resources in advancing visual mapping in education.
Ning:
(Updated list will be posted to http://education.ning.com regularly.)
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http://teachebonothinking.ning.com - Edward de Bono's New Thinking
methods for schools. An international site.
http://teachthinkingresources.ning.com - Teaching resources to
complement Edward de Bono's New Thinking in schools.
ArtEd2.0 - Using New Technology in Art Classrooms
Assessment FOR Learning - educators collaborating on how to included
AFL ideas into the classroom
Broward byte - Broward Byte is about learning and sharing classroom
technology and ideas. It is a forum for educators, leaders, and technology
specialists in K-12 education. Share and discuss new software programs,
websites, tools, and theories related to the teaching profession. Broward
Byte is open to all who love and use technology and want to bring their
classroom into the 21st century.
Business Social Network
Called to Teach - for teachers who want to live their faith in an appropriate
manner in a classroom setting
Canadian Teachers - for Canadian educators either based in Canada, or
elsewhere in the world.
Classroom 2.0 - the social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and
collaborative technologies in education. Classroom 2.0 is a free,
community-supported network.
CMU Off-Campus Programs
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CLÍO EN RED: Clío en Red is a social network where History teachers
share experience and resources. It has more than 1500 members; Clío en
Red surge como espacio de encuentro de docentes e investigadores de
Historia, Arte, Geografía y Didáctica de las CCSS
Designing Learning Experiences Ning - Technology educators supporting
those who need assistance with technology integration
The Educator's PLN - dedicated to the support of a personal learning
network (PLN) for educators
Freshman Transition Network - dedicated to helping schools transition
freshmen into successful high school students
iMoodle - For information, events and discussions about Moodle, the
popular open source learning management system
www.Mindsetsineducation.ning.com - a social network for educators who
are interested in teaching studetns explicitly about memory, the brain,
emotions and learning, and how to be resiliant in the face of setbacks.
NCTE Ning- National Council of Teachers of English
NMSA Ning- National Middle School Association Ning
Online Classes - This network lists online classes from Open Courseware
channels and other websites. Teachers can share their classes and
students can choose from the available ones.
Red de Educadores Puertorriqueños- Red de educadores que integran la
tecnología y las herramientas de la web 2.0 a la educación en Puerto Rico
Response To Intervention & Universal Design For Learning Central
saltash.net rainbow saltash.net community school in Cornwall England
has a growing educator network
TCEA - Texas Computer Education Association
Social Media Club Education Connection -- SMCEDU is Social Media
Club's national initiative to advance social media in higher education
curricula
www.teach-with-internet.ning.com a social Network for teachers to share
and learn from each other.
The International School Teacher a social and professional network for
teachers working in international schools.
Training Talk Australia - THE Online Community for Australian Learning
and Development Professionals! The Training Talk Australia Ning group
has been created as an invaluable source of information, advice and
support for aspiring, emerging and seasoned learning and development
professionals to come together to discuss success stories, share
challenges, seek advice and fellowship in general.
Innovative Urban Learning Community Urban educators collaborate for
success in the 21st century
iTeach Mobile - Community of Educators exploring the use of mobile
technologies for teaching and learning.
Picasa in education Sharing educational resourcesin Picasa Compartiendo recursos educativos en Picasa.
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Murales de aula - Classroom displays - Murals d'aula Classroom displays.
Murales de aula.
Ubuntu Educators - A Ning focused on Educators using Ubuntu in their
classroom
VideoBridge - Using the visual medium for connecting learning
communities and increase local capacity building.
General:
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12SCR - the greatest tutor group in GCUS, UK - A social networking area
especially for 12SCR Tutor Group at GCUS, UK.
9thPeriod.com - A new, exciting, and completely unique global social
education network and academic platform. 9thPeriod.com Web 2.0 tools
bring education outside the walls of the classroom, revolutionizing and
enhancing learning by truly Making Education Social ™.
A Little West of Somewhere - A social network for teachers on the rural
Olympic Peninsula in the northwest corner of Washington State.
Alabama Educator's Network- For teachers living in Alabama (Please join
if you live in AL.)
Alaska 2.0 - A network for educators in Alaska to facilitate sharing and
collaboration within Alaska, and the world. Everyone welcome.
Apprendre 2.0 - Social Network across the world about Education 2.0 and
Learning 2.0 - Most of the activities are in French on this network !
AsiaTeach.ning.com - Teaching and Education in Asia: Communities of
Hope - Asian Educators discover and discuss common and unique
challenges and experiences in Asian teaching contexts.
Betterfly.com - A free site that helps people find teachers, coaches,
instructors and tutors for over 1,000 different subjects.
Brainify - an academic social bookmarking and networking site for college
and university students. If you are looking for the best sites and a great
community to help with your courses, this is the place for you.
Blended Learning and Instruction - where educators and students discuss
online and face-to-face instruction and learning ideas.
Bloombla - Storytelling network that has an english structure way of
presenting ones stories.
Campus FLE Education - A network for FLE (français langue étrangère)
Caribbean Educators Network - A professional development community
for educators, educational innovators, educational consultants within the
Caribbean region.
Classroom 2.0 - Web 2.0 in the Classroom
ClassScene - Safe, secure media sharing site developed
CLÍO EN RED: Clío en Red is a social network where History teachers
share experience and resources. It has more than 1500 members; Clío en
Red surge como espacio de encuentro de docentes e investigadores de
Historia, Arte, Geografía y Didáctica de las CCSS
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Creating an Online Learning Community- this space is open for
discussions about online learning and sharing. How can we optimize
online learning spaces to share and learn from each other? How can
online learning communities improve student learning and engagement?
specifically for schools
http://www.classesonlineusa.com - Online Classes Resource
College 2.0 - Higher Education, Online Education and Web 2.0
College of Education at NC State - Ning for students and alumni at the
College of Education at NC State University.
Comenius Programme Network A network for teachers accross Europe to
seek support, share ideas and experiences to help ensure successful
Projects
Coming of Age - The Book on Web 2.0 in the Classroom
Connecting Online- Sharing personal and professional online learning
experiences in preparation for a live online conference in February 6-8,
2009
Content Literacy - Promoting a literate approach to teaching content.
Custom Essays - Online academic writing resource.
Digital Arts Education - A place for Digital Arts Technology Academy
students, staff, and alumni to converse and display.
eCollege - This is a Network for e-Learning professionals to share their
experiences and discuss the evolving world of on-line learning. We have a
particular interest in ubiquitous technologies, global learning resources,
web 2.0 services, social networking software and all things open source.
