EDCI 750: Emerging Technologies
Collaboration Sites Website Handout
Introduction: In the 21st Century, students are becoming technology-savvy at younger and younger ages. However, it does not mean students can use a page to its full, collaborative potential just because they are able to navigate its links. Below, we have identified some of our favorite collaboration sites and paired them with symbols to help quickly identify the age(s)/group(s) that would most benefit from this technology. Of course, teachers know their students best and are the true judges of who is capable of utilizing which technology.
Key Elementary Secondary Post-secondary Educators/Teachers
1.
Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Audacity is free, open-source software that allows you to record audio (live or from tapes/records) and edit it. The program is available for most operating systems, and the interface is user-friendly and available in multiple languages. The audio files are also incredibly easy to export and share with others – a great program for audio collaboration! 2. Delicious http://delicious.com/ Delicious is a social bookmarking site that allows you to add tags (short descriptors) to your websites so they are easy to categorize and search—the tags serve as an electronic card catalog, of sorts. In this site, you can create stacks that allow invited contributors to view, add, or edit the links. It is a great site for research! 3. edmodo http://www.edmodo.com/ Edmodo operates as a secure Facebook-like environment to connect teachers with their students, and teachers with each other around the world. It has Microblogging, survey, assignment/quiz creation, gradebook, calendar, and file-sharing features, as well as educator communities that support collaboration and personal development between educators. 4. ePals http://www.epals.com/ ePals is a cloud-based social learning platform for communication and collaboration in which educators create and organize Web 2.0-enabled groups. ePals Learning Space is ideal for project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and real-time collaboration among students and teachers within schools, across districts and around the world. 5. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. 6. Flickr http://www.flickr.com/ This is an online photo management and sharing site where viewers can upload, share, and converse with a community about their photographs. In Flickr, you can give your friends, family, and other contacts permission to organize your stuff—not just to add comments, but also notes and tags. 7. KidPad http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/kiddesign/kidpad.shtml KidPad is a collaborative story authoring tool for children that provides basic drawing functionality on a zooming canvas. The narrative structure of a story is defined by creating spatial hyperlinks between objects on the canvas that can be picked up, used, and dropped anywhere on the drawing surface. 8. Ning http://www.ning.com/ Ning is a platform for creating social networking sites based on particular needs and interests. While many of the networks are useful for education, check out Classroom 2.0 (www.classroom20.com). If you’re interested in creating your own Ning site, consider getting free sponsorship from Pearson. http://go.ning.com/pearsonsponsorship/ 9. Scriblink http://www.scriblink.com/ Scriblink is a free digital whiteboard that users can share online in real-time. Whether you're looking for fun or more practical things like layout planning, concept diagramming, or tutoring a friend in math, Scriblink brings you the power of free hand expression with anyone, at anytime, anywhere in the world. 10. Shelfari http://www.shelfari.com/ Shelfari introduces readers to a global community of book lovers. Shelfari is a gathering place for authors, publishers, and readers, and has many tools and features to help these groups connect with each other. Its mission is to enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word. 11. Voice Thread http://voicethread.com/ A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate slides and leave comments through: voice (with a mic or phone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). You can share a VoiceThread with students and colleagues for them to record comments too. 12. Wikispaces/Pbworks http://www.wikispaces.com/ / http://pbworks.com/ Wikispaces and Pbworks are examples of wiki hosting services. Teachers create a class account and then students get access to their own online spaces. Students are able to create portfolios and engage in project-based team learning activities, while educators have constant access to curriculum, lesson plans, schedules, and professional development opportunities.
Kris Oswald & Amanda Graham