I've been using Ning for a private social network to connect my committee at the WAA - but I've never actually thought of it as free teaching tool for Social Networking - yet, apparently, it can be that as well according to a post on Edelman Digital titled Instructor's Notebook: Ning As Teaching Tool
As various classes worked together in developing a final project, they've sometimes selected social-network-creator Ning as the platform to try out ideas. It's flexible and has most of all the right moving parts:
As such, I've become a big fan of Ning. With the use of the RSS-integration box, I can also teach integration with other services.
- Social networking
- Groups
- Forums
- Blogs
- Video/Music
- Network Updates
- RSS (mostly)
In Fall 2008, I'll be teaching an undergrad class at a local college. (More news on that front as it develops.) I plan on using Ning there as well.
Ning allows you to have a completely open network, or a private one. In terms of what I'd select for my undergrad students, I keep vacillating between the two.
Would be interested to know where the course that's mentioned above is being given.
Hey, Marshall,
Thanks for stopping by!
The classes I mention above are, at this time, given to Edelman consultants and their clients. (And I wish I had these tools available to me in 2004 or so when I was guest lecturing at SFSU!)
That said, in the Fall, I'll be giving a course on online communities at a local college here in Chicago. I'm not *quite* ready to tell everyone exactly where, but that'll certainly be disclosed in due course (and will likely provide endless amounts of good fodder for the "Instructor's Notebook.")
Cheers!
Posted by: Phil Gomes | March 25, 2008 12:54 PM | Permalink to Comment