We think this is where the future of learning lies.
eLatin eGreek eLearn - Helping Classics teachers (Latin and Greek)
understand and incorporate technology into the classroom.
elearningAdda.com - A social network of e-learning professionals India.
Edu4DRR - A social network by and for teachers who want to make a
difference in disaster prevention.
EduBloggerWorld - International Edubloggers
Edusim Users - Social network for Edusim virtual worlds in the classroom
Edutopia - A community of 45,000+ teachers, administrators, parents, and
individuals passionate for change in education (located on edutopia.org).
http://enforex.ning.com/ - Social Network for Studying spanish as a
second language.
www.eSpecialMatch.com -Social Network dedicated to families of
individuals with special needs and the profesionals that serve them. Deals
with Autism, Aspergers, Down's Syndrome, Sensory Processing disorder,
Visual impaired, Physical impaired, Neurological disorders.
Fielfindr A portal to connect classrooms to the world: Global citizens can
share talents and skills with students.
Filmbuffet.com - A movie social network and catalog site for teachers,
students and adult learners to discuss and share film.
www.fivefreedoms.org: A site that provides resources on school
leadership, democratic practice, and youth voice. FFP also has an online
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network (network.fivefreedoms.org) that connects people who share a
commitment to First Amendment freedoms, democratic schools, and the
idea that all children deserve to be seen and heard.
Fireside Learning (ning) - "Conversations about learning. Sit by the
fireside and share your thoughts." This is a network of educational leaders
and do-ers, people from around the world who care about educational
reform and want to share and think things through as "reflective
practitioners."
www.florin.pbwiki.com - is an online learning and social
network/collaboration site for educators in Sacramento, CA
Foreigners in Lille - French as a foreign language in the french learning
communauties of Lille - University of Lille 1 USTL.
GeographyNQT - set up to support Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) of
Geography in the UK (and elsewhere)
Gifted Education Ning space for parents and teachers started by Ginger
Lewman to discuss gifted issues
Global Classroom - A social network of students, teachers and adult
learners who want access to education and top educators across the
globe. Providing free online classrooms for Teachers in order to integrate
the internet into today's classrooms.
Hescar.com HESCAR (Higher Education Search, Compare, Apply &
Register) is a FREE online higher education network designed specifically
for students and educators.
Home Tuition - HomeTuitionJob is a one-stop shop for home tuition
resources in Malaysia. It's a website for people who want to find home
tuition tutors. It's also a website for people who want to find home tuition
jobs.
The Global Education Collaborative - Promoting Global Awareness
HSC Ancient History NSW This Wiki aims to help Ancient History students
studying for the HSC by forming a brains trust on the Ancient History
topics. Both teachers and students are encouraged to contribute and join
discussion groups.
ICT in Education Community of ed tech folk started by Terry Freedman, a
UK-based practioner.
Inquiryschools - freely sharing good primary educational practice
INTERACTiC 2.0 School With Social ICT - An informal Portuguese
researchers and teachers community of practice. It takes the potential of
multiple collaborative tools available on the Internet to join people able to
reflect on Education, teaching methodologies and learning using ICT.
International Collaboration - High school and university students
worldwide collaborate and learn about each others' cultures and life styles
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International Classroom - Social network created for classes around the
world. Space where pupils can share, talk about themselves ,show
pictures and videos etc,and get to know each other's culture.
ISTE Member Ning - Community network for members of the International
Society for Technology in Education.
Internet en el Aula - Internet in the Classroom is a social network where
teachers share experience and resources. Born related to 2008 Internet in
the Classroom Spanish Conference, it is aimed to the creation of
communities of practice. It has more than 2000 members; 58 groups have
been created so far.
ILTCE - Illinois Technology Conference for Educators - Learning Without
Boundaries 2008
ISEnet - Independent School Educators Network for k-12 educators &
students
Jumbo Tests - Social network for test prep enthusiasts, including GMAT ,
GRE, SAT, etc. Just launched.
Laptop Learning Community - Preparing Students with 21st Century Skills
Learning 2.0 - Creating Collaborative Learning
Literacy in a Digital Classroom- A social network for educators to share
ideas for using digital media in reading, writing, speaking or other areas of
your curriculum.
LITE - Leading Innovative Technology use in Education - Glenview School
District 34
Long Island School Leadership Center (New York) - Open Community
Discussions about Education in New York State
MACICT - A social network for educators visiting Macquarie ICT
Innovations Centre in Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia either in
person or virtually.
MACUL Space - Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning.
Educators Pre-K to 20.
Michigan Classroom 2.0 Michigan Classroom 2.0 is for Educators
interested in integrating technology into the classroom. A collaborative site
where"beginners" and pro's can find a comfortable place to start being
part of the digital dialog.
Montclair Educators Network A social netowork for educators in Montclair,
NJ.
Mr. Bruns 360 A social network for my 9-12 grade social studies students.
NaMaYa NaMaYa is an online educational center that is revolutionizing
the method people study and learn as well as the way educational content
is created and delivered. Combining state of the art technology that is
integrated with other powerful Web 2.0 functionality NaMaYa offers an
unparalleled learning, teaching and parenting experience. Relying on its
three main pillars – Educational Content, Educational Communities &
Technology, NaMaYa enables previously unavailable learning material to
be accessed by web, thus enabling existing educational content while
allowing the production of new and high-quality content.
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Nanopaprika.eu - Network of NanoScience
National Sports Academy is the online learning and social networking
community for National Sports Academy in Lake Placid.
Nebraska Educators Ning - A place for Nebraska educators to collaborate,
communicate and share.
NewEdexcelGeog - to support UK Geography teachers who are preparing
to teach a new 'A' level Geography syllabus from September 2008
NewLearning - a community for teachers and educators interested in
continuous new learning
Next Generation Teachers - Improving Teaching and Learning with New
Technologies
Pre-Service Teacher training] - (A community for Improving Pre_Service
Teacher Training)
PYP Exhibition Members - Inquiry Schools - A community of teachers
involved in teaching the Exhibition year in the Primary Years Program of
the IB
NYSCATE - Leading the Transformation of Teaching and Learning
through Technology
Ohio Education Technology Network - A social network for Ohio educators
to collaborate about education and technology
Voices Of The World - Teacher's community to learn about new
technologies to connect children around the world together using their
voice rather than the written or typed word.
Online Instruction - Teachers need ongoing support and information to
facilitate online classes. Online Instruction caters to instructors' needs.
Online Projects 4 Teachers - Linking Teachers Together
Parentella: A parent teacher network.
