Ning

Laptop Session, Matthew Boulton Campus, Birmingham Metropolitan College

Photo Credit: JISC InfoNet

This photo can be shared and used freely under Creative Commons.

The word "Ning" is Chinese for "peace". Launched in October 2005, Ning is an online platform for people and organizations to create custom social networks. Ning appeals to people who want to create their own communities and social networks around specific interests. Users on this website have the ability to create a community featuring photos, videos, forums, or blogs. In addition, a Ning community can integrate with online services like Facebook, Twitter and Google. For instance, people can join a Ning Network using their Facebook or Twitter account, and share content from a Ning Network directly to their Twitter or Facebook accounts.

Teachers can meet with other like-minded teachers, collaborate on materials, and expand their professional networks. On websites such as Ning, I can obtain ideas for teaching, lesson plans, and classroom activities. The vast array of communities and social networks makes searching easy. 

Particularly appealing is the lush landscape containing photos, videos, forums, and blogs. The wide range of features on this site enable students to share multimedia relating to academic content. Here, students can collaborate in a student-oriented learning environment, promoting constructive discussion on academic concepts.

The SMART Board Revolution Ning is a community centered around academic activities relating to the SMART Board. Educators connected in this community can tap into new discussions, websites, tips, and Notebook files on this network. There are discussions regarding effective uses of SMART Boards, lesson plans, relevant software applications and applets, and bug updates. Moreover, this website boasts a powerful SMART Board search engine, allowing educators to browse lesson activities, assessments, and web links.

A Podcast Assignment on the Need for Brick-and-Mortar Schools

Home Podcasting Studio

Photo credit: Tim Wilson, 3 August 2005

This photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

A recent podcast by collaborative webcasting community EdTechTalk entitled A Conversation with Will Richardson on Why School? discusses the need for conventional schooling in today's digital age. The co-founder of Powerful Learning Practice and a former public school educator of 22 years, Will Richardson, mentions in this podcast that "things like blogs and wikis, as well as remote collaborations and an emphasis on 'critical thinking' skills are the coins of the realm in this new kingdom." Dialogue relating to educational technology is not considering the full breadth of advantages technology can bring into education. Furthermore, our educational system does not seem to match the progressing nature of our technological society. In the field of medicine, we are beginning to embrace the notion of telesurgery. In the field of economics, computers have dominated what we now call e-commerce. In the field of mathematics, computational technology is reducing the time needed to perform computations to a much greater degree of precision. If all other facets of human society are reaping the benefits of technology, should education not follow suit as well?

Richardson makes the bold statement that traditional brick-and-mortar schools are no longer needed to access information. I will ask students to watch or listen to this podcast (both video and audio formats are available) and take notes on any claims that may surprise them. As a piece on persuasive writing, students will decide whether we should leave traditional schools for online modes of learning, or if the status quo should be maintained. Then, examining both sides of the issue, students should take a position and defend their side using facts to support assertions.

A persuasive essay will allow students to reflect upon their own educational experiences, to weigh the pros and cons of both types of schooling, and to develop an awareness for the changes that may affect them in the near future. This assignment encourages students to formulate an opinion, back their position with evidence, and write a compelling argument to support their claim. Within our lifetimes, we will begin to see a host of major reforms impacting how education is implemented. In learning about this issue, students will have an opportunity to enact agency and voice their opinions. As former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton points out, "[m]en often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike."

ePals

Description	Taken at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Date	15 October 2010
Source	Hard Drive
Author	Anthony Anaxagorou

The right to use this photo falls under liberties specified by Creative Commons.
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ePals is a global online learning community emphasizing positive relations between schools in over two hundred nations around the globe. Educators and parents will be pleased to hear that this community is highly safe; all e-mail, blog, and forum correspondence is strictly monitored and controlled. This environment is meant to foster authentic learning through the interaction with individuals of varying walks of life. Interactions in this environment will encourage students to understand concepts and relationships in real-world contexts.

Therefore, it is a natural consequence that ePals ties neatly into the ESL classroom. Cross-cultural collaborations promote learning about different cultures and ways of thinking. Students can discover the ins and outs of other cultures while articulating some of the characteristics of their own. ePals brings the benefits of pen pal correspondence and facilitates this process via the internet. Furthermore, ePals can be used to create class-to-class collaborations on a diverse range of projects. Imagine the possibilities that could manifest if we cooperated with another class halfway across the globe! This sets the stage for a valuable exchange of information and insights fostered by the interactions between two connected classrooms.

Additionally, ePals is beneficial due to its versatility. Students can use this service in elementary grades to practice literacy skills; students in any grade can use this resource to discuss—among other subjects—social studies, economics, history, English, and foreign language; individuals of any age can utilize this service to simply connect with another human being and to grow in this capacity. The direction of our society has shifted to accommodate the demands of a digital economy. It is only fitting that pen pal correspondence has caught up with every other area of human interaction. ePals facilitates this discourse and allows students to partake in a meaningful dialogue with others.

The ePals Science Center contains forums and blogs relating to global science and sustainability measures. In this center, students possess the opportunity to discuss current science issues that relate to their particular nation and discover how other nations are grappling with these issues. The center features an Invent It! contest wherein students design an invention aimed at conserving resources. Moreover, there are a variety of eco-friendly tips on this website that students can discuss. The ePals Science Center represents an exciting venture to connect science learning worldwide.

