Looking for oool Ideas for Using Ning in the Classroom

I started using Ning last year with my 8th grades..we personalised our homepages, added a few apps, watched a video and posted replies to issue based questions. These were followed by blog posts to sum up ideas, once they had read through and responded to the posts of others.

I want the ning lessons (I only get 2-3 as I am teaching it within ict lessons) to be powerful and exciting...I want kids to see that facebook is not the only social network out there and that they can use Nings for meeting up socially and learning together.

I don't want this to compete with Facebook etc..I want it to be a tool they understand and see a use for due to their experiences with other social networks.

Does anyone out there have any fabulous experiences with using Nings in their classes?

Tags: ideas, lessons, ning, teaching

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Permalink Reply by Anthony VonBank on February 10, 2010 at 1:35pm

In my 12th grade class, we use our NING almost daily. Nothing FABULOUS, but lots of very effective uses. I have had them review sites, films, podcasts, many other media, and then post responses on the forum thread, along with the link. Then they go through and check out each others' selections and vote on ones they like the best, then I link the top few on the links section. I use it in connection to Delicious, and I pull articles or other items of interest for them and they review them...

To me, Facebook is about your social life. I use my NING as a classroom connection, one kids can use 24/7. It is social, yes, but it is grounded in the format of the class.

Good luck.

BTW: I have a blog about using Docs, Delicious, and NING:

teachingwithgoogledocs.blogspot.com

VB

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Garcia on February 10, 2010 at 2:58pm

Thanks,
I really like the idea of film reviews. That might just be the hook I need to spice it up this year.
I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly-am about to check out the blog.

Thanks again.

Jennifer