PBS Teachers - Using a private Ning network to Connect with our Teacher
Advisory Group
PINOT -- Performance Improvement Non-Training interventions...The
PINOT network is a community dedicated to performance improvement
and results using solution systems that go beyond training. PINOT
contains a collection of short articles, experiences, and discussions about
a variety of performance improvement interventions that go beyond
training. Are you intrigued with performance technology, improvement and
results? Do you work in a field related to training, human resource
development, or OD? Then please join us!
ProjectsByJen - PreK - 6th Grade Teacher Collaboration
Promethean Whiteboard Resources and Training Companion- A site
created for teachers who recently received ACTIVboards in their
secondary classroom. A compilation of sites for training and tips as well as
content sites that work well on interactive whiteboards. (Just started-work
in progress!) NOTE: This Ning is by "invitation only" -- no information
is available about how to be invited.
PSUCast PowerSchool users network.
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Response To Intervention & Universal Design For Learning Central -This
network is meant to be a meeting place for teachers (k-HED, SPED to
Gifted), parents, Education Professionals, etc. to share resources for
Response to Intervention and Universal Design for Learning.
Rolling on the River - An educational resource for the interdisciplinary
study of water; collaboration opportunities.
RBG Worldwide 1 Nation (ning) Afrikan Centered Cultural Development
and Education
School 2.0 - The Changing of Education
School Leadership Center Long Island - New York State Leadership in
Education Community
SchoolRack - Free service for K-12 teachers and faculty to establish a
classroom website or blog for sharing information online with students and
parents
Schoolwork Together - Space for teens from Israel and Dutch school to
meet and discuss ideas for a common project
SIGTE 2008 Book Discussion; Steering committee currently discussing
book choices. Using NING as communication tool.
Smallsteps - a class based network set up to support 14yr old design
students with a design and make project centred around the topic of waste
reduction.
Social Students Network - An Educational Network dedicated to
connecting social college students interested common and modern
Technology (cell phones, television, etc.).
SPEMFS - an educational network dedicated to helping people become
the best that they can be - spiritually, mentally, physically, socially,
emotionally, and financially; and teaching them how to learn from
everything in their lives and to be creative.
SPLICE - this is part of a JISC funded project run by CETIS at Bolton
University to explore social networking for creative industries students,
teachers and practitioners. SPLICE = social practices, learning and
interoperability in connected environments.
Teacher2Teacher NetworkA private and exclusive online network of
educators around the world.
teachustech.ning.com - A network of teachers using technology
teach-with-internet.ning.com - A network for teachers to share ideas,
discuss different issues, suggest tools for and learn more about the use of
internet in teaching
Teachers.net - A network of educator message boards, divided by interest
group, areas of specialization, grade level, and social interests. Monthy
newsletters, Harry WOng exclusive articles, and live chats with fellow
educators make this network a worthwhile bookmark to visit everyday.
Teacher Content - A network of teachers using technology to teach
content
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Teach-with-internet.ning.com - A social network for teachers to share
ideas, suggest useful tools and discuss relevant issues connected to the
use of internet in teaching.
The Innovative Educator - Connecting educators passionate about
educating innovatively. Mostly New York City.
Tictech 2.0 - A forum for Seattle (and beyond) educators to explore/share
ideas on using web 2.0 technologies in education.
Transforming Education for the 21st Century - Helping educators innovate,
communicate, collaborate and create. Started in NYC.
We Are Teachers IMAGINE Network- Online Knowledge Marketplace (this
is a users focus group / forum to gather input and development)
WorkForce Educators - Distance Learning and Teaching
World Englishes Project- Blended Learning Course about World Englishes
in collaboration with Waseda University, Japan.
WEBTAS (Web Teaching and Academic Support Learning Community)
Web2learning (For Teachers interested in using Web 2.0 technology’ to
enhance online teaching and learning activities)
Web 2.0 Applications and Tools (Web 2.0 online discussion site about
applications and tools related to multiple topics in research and education.
Mainly in Portuguese.)
Self-educate.com -A free online self-education knowledge and social
network on IT
Information Technology Tools for Engineers- A course that is offered to
the graduate engineers to built up their skill levels in the use of Internet for
gathering, communicating and sharing information. The course topics also
includes social bookmarking and social network. The course topics are
general enough to interest and benefit wider audience, therefore, it is open
to visitor, guests, and non-credit students
21C Learning @ Hong Kong this was set up following a conference in May
2008 which was the first time International School educators had gathered
in Hong Kong to discuss authentic 21st century learning in English
Instruction schools in Hong Kong and the region. We want the
conversations to continue and we welcome outside input.
Logo in Education: a Learning Community of Practice – A social network
in Greece (Greek language) with the purpose to facilitate communications
and interactions, exchange of information, ideas and pedagogical
resources and to promote co-operation and collaboration between the
members of the educational community mostly interested in Logo
programming language and philosophy.
Mi Academia - apoyo escolar y recuperación, Madrid - Método exclusivo
para aprender a aprender y conseguir aprobar. Enseñanza personalizada
y resultados magníficos, incluso con estudiantes "difíciles".
goIIT.com - goIIT.com's intention to provides IIT/AIEEE engineering study
material, entrance preparation tips, admission notifications,sample test
papers, model papers, previous years test papers, mock tests subjectwise for reputed exams BITS, MHT CET, WBJEE, syllabus, pattern,
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experts advice, online coaching & solve JEE entrance queries at our
education forum.
Art:
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ArtEd2.0 - Using New Technology in Art Classrooms
Asia Region Art Educators A personal learning network for art educators
Art Snacks- Teaching Art
Arteda.net Art Education in the Digital Age - lots of videos of
Exhibits/Lectures/Artist from Boston and a Web 2.0 Hybrid Drawing class.
Comic Art School Open community with resources for drawing and making
comics.
Drawing Faces - Course for drawing faces, portraits, cartoon heads and
caricatures.
IBART Class Beijing A network for IBART students to collaborate, share
and respond
Museums and Students - A network for museums and students to interact
and learnAg
UTA Film and Video Network - for art (film) students and faculty of the
University of Texas, Arlington
UTA Animation Network - for animation students and faculty of the
University of Texas, Arlington
National Art Education Association - Elementary Division - Interactive tool
for Elementary Art Specialists
Classroom Networks:
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Across Generations Homework help, resources, projects from students,
resources for students and parents.
Clubforeducation Partnered with multiple universities worldwide to provide
their course online, mainly BBA and MBA.
Big Dog Science - eighth grade science class network for student
collaboration on chemistry projects
CCM Music - a network to connect students and staff across music
courses at City College Manchester, an FE and HE college in the UK. This
is a closed network but a video tour is here.
The Connected Classroom - Private network connecting 7 grade 4 classes
in international and public schools around the world (looking for members
in Japan, Australia and China).
