Social networking beyond Facebook

When a student hears the words "Social Networking" their immediate thoughts go to Facebook and Twitter. Well, they would be 50% correct. Effective classroom networking can still incorporate Twitter! Students are able to have discussions and collaborate with other students from around their area, state, nation and the world. Networking isn't just for the professionals anymore. Students can have the same access to the outside world and apply real world scenarios through the guidance of their classroom teacher. In an article from Educators Technology, they have listed 50+ Ways to use Twitter in the classroom. The article can be found here. But is a quick list!

• Bulletin borads
• Assignment coordination
• Parent Communication
• Partnering with other classrooms
• Gathering real-world data
• Follow the government
• Communicating with Experts
• Class newspaper
• Bring characters to life
• Inspirational quotes of the day

To get an even better idea on what Twitter in the Classroom would look like, check out this video!

And in a final thought:

Teachers, welcome to Diigo! I cannot believe that I did not know about this sooner!! A resource that helps you to organize all of those essential website and PDF bookmarks as well as collaborating with other educators! I have already put all of my math files on Diigo and now, off to do my Reading, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Character Counts, Professional Learning, Leadership Training, MTSS/IEP...you get the point. I love how I can easily place tags on each site and then share these resources with other teachers in a variety of groups. 

Now, if you are like me and have never heard of Diigo before, you can download it here. Also, here is a great video on how to implement it effectively! ENJOY!

Bookmarks Galore...NO MORE!

I'll admit it, I have way too many tabs on my Google Chrome bar. However, by utilizing Feedly and RSS (Really Simple Syndication), I will be able to store the sites that I visit the most in a clearly organized manner, AND, I can access from anywhere! It never fails, at least twice a year I will lose my tabs on my menu bar. Now I will not have to panic to locate my favorite sites or locations where I find much of my supplemental materials. The Kansas College and Career Ready Standards really require that educators think outside the box when it comes to locating relevant materials for the classroom. Locating Education Blogs to assist with ideas can be a great way to connect with other educators and locate materials ready to be implemented with little prep time.

RSS and Feedly are simplistic in their design and use! I love how this video relates RSS to Pinterest for News and Blogs! Just like my menu bar is packed with links, my Pinterest is packed with a variety of boards. I had no clue that RSS has been this long. WHY DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS SOONER?!