I might use this service to discuss concepts with students of other countries. For example, I might have students engage in a conversation with British students, to clarify British academic terminology. Or students can discuss any issues relating to the subject matter that may be pertinent in their home country. This can open a dialogue that communicates to students that these ideas have global repercussions, and that students from all over the world are learning about these things. For these reasons, the engagement in a rich, provocative environment such as ePals uniquely supplements the curriculum in any discipline.

Word Vine: An Engaging Language Game

While researching casual games that may be beneficial to language students, I came across Word Vine, an interactive game provided by Miniclip. There is a great deal of differentiation available, as students can select between basic, easy, medium, and difficult challenge levels. This game focuses on a tough concept, namely, compound words, and makes them fun! Students are presented with an array of vines (pictured below) that become increasingly gnarly with each successive difficulty level.

Students examine the root words provided and attempt to construct compound words according to the vine layout. The layout pictured above is a trivial arrangement, but as the difficulty increases (pictured below), root words are shared, and students will have to use their deductive reasoning to string together a complex system of compound words!


For example, if the words "bulb," "house," and "light" are provided, students will pair together "light" and "house," as well as "light" and "bulb," with the word "light" being shared by the two other words. This game will allow students to practice their English language chops while thinking constructively. Students will familiarize themselves with English compound words while having fun. The game format can motivate students to partake in gameplay with the ulterior motive of encouraging language learning!

If the instructor is up to the task, he or she can encourage students to create their own Word Vine puzzles to give to other students! This will encourage students to come up with common root words and to generate as many possible permutations as possible.

Twitter in the ESL Classroom

Twitter is a versatile tool that can shape education, and even our lives. A seemingly trivial and mundane platform, this website allows users to "tweet" a short snippet regarding their lives. The uninitiated internet user might not see the charm in this technology, but upon further inspection, there may be much more under the surface.

As Steven Johnson, author of NY Times article How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live writes, Twitter possesses an "unsuspected depth" where users can get a "strangely satisfying glimpse of their [friends'] daily routines." This website allows individuals to see what is going on in others' lives, without having to physically ask for the information. Moreover, this website runs alongside a long tradition of human interaction, namely, orality. Individuals can communicate and have their voices heard from the convenience of their own homes!

Imagine the educational implications. Students can create twitter accounts to emulate historical figures, and interact according to the context of the corresponding historical period. Or perhaps students can follow important figures in the field of science and track advances in the discipline. The use of twitter can be likened to that of a condensed blog, wherein users can post 140-character messages and link to various articles, pictures, videos, and so on.

A recent article by avid Twitter user Shea Bennett entitled What I Have Learned In 4 Years And 1,180 Articles About Twitter points out the rich impact Twitter has on modern society. Social platforms such as Twitter are closing the gap between the far corners of the earth and we are seeing a digitized society that has instant access to a plethora of information. Bennett warns against some of the maladies that can come from Twitter, such as immodest browsing, and the tendency for students to come off task. However, he writes that the benefits greatly overweigh the drawbacks. Students are forging important skills that will be valuable in post-secondary study and in the workplace.

Evan Williams and Biz Stone of Twitter

Social Media: A Revolutionary Landscape

Two profound glimpses at the state of the educational world are found in the videos Social Media Revolution 2011 and Educational Change Challenge. The landscape of our current educational system does not necessarily reflect the ever-changing competencies of today's society. Today's students require an education that fits their needs and that prepares them for the technological demands of today's world. Something as trivial as a language barrier should not prevent students from meeting these needs.

Look across the nation's schools. Even at an early age, students are learning to use computers, calculators, iPads, and other handheld devices.

As the Educational Change Challenge points out, our society's take on school has not evolved with the changing times. The video consists of a brilliant amalgamation of quotes from progressive educational critics. It is true that many students are largely placed into classes on the basis of age, rather than skill and knowledge levels. For this reason, many students are placed in a class by which they do not belong! We need to pay greater attention to student needs, as well as the formats of class. As the video indicates, one solitary room containing one adult and twenty-five children cannot lead to the comprehensive education that everyone deserves. We need to immerse students in a vibrant, technology-infused climate that prepares students for success in post-secondary school and the real world. When students are judged by scores on standardized tests, their needs and accomplishments are oversimplified to an arbitrary rubric of aptitude.

With the advent of technology, pedagogues have developed the idea of technological literacy. Specifically, technological literacy refers to the ability to communicate, problem solve, and properly utilize software to solve twenty-first century problems. The tools for solving problems become richer and more complex with each passing year. Students should be familiar with the use of these many tools in order to become productive members of this digital society.

We cannot deny that social media occupies a large segment of social interaction today. Instead of neglecting this dynamic resource, educators should embrace its potential as a learning resource. Instructors should use Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, Tumblr, and other social media to supplement instruction! The possibilities are endless, and students will gain a hands-on learning experience that cannot be taught solely via lecture. The video Social Media Revolution 2011 comments upon this technology that pervades nearly every facet of our lives. The users of social media are rapidly increasing, and these landscapes are shaping up to becoming useful social networking resources for educators, professionals, individuals, and so on.

The research is clear. We need our schools to catch up to the changing demands of society. As teachers, we can play our part in shaping the direction of education. We can incorporate more technological-infused lessons into our curriculum, we can differentiate more meticulously, and we can petition educational legislators to make them aware of these shifting needs. The time is now, folks!