Creative Media Classroom - Private network for 11th-12th grade students
taking Creative Media (an evolution from Creative Writing) as an elective
at a college preparatory school.
Dio Digital Learning Lab Classroom based interactive network at Diocesan
School for Girls in New Zealand (Private)
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ESCOLA 2.0 - Learning the potential of social networking to education
goals. A portuguese experience at the university as a support to the
tradicional face to face classes.
Flat Classroom Project - Planning, communication and collaboration Ning
for the Flat Classroom Project
The French Connection - Private network connecting 2 grade 6-7 classes
in the US and France for communication, language practice.
FreshMontanaTheory - 1st year music theory at the University of Montana
GCHS Theater Arts Online reflection space for GCHS theater arts
students (closed)
Global Classroom - A social network of students, teachers and adult
learners who want access to education and top educators across the
globe. Providing free online classrooms for Teachers in order to integrate
the internet into today's classrooms.
The Global Cooling Collective - Planning World Concerts, Creating World
Change, Empowering Global Youths
HSTE Project Ning , & HSTE Project Wikispace A project for Hereford
High School Health Science Technology students for the 2008 - 2009
school year, Hereford, TX.
historycentral.net A networks for 7th grade history students in a small K-8
Hurricane Maine - Network for my students but hope to open it up for
collaboration
IntroTV/Video - 9-12th grade TV/Video students use this as a place to
upload their work (closed - due to copyright issues)
Kerr Honors - 9th grade English Network for Reading Reflection (closed could open up)
Kingswear Network - a private UK primary (ages 5-11) classroom network
but main page is public - sadly closed due to COPPA and dearly missed
by staff, parents and students.
McCorrmick31 - 11th grade English Network for reflection on independent
reading projects. (closed - could open up)
Maine Holocaust Education Network - We are a group of educators and
students sharing and collaborating with each other in order to understand
the Holocaust and work towards preventing future holocausts, genocides,
and other human rights atrocities.
Mr. Edge's English I Space at edgespace.ning.com
newentenglishsixth - private Ning for 6th Form students of English
Literature at Newent Community School, UK (closed)
Odyssey of the Mind - A closed network for students at Odyssey Charter
HS in Nevada. There are seven teachers participating with about 250
students currently in the network.
Readin' Writin' Techin' - Closed network run by four teachers in Southern
NJ as part of a study group looking at ways Web 2.0 technologies can be
used to generate interest in reading and enhance writing skills. Network
has 14 members (four adults and ten students).
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Reading Revolution - This network is to promote student interest in
reading books. The network is between a class in an inner city school in
California and a class in rural Iowa. Students are encouraged to be social
and talk about the books they are reading or want to read. Students make
and post videos and podcast about their favorite books, authors and their
communities.
Second Grade - Private network for a 2nd grade class students and
parents to share multimedia, to communicate and practice writing in an
informal environment.
Local NYS STEP program - Educating students through the Science
Technology Entry Program at New York Institute of Technology in NYS
including providing resources and areas to reflect, obtain college and
career information and more. (Long Island, NY area)
Sharing Learning A learning experience involving my 2008 students,
willing to sit for the CAE examination, in Rosario, Argentina, but also
willing to communicate with other people worldwide, using English. And
their wiki with project work at Sharing Culture
StroudAce - Private network for Stroud Access to Education staff, students
and their families to communicate.
TLGplace - Taking Learning Global, a private network for students 15+
and their teachers to share inter-cultural experiences while learning.
Truss2YPI - one of several private Gr. 10 class networks, "Learning about
grassroots organizations in our community." see YPI
WellesleyHigh - High School Faculty/Staff Network (closed)
Who do you serve? a gathering of people from medieval realms "Figures
from 600 - 1492 AD gather to share life experiences" A private network for
Year 8 Humanities Students at ISG - Campus des Nations.
World Village - Private network connecting 3 grade 2 classes in Thailand
and the US to learn about different cultures.
Xtreme Learning - Private network connecting highly able students in 9
grade 5 classes in international and public schools around the world focus on reading and literature.
Learning Options Social Network - A private social network of students in
a very small high school in northwestern Wisconsin, who are taking online
classes through a variety of vendors for enrichment or credit recovery.
OraDeInfo - A private network of Romanian students (Psychology field)
using Web 2.0 tools
Conferences:
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Connecting Online - Live online conference via WiZiQ on February 6-8,
2009. Proposals accepted until November 30, 2008.
CUE Community - Conference website for CUE.org and 2008 CUE
Conference (with individual forum threads for every session and speaker
pages).
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ECOO - Educational Computing Organization of Ontario - Conference
Nov. 11- 13, 2009.
ePals Conference - The world's largest social network for learning hosts a
one-day conference, Tuesday, July 28, in Boston. Speakers and
participants from China, UK, El Salvador, Canada and US.
Flat Classroom Conference: Leadership Workshop and Student Summit
with educator Ning at Flat Classrooms
The Illinois Technology Conference for Educators- A social networking site
for conference attendees, vendors and speakers. Educators following the
conference from afar as also encouraged to join this ning. Stay tuned for
handouts, pictures, and video of our 2008 event!
Learning 2.008 Shanghai - Educational Technology Conference held in
Shanghai in September for international teachers in the Asia region.
MACUL Space - The Michigan Association for Computer Users in
Learning
NECC Ning - Ning for ISTE's National Educational Computing Conference
(NECC)
NYSCATE - Leading the Transformation of Teaching and Learning
through Technology
TCEA - Texas Computer Education Association - 30th Annual Conference
& Exposition February 8-12, 2010 in Austin, Texas.
Course Material:
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openlearn - Open University Course Material
English as a Foreign Language:
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APAC A network of teachers of English in Catalonia
ePals Find native speakers of English in US, UK, Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, South Africa to pair with your EFL students, using free
SchoolMail, SchoolBlog, student forums, and protected chat.
EFL Classroom 2.0 - an international community of thousands of teachers
and resources. Always Free, Always New. >
EFL University. Teachers and Students have FUN = Frivolous.
Unanticipated. Nonsense to learn together in English and Spanish
Im with Benjamin A page for my students (primarily English classes, but
others as well) in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Closed right now, but could
become open.
Inglês Verde e Amarelo - IVA is an established network of Brazilians
learning English and English-speakers learning Portuguese of interested
in Brazil.
ListeningPlus A network for students who felt they wanted to keep in touch
and practicing English after their online session at Casa Thomas Jefferson
(Brasilia, Brazil) was over.
