Teachers. Technology. Transformation.

My introduction to Ning was over a year ago when I was asked to build a social networking site for an upcoming technology conference. Since then, in addition to the conference site, I have created a Ning site for graduate students to explore in a class I teach. There are a lot of things I like about Ning. For example, I can...

• adjust the appearance of my network and customize it to my liking
• control the membership of my network
• choose to make the network public or private
• broadcast messages to all members
• require approval before member blog posts are published
• edit or remove any user content (I have found this very useful especially when trying to organize a site. Sometimes members just put things in the wrong place.)
• manage (add or remove) network features such as discussion boards, blogs, photos, videos, and chats easily and quickly
• allow members to create their own groups
• request an ad-free network for education (such as the graduate class I mentioned previously)
• track what happens on the site easily through RSS feeds

If you haven't yet explored this social networking tool, check it out. You might find that it can be a valuable resource for your classroom or professional learning.

For more information, see these resources published in the Feburary 2008 issue of Tech&Learning.com

Social Networking Resources

Ning | Flexible platform for building your own social network.

How to request ad removal from an Ning education network

Resources for Social Network Safety

Classroom 2.0 | Social networking site focused on Web 2.0 technologies in education.

digizen | Superb online safety site from the UK.

Media Awareness Network | Excellent media literacy study from Canada.

NetSmartz | Comprehensive online safety site, great for children.

Related posts:

1. Wallwisher
2. New Cyber Safety Booklet
3. PBS & Classroom 2.0 Webinars
4. What the “Flock” is this?
5. Open Source Apps