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Technology Tools

Expand your teaching toolkit with technology tools. Find reviews of tech tools, gadgets and software that can be used in your classroom to complement and augment your curriculum.

Ning

What in the world is a Ning? According to co-founder Gina Bianchi, the word means “peace” in Chinese, but you won’t find “Ning” in dictionary.com. Marc Andreessen, who brought us Netscape, is the other founder.

Ning is actually a place to create your own classroom social network, rather than just a site to join a social network, such as MySpace or FaceBook. Teachers can take advantage of social networks in a neutral setting, offering an experience that is familiar and comfortable to students. In this environment, teachers create a learning community with their students around a specific project or course. In this community of learning, the students and teachers together can gather resources to make their learning more relevant and meaningful. Once a name and a URL are selected, no technical skill is required to continue the step-by-step process of assembling your network. You have a choice of creating a private (only invited people can view or join) or public network. This is huge for classroom use because MySpace and Facebook are blocked in most schools. The other beneficial feature is the ability to edit another’s comment, if it is inappropriate. This is also an “ad-free” environment when used in education. There are many features to select, such as photos or videos, blogs, events, groups, RSS feeds, or gadgets.

Another aspect of Ning is the professional learning community which includes many educators with similar interests. It is a great place to find an already created network and to join projects that may involve a class just like yours. You may want to explore the Social Networks in Education wiki for a list of educational NINGs and other resources, or the very popular Classroom 2.0.

Disclaimer: The Corporation for Educational Technology (Buddy) has no agenda other than the interests of K-12 educators. Technology product reviews render no financial incentive to our organization.

This article appeared in the ETC...and More! volume 2, number 1 newsletter and is published by the Buddy Project (Corporation for Educational Technology), in collaboration with the Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC), Indiana Computer Educators (ICE), the Indiana Department of Education, and Promoting Achievement through Technology and INstruction for all Students (PATINS).