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Mexico English Teachers' Alliance :: META Web 2.0 - META is a social
and educational network for English teachers that promotes learnercentered teaching methods and Web technologies in and out of EFL
classrooms.
http://internationalclassroom.ning.com/ Where pupils from all parts of the
world can meet chat, share, work together. Created for younger teens 12
to 14, who would like to join us?
TOEFL Prep - stands for "Test of English as Foreign Language", used
broadly as an entrance requirement for higher education studies in
English.
IELTS Prep - "Internation English Language Testing System", similar to
TOEFL.
English as a Second Language:
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CSWE 3 Werribee - An adult ESL network for my class of new refugees
and immigrants to Melbourne, Australia (closed - may open up)
cswe3class.ning.com - An Adult ESL network for migrant students at Mt
Gravatt, TAFE, Brisbane, Australia
Talking in Tongues - (Private) A social network for an advanced academic
speaking and listening course at North Dakota State University
English Education (Pre- and In-Service):
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FSC-KU M.Ed. (TESL) - (private) a network for those taking the
Framingham State College Masters in Ed. program (IEP - International
Education Program)
Montclair State English Education - Support Network for Montclair State
University (New Jersey) English teacher certification students—including
pre- and in-service students and novice teachers during their induction
period.
M.A. Program in English Education, Teachers College, Columbia
University (NY, NY) -- Private social networks for individual
instructors/courses
Russian Education:
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edu.ru - System federal educational portal
edufa.ru - Portal about education in Bashkortostan
Georgian recruiting :
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mycareer.ge - Business Network of Alumni, CEOs and Middle level managers in
Georgia
French as a Foreign language :
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Echanges FLE - Communication - Collaboration in FLE (FFL)
ePals- Teachers of French pair students as pen pals, for twin blogs, using
free, safe and protected communication tools such as email, blogs, forums
and more
fauxamis.ning.com - False friends alias words that look the same but have
a different meaning in French and in an other language.
Foreigners in Lille - French as a foreign language in the french learning
communauties of Lille - University of Lille 1 USTL.
FLE Education - FLE (français langue étrangère) and Web 2.0
frenchteacher.ning.com French teacher (closed network)
grammaire.ning.com - French grammar.
Le Trait d'Union - French as a Foreign Language for learners and
teachers, network of Personal Learning Environments. Free and open.
Started with French Alliances teachers and learners.
vocabulaire.ning.com - French vocabulary.
Language Learning:
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www.bilingual seeds.ning.com
Enfoidiomas: Nuestros Centros en Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella,
Salamanca y Valencia imparten cursos de idiomas (inglés, francés,
alemán, español, catalán y chino mandarín), así como cursos para la
preparación de exámenes oficiales.
Talkabout Primary MFL- for those teaching (or considering teaching)
foreign languages in Primary schools (ages 3-11)
Academia de Inglés Lite Madrid Aprendizaje de inglés fácil y rápido - igual
de fácil que se aprende la lengua materna. Método totalmente innovador y
exclusivo.
Leadership:
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Accomplished California Teachers - a Stanford University based network
made up primarily of California National Board Certified Teachers.
Operates in a Ning network and seeks to bring teacher voice to policy
debates, while sharing information and strategies to promote teacher
leadership statewide.
Education Leadership - A community for educators to discuss effective
leadership, to share best practices, and work toward - lead - a culture of
positive change in education.
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www.fivefreedoms.org: A site that provides resources on school
leadership, democratic practice, and youth voice. FFP also has an online
network (network.fivefreedoms.org) that connects people who share a
commitment to First Amendment freedoms, democratic schools, and the
idea that all children deserve to be seen and heard.
Progressive Learning Community- A place to share strategies, exchange
ideas, to lead, to teach and to learn
School Leadership Center Long Island - New York State Leadership in
Education Community
SMS 5 Year Program Collaboration - A collaboration network for all
preservice teachers at Suncrest Middle School in Morgantown, WV.
Members are in the 5 year teacher education program, host teachers and
associated administrators.
PYP Threads - A community for those involved with the International
Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. This ning grew out of a one day
workshop of PYP coordinators in Switzerland, and is opened to anyone
PYP. It is "a place to weave, unravel, and re-weave PYP threads into
fabrics of communication with a choice of threads, colors, patterns, and
textures."
TICAL Community - Join other administrators and leaders to discuss and
share effective decision making in our schools and districts today. This
site was started by The Technology Information Center for Administrative
Leadership (TICAL).
Innovative Urban Learning Community urban leaders collaborating for
success in the 21st century
Libraries
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Using Emerging Technology to Advance Your School Library Program
Social webinar series designed to help librarians develop a toolbox of
emerging technologies that will help them and their faculties embed 21st
century and right-brained learning into their programs and core content
curriculum.
Library 2.0
TeacherLibrarianNing - A community for teacher-librarians and other
educators
Music:
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General Music Co-op - A global networking space for general music
teachers, pre-service music teachers, music teacher educators, and all
those interested in general music education.
MusicTechieTeachers - A community for music educators that use
technology in their classrooms.
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Edublogger Argento Community of Argentinian Edubloggers
Eduteka- a free Spanish-language web portal for educators, updated
every month and run by the Gabriel Piedrahita Uribe Foundation
(Fundación Gabriel Piedrahita Uribe (FGPU), in Spanish) based in Cali,
Colombia.
CLÍO EN RED: Clío en Red is a social network where History teachers
share experience and resources. It has more than 1500 members; Clío en
Red surge como espacio de encuentro de docentes e investigadores de
Historia, Arte, Geografía y Didáctica de las CCSS
Orientamenti e Disorientamenti (negli usi didattici delle tecnologie).
Orientations and Disorientations (in didactical uses of technologies)., An
Italian network of teachers and practitioners wishing to make an awered
and informed uses of technologie
Professional Development:
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Cooperative Learning Community - Popular community with discussions
and pedagogical resources.
Collaborating with Judy Campf - Professional network for educators using
(or thinking of using) Web 2.0 technologies with K-12 students and staff.
Digital Citizenship resources for educators.
DuBois and Beyond: Private local Network for PD
edWeb.net is a social networking website that makes is easy for anyone in
the education community to connect with peers, share information and
best practices, spread innovative ideas, and provide professional
development.
E2T2 Tech Mentor Grant
http://florrie.ning.com is a ning for the parent, teacher student
communication of Hoërskool Florida in Gauteng, South Africa
http://florries.ning.com is a ning for the professional development of
teachers at Hoërskool Florida in Gauteng, South Africa
EdtechLeaders is a ning for teachers who participated in an online Web
2.0 course provided by the MA Dep of Ed and EDC. The resources in this
ning are open to anyone and all are welcome to join
Eduteka- a free Spanish-language web portal for educators, updated
every month and run by the Gabriel Piedrahita Uribe Foundation based in
Cali, Colombia. Includes many resources for ICT teachers in particular.
www.fivefreedoms.org: A site that provides resources on school
leadership, democratic practice, and youth voice. FFP also has an online
network (network.fivefreedoms.org) that connects people who share a
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commitment to First Amendment freedoms, democratic schools, and the
idea that all children deserve to be seen and heard.
