Social Networking Web 2.0 Tools
People have always interacted with each other socially. We talk, play games, and share information with each other. With the use of internet, we now socially interact with people from around the world with social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and YouTube. Below are some more social networking cites that I have reviewed in my Web 2.0 class.
1. Linkedin
Linkedin is a social media tool that allows professionals to connect in order to make them more productive and successful. I rated this tool twenty-three out of twenty-seven. This site is a great way to get connected with potential employees and employers. You can make an online resume that can be easily updated. One problem I had with this site was that I couldn’t find an y contact information. There really weren’t any examples that you could see before you signed up either, and you have to pay to use some tools and features. Other than that, this is a great social media website.
6. Citeulike
Citeulike is a free service for managing and discovering scholarly references. It allows you to store references on line and find other articles that other people have uploaded. I rated this tool twenty out of twenty-seven because it is a little difficult to navigate but the tool meets most of the instructional goals. This tool would be very helpful to a college student who is working on a big research paper and need to store all of their resources in one spot. By using this tool they can also find other resources that other people have posted.
3. Storify
Storify is a web tool that allows the user to create groups of online news articles and share them with other people via email, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. I rated this tool twenty-four out of twenty-seven. I thought that it would be a good tool to use in a current events class to collect different articles of the same story and put them together in one place so a class can compare them and identify the inconsistencies. The bad thing with this tool is that it can only be applied in the social studies area and not other classes such as math and English. I also had trouble finding awards for the site, but eventually found some through Google.
4. Twiducate
Twiducate is a social networking tool created by teachers for other teachers and students. I rated the tool 24/27. Thought it was a good way for students and teachers to communicate safely and effectively. I took points off because I had a hard time finding any information about awards and because there was limited contact information. Overall it is a good tool that most teachers and students would enjoy using in the classroom.
2. BlackBoard
BlackBoard is a web tool dedicated to improving every aspect of the education experience for millions of learners and educators around the world by allowing users to collaborate and share information and new ideas. I rated this tool twenty-four out of twenty-seven. This tool is a lot like our Moodle, except it is also a mobile app that you can put on your phone and take with you anywhere. It is designed to be collaboration site where lectures, PDFs and other educational elements can be stored and used by several people. One problem with this site was that it was expensive. It is meant to be used school wide and not by one person so it is unusable to get for one person.
5. Educlipper
Educlipper is a web tool where you can upload educational images for people to use. I gave a 22/27 rating for Educlipper. I couldn't find and contact information or awards for the site and that is the biggest reason why I counted it down. This is a really good tool for people who are visual learners and benefit from seeing pictures during instruction. I don't think that it is the best educational social media but it definitely can be beneficial to many students.