Global Classroom - A social network of students, teachers and adult
learners who want access to education and top educators across the
globe. Providing free online classrooms for Teachers in order to integrate
the internet into today's classrooms.
Instructional Designers is an open group for people who develop
instructional materials.
iTeach is a site for teachers to share and learn about both technical and
nontechnical resources.
Learning Technologies User Group (LTUG) - This is an online community
where Learning Technologies User Group (LTUG) Members & others
interested in learning technologies can share ideas. This is a vendorneutral community.
Literacy Coach Network - best practices in literacy coaching
OnlineProjects4Teachers - Linking Teachers Together
Orientamenti e Disorientamenti (negli usi didattici delle tecnologie).
Orientations and Disorientations (in didactical uses of technologies)., An
Italian network of teachers and practitioners wishing to make an awered
and informed uses of technologie
PassionateTeachers A group of those teachers/educators who are
passionate about teaching-learning new strategies to make learning a
joyful experience.
Pima County Regional Support Center - Collaborative space for teachers
in Pima County interested in technology integration. All groups are formed
around on trainings and presentations by the Center with agenda, links,
and other resources.
Pixels, Please collaborate and share resources, ideas, lesson plans, etc.
amongst educators about how to use Digital Images in the classroom.
Professional Development 2.0 - Educators Learn the 2.0 Way
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Readin' Writin' Techin' - Closed network run by four teachers in Southern
NJ as part of a study group looking at ways Web 2.0 technologies can be
used to generate interest in reading and enhance writing skills. Network
has 14 members (four adults and ten students).
Saint Joseph Digital Express - The network of collaboration and
professional development in the Saint Joseph, Missouri school district.
Tapped In is a professional educators' collaborative with over 600
professional development groups, university and K-12 classes. Members
may create their own office and up to two group rooms (including secure
K-12 classrooms for their own students). Tapped In uses a split interface
(Java based chat on the bottom frame, Web based on the top) to facilitate
real time meetings as well as asynchronous threaded discussion boards,
file sharing, etc. Tours of the interface as well as real time meetings may
be found by looking at the Tapped In Calendar. Real time help is often
available. Membership is free and ad free.
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Teachers 2.0 - Teaching in the digital age.
The Teacher Collaborative - A social network of teachers and educators
attempting to integrate technology into current curriculum practices by
developing global project ideas and classroom partnerships.
teacher/tearner: minds of our own - A private network of independent
interdependent teachers learning. The goal for this network in 2008 is to
become an even more valuable professional learning network. We are
also accepting membership by educators who are interested in using and
sharing the use of Web 2.0.
Teachers as Writers - This is a place where teachers who are writers or
wannabe writers can share their enthusiasm for whatever it is they have
put on paper or want to put on paper. It's about encouraging people to
write and "carve their niches in the edifice of time."
Tech Camp for Educators-With literacy as a focus, technology will be
infused across the curriculum as a tool for teaching and learning. This is a
hands-on, practical class. This is a face to ce week long tech camp taught
by Meg Ormiston.
University of Chicago Charter Schools
Virginia Independent School Teachers
Web 2.0 4 Teachers - This network is for teachers and administrators who
have attended my workshops and conference presentations that highlight
the use of Web 2.0 tools. It provides a place for them to engage during
and after the sessions.
Western New York Powerful Learning Practices: A social network where
teachers and administrators from various school districts explore and learn
Web 2.0 tools.
Vidsnacks: Video training for teachers wishing to incorporate video into
their lessons.
Virtual Southside - Virtual Southside is a group of educators at Benton
High School in St. Joseph, MO who are exploring learner-centered
constructivism through emerging technologies.
Regional:
Computer-based study strategies - for Teachers and students affiliated
with the University of Oregon
Edureshet - Israeli educators and web20 in the classroom
Greenbush Education Service Center
Profesores ELE en Holanda - for Teachers of Spanish as a Foreign
Language working in the Netherlands (in progress) | Profesores de
Español como Lengua Extranjera (ELE) que trabajan en los Países Bajos.
School Matters - Knoxville, TN Area Network
SigTE Book Discussion Group A book discussion study group for
Reinventing Project-Based Learning (2007) by Suzie Boss and Jane
Krauss, an ISTE publication.
Sloan-C SL-NET (Higher Ed)
Second Life Educational Videos
Freestyle Medela
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Science:
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Bergmann Science Awesome example of an organized online science
classroom with resources and activities available! Also thousands of
student discussion posts, pictures, videos and much more.
RIScienceteachers Ning and wikispace for Rhode Island science teachers.
Science collaborative projects from ePals- Climate change, habitats,
maps, water, natural disasters, weather are some of the free projects.
Your classroom can collaborate with classes in another state or on
another continent, using the Teacher and Student Project Forums or the
global community.
Saint Joe H2O - SaintJoe H2O is the communications network for the
Saint Joseph Marine Institute. SJMI is a Dual-Credit Honors program
within the Saint Joseph School District.
Principles of Biology - A collaborative network linking Benton High School
and Missouri Western State University via the dual-credit course:
"Principles of Biology."
Benton Zoologists - Students at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Mo,
who are exploring the animal kingdom, one phylum at a time...
Extreme Biology - Mixed group of high school students attending a
conference. It will turn into an actual class project for the 2009-10 school
year.
Middle School Science Teachers - The middle school science teacher has
a unique set of challenges in order to connect with students. While 2.0
technologies are important, so are the tried and true hands-on activities.
We know, in this day of high stakes testing, that helping students learn
content takes time and foresight. So if you have a special lesson plan,
demonstration, hands-on activity or other way of connecting with your
students, share that knowledge here for others to use.
The Synapse A SYNAPSE is a minute gap between nerve cells which
transmits crucial information through the nervous system. The goal of this
network is to perform a similar "synaptic" function between biology
instructors of all levels and locations.
Molecular Forces- A network for Physics and Chemistry educators to
share ideas, ask questions and be nerdy.
Science in Greece - A social network for science teachers in Greece
(Greek language).
Social Studies:
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The Way We Are Project- Students will engage in a collaborative learning
experience. Through email exchanges, students learn about the daily
lives, cultures, climates and geography of children who live in other
regions of the world.
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Teaching Digital History - A community focused on ideas and resources
for teaching using digital historical resources.
I Teach Social Studies - A community for social studies teachers to share
their ideas, resources, etc.
Spanish as a Foreign Language:
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don Quijote Spanish School - Spanish courses in Spain and Latin
America.
Enforex - Con más de 24 escuelas de español ubicadas por España y
Latinoamérica, Enforex es la organización más grande y prestigiosa en el
mundo especializada en la enseñanza de español como lengua
extranjera.
Intermediate Spanish in a rural place of the United States - Videos,
música, noticias, fotos, podcasts, ejercicios, ideas... en español y para
clases de español como idioma extranjero.
Profesores ELE en Holanda - for Teachers of Spanish as a Foreign
Language working in the Netherlands (in progress) | Profesores de
Español como Lengua Extranjera (ELE) que trabajan en los Países Bajos
Profesores de español.- Una red para los profesores de español como
segunda lengua para compartir materiales, aprender cosas nuevas, hacer
contactos. Indicado también para estudiantes que quieran ser profesores
en el futuro.
Special Education and Web 2.0:
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diTop culinary schools in America Research Top Culinary Schools and
find the bet Cooking Classes from the best Culinary Arts Schools
Worldwide and get free information about Culinary degree.
Special Ed in the 21st Century - No Child Left Behind? Special Needs and
Self-Contained are often left behind, academically & socially. Our mission:
Informing and educating parents, educators, decision makers in the use of
Web 2.0 tools and 21 Century Skills for this unique class of learners. The
rise of the read/write web provides a voice and creative outlet (and
possibly a brighter future) for one of our most isolated and in-need
populations.
Student Organizations:
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EARCOS Global Issues Network - Earth’s Hope is the theme of the
EARCOS Global Issues Network Conference to be held in Beijing April 4,
5 & 6 at Western Academy of Beijing. The Global Issues Network is
based on the ideas in Jean Francois Rischard’s book “Twenty Global
Problems, Twenty Years to Solve Them.” Rischard identifies 20 urgent
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global problems and encourages the formation of small groups around the
world to help solve them
Teacher Education:
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DigitalInterns.ca: This is a Ning-group for the professional development of
a group of teacher interns at the Faculty of Education, University of
Regina. This is an on-going project and will eventually include all students
from the Faculty of Education.
Exploring Diversity - (Private) A social network for students taking the
Diversity and Educational Policy course as part of the North Dakota State
University School of Education Masters and Doctorate programs.
Orientamenti e Disorientamenti (negli usi didattici delle tecnologie).
Orientations and Disorientations (in didactical uses of technologies)., An
Italian network of teachers and practitioners wishing to make an awered
and informed uses of technologie
StorahLab - Jewish educator training program teaching the ancient art of
Torah translation through theatrical means. A program ofStorahtelling.
Technology:
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ArtEd2.0 - Using New Technology in Art Classrooms
Blended Learning and Instruction - Engaging students and teachers in
active learning by using technology and combining online with face-to-face
instruction. Members will share various 2.0 tools and ways of integrating
technology effectively.
Learning 2.0 for Pakistan - Learning 2.0 Technology for teachers and
students from Pakistan. National Education platform for producing
teacher-generated content employing collaborative next generation
internet technologies.
Elementary Tech Teachers This is the place to share plans, ideas, tools,
frustrations and any other ideas related to teaching and using technology
in the computer lab setting or as an elementary tech facilitator.
ePals- Safe and protected Web 2.0 tools for collaboration and
communication, including SchoolMail, SchoolBlog, and forums. Embedded
language translation for nine years, now offering 35 languages. Social
network of classrooms for project-based learning.
Indiana Tech Teachers - a new network for educators of technology in
Indiana to share ideas.
Learning Technologies User Group (LTUG) - This is an online community
where Learning Technologies User Group (LTUG) Members & others
interested in learning technologies can share ideas. This is a vendorneutral community.
Online Instruction - Teachers need ongoing support and information to
facilitate online classes. Online Instruction caters to instructors who wish
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to discuss ways of developing, implementing, and providing learners with
the most effective means of online instruction.
Promethean Whiteboard Resources and Training Companion BY
INVITATION ONLY>>>AND THERE ARE NO DIRECTIONS/LINKS TO
RECIEVE AN INVITATION : (
SchoolRack - Free service for K-12 teachers and faculty to establish a
classroom website or blog for sharing information online with students and
parents
Social Media Club Education Connection -- SMCEDU is Social Media
Club's national initiative to advance social media in higher education
curricula
Teachers Collaborating via Technology- a network for teachers that want
to share what they are doing via technology.
Teaching 'N Technology - A brand new network designed for teachers and
technology specialists to share strategies, ideas, and tools regarding
technology integration.
Tech Integration - With the growth of web 2.0 applications the
phenomenon rises many questions in education. Can any of this new
applications be used effectively in the classroom? Should we just stick to
the traditional technology integration activities?
Technology Integration - Gathering perspectives and best practices from
teachers, administrators, students, parents, Board of Education members,
support personnel, vendors and others regarding technology integration in
education. Site also available by visiting TechnologyIntegration.org.
Video production and multimedia - Video is the language of the 21st
century. Learn how to do it here.
WiZiQ is an online teaching platform, which provides a free virtual
classroom environment for teachers to interact online and teach students
in real time. Teachers can also build a profile, keep an availability
schedule, and maintain a content library, which is associated with their
profiles, by uploading PowerPoint presentations and PDF Files.
Project TREE - Technology Recycling for Excellence in Education.
Partners hardware donors with schools to provide open-source computer
technology for 1/10 the cost of traditional computer labs.
E-Teachers@India - A community of eteachers from India engaged in
sharing and discussion about technology, tools, strategies, etc.
Virtual Environments:
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ISTE SIGVE - International Society for Technology in Education's Special
Interest Group for Virtual Environments, linking like-minded innovators for
student education and professional development.
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Visual Mapping (Mind Mapping):
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Business Exchange: Visual Mapping - This topic covers the latest news
and information on visual mapping.
Concise Learning - Portal on using visual maps to learn and be
successful.
Vocational:
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Etools and Tips for Educators - Vocational e-learning and training
Mobile Communication - The social implications of mobile communication
( this site is focused on the academic analysis of mobile communication in
society)
SkillsTech Australia - Stonemasonry students, employers and teachers
Vocational e-Learning Mentors - Vocational e-learning and training
A customized Google search just of Ning networks (a good way to find
conversations and networks by topic).
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Atlantis Crossroads of Learning- This website is geared to tutors, tutor training and
includes a community Journal, a meeting space, and many free resources
for professionals involved in one-to-one education.
ChitChat - An 'educational network' that allows educators to find/share
course content, make class websites, author interactive study tools, and
discuss education-related topics.
Curriki - This website is community of educators, learners and committed
education experts who are working together to create quality materials
that will benefit teachers and students around the world.
Delicious - Social bookmarking at its finest. Log in with your Yahoo! ID and
create an aggregated list of resources/bookmarks that can be tagged,
searched, and shared with others.
Edmodo - A private micro-blogging site for educators for use in the
classroom with their students. Features include private classes, activities,
& groups, posting of Notes, Links, Files, Alerts, Assignments & events.
Teachers also have the ability to send a private post to a public timeline to
share with anybody with an RSS feed.
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Education Network Australia (edna) - A network for Australian educators in
early childhood, schools, universities, vocational and community
education. Free resources, event calendars, group collaboration spaces
(Moodle), email lists and professional networking.
educatorslog.in - A network for educators in India to connect through a
community blog, share and tag resources for teaching, and learn about
best practices and professional development opportunities - all relevant to
the context of education in India (Started by Shuchi Grover)
Elluminate - an online teaching and learning platform, providing advanced
synchronous tools enabling K-20 teachers and students connect and
collaborate in real-time.
European Educational Social Network BONy is a social network where
users can play a double role of students and/or teachers according to
theirs skills and requirements, therefore being able both to satisfy their
formative needs and to share their professional and linguistic expertises.
At the same time, BONy intends to provide a social network experts fully
dedicated to the European cooperation in the domains of research and
project management. In BONy it is also possible to find an e-course on
EuropeanProject Cycle Management.
Flashcard Friends - a social network for creating, sharing, learning and
self-testing using online flashcards
Gifted Kids Network Network for gifted students to collaborate on
advanced learning projects and enrichment clusters. (private; will accept
new members)
How-To-Study.com - Free site with more than 85 practical articles and
hundreds of tips about how to study and improve study skills in
elementary, middle and high school. English and Spanish.
ICT Schools - ICT resources and news for teachers.
Wiki: HyperEd.org
Contirbutor:Francisco Athens
Description: HyperEd strives to facilitate exploration of Social Justice and
Visual Culture issues through the medium of Free Open Source Software!
This wiki allows registrants the ability to edit and create wiki pages, create
blogs, post images and participate in the forums to create a supportive
community among educators around computer technology.
iEAR.org - a community of educators built around reviewing mobile
applications for education and sharing ideas on how to incorporate those
mobile apps into the classroom.
iEARN - Global educational network with 20 years experience linking
classes in online collaborative project-based learning, now among 125
countries
italki - A social network where you can find everything you need to learn a
language online, for free. italki is home to a global community of language
learners and educators representing over 100 languages worldwide.
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LearnCentral - A free social network started by Elluminate currently in
early public beta, specializing in educators connecting, sharing content,
and being able to engage in live online meetings.
LearnHub - Test Prep, Study Abroad, Career Counseling - Social learning
network with 130,000+ educator and student members. Includes the
world's largest free question banks for GMAT and other subjects.
ManyOne - A revolutionary new, FREE platform for serious content
management under Dublin Core 'light' (international standard), fullyhosted, integrated, directory-based, with white-label social networking and
more. Launching December 15, 2008. "Something special is
happening"
MasteryMaze.com - A learning community where teachers and students
share educational podcasts, videos, and discussion to improve learning in
school subjects.
Mindbounce.com - A personal learning environment for academic writers
who wish to interact with expert feedback in real-time.
me.edu.au - A social network for educators with an interest in Australia
Muse - a social utility that connects you with Internet2-enabled
technologies and educators in your region and around the globe. Learn
how next-generation Internet applications are being used everyday to
inspire educational excellence.
my.nycwp.org - A social network for the NYC Writing project. This network
brings together the project's listserv, flickr photos, twitter tweets, blogs,
and more.
OzProjects - Moodle-based Australian network of online curriculum
projects. Join the teacher network to learn about online projects, join your
class up to an existing project or apply for your own project space.
Promethean Planet - Free 240,000+ user portal for educators using
Interactive Whiteboards, Learner Response Devices and Software and
developing best practices in connecting the key educational technologies
of classrooms and virual learning together. Features blogs, forums,
resource sharing and reviewing and even its own Private virtual island!
Promethean Planet content can also be found on Itunes and TeacherTube
channels.
Reducando.es - Spanish Teachers Network. Take Language Classes from
home with our online Teachers.
Saywire Complete private network specifically for the education
community. Includes blogs, wikis, profiles, multimedia, eNotes (like email
but no mail address or mail server), and also allows members to build and
manage their own pages for classrooms, clubs, sports, professional
development, personal interests and more.
SchoolRack - Free service for K-12 teachers and faculty to establish a
classroom website or blog for sharing information online with students and
parents
Sharing Links - Free social bookmarking site for educators to save,
discover and share links. "Delicious for teachers."
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Teacher Leaders Network Forum - Private professional network of U.S.
teachers, with public aspects, based in customized Drupal environment.
TeacherRated - free online community where K-12 teachers find, share,
rate and review the best online educational resources on the Internet
Tutor Amigos- Clases particulares online para Hispano-hablantes.
Facilitamos el aprendizaje entre alumnos.
uSync - Social Networking and Project-Based Learning Software for
Education I just saw a demo this week on a pre-released software that
finally delivers on social networking for schools and as a teacher, I don't
have to build it myself. It is stunning! It runs locally on school-based
servers and I can best describe it as a combination Facebook and
YouTube rolled into one. It blows away anything I have looked at. My kids
said they liked it BETTER than Facebook. I am anxious to give it a try.
Was told it is pilot phase now and they will launch the product last week of
May.
Virtual Learning Network New Zealand.The Virtual Learning Network
(VLN) supports the concept of classrooms without walls, where students
and educators have the flexibility to connect with their classes 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Where a rich and diverse range of courses,
programmes and activities, from early childhood through to tertiary, are
offered by New Zealand-based educators. This site brokers the
connections between teachers and learners; joining clusters, schools,
groups and individuals who are learning through online programes and/or
using video conferencing for curriculum support.
WiZiQ is an online teaching platform, which provides a free virtual
classroom environment for teachers to interact online and teach students
in real time.
WeAreTeachers.com - Beta Site for creating your own teacher and learner
knowledge marketplace.
wePapers - a free social knowledge sharing web application which allows
college & university students and lecturers to share their papers, notes
and other materials, ask each-other questions and more.
YouFig - Custom Collaboration Communities for Academia