As I mentioned before, I think social networking sites like Ning could
actually replace the email lists like this one that we are subscribed to
now. For example, on the Classroom 2.0 site, http://www.classroom20.com/,
I can have responses to any of the many discussions initiated there
emailed to me if I choose. I can also easily browse different topics and
groups, as well as initiate my own topic or group. If NIFL Technology was
a Ning group, I could also see photos of all of you, along with relevant
photos and videos that you might post. Mariann included a video that was
posted on Classroom 2.0 in her initial email about preparing for this
discussion.

I've used this site in the same way I use this list, to keep up with new
developments, to ask and answer questions, and to get a sense of other
people who are interested in the same things I am. 

On the Classroom 2.0 Ning site, the creator, Steve Hargadon, has done a
very good job of facilitating and making administrative decisions. So the
role of the moderator or teacher is definitely still needed. I used to
recommend Yahoo Groups for creating an online community for students or
teachers, but now I would recommend Ning - so many more features, less
advertising, and easy to use. Has anyone tried it?

One thing I like from a classroom perspective is that every member
automatically has a blog within the Ning site, so it would be easy for all
members to read and respond to each other.

Marian Thacher

The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> on
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 11:03 AM -0800 wrote:

>I have not had the chance to use this, just heard about it recently. 

>I've thought of setting one up for our ABLE region in Ohio.  Basically,

>it would be an ABLE social network for the Northeast Ohio region, or all

>of Ohio (sometimes it is good to set boundries).  You would be the social

>network, like a mini-"facebook" specific to your social networking

>population.  Beyond that, it is up to the "social network" to really

>drive the concept, which seems to be the subject of this discussion

>before i jumped in.  I can't recommend anything on implementation, I'm

>really a librarian, not an educator.

> 

>Start here:

>[ http://www.ning.com/ ]http://www.ning.com/

> 

>Examples here:

>[ http://www.ning.com/home/networks?tag=education

>]http://www.ning.com/home/networks?tag=education

> 

>The FAQs mentioned you can request access to source code.  Ning runs on

>their hardware, and the software is regularly updated, so tweak at your

>own discretion.  More answers may be found here [

>http://developer.ning.com/ ]http://developer.ning.com/.   Hope this

>helps.  

> 

>Matt Gambrill

>Northeast ABLE Resource Center

>[ http://www.neable.org ]www.neable.org 

>

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Mariann Fedele

>Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:19 PM

>To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>Subject: [Technology 1521] Re: Social

>NetworkingPartIII:GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>Hi Matt,

>

>Can you tell the list a bit more about Ning? Is it open source? Have you

>given it a try before, if so what are your thoughts and recommendations

>to the group?

>

>Best,

>

>Mariann

>

> 

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>Mariann Fedele

>

>Director,

>

>NYC Regional Adult Education Network

>

>Literacy Assistance Center

>

>Moderator,

>NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>32 Broadway 10th Floor

>New York, New York 10004

>212-803-3325

>[ mailto:mariannf at lacnyc.org ]mariannf at lacnyc.org

>[ http://www.lacnyc.org ]www.lacnyc.org

>

>

> 

>===========================================================================

>

>

>From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Matt Gambrill

>Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 12:40 PM

>To: 'The Technology and Literacy Discussion List'

>Subject: [Technology 1517] Re: Social Networking

>PartIII:GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

>

>

>

>

> 

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>Google makes money by identfying users' tracks so they can target

>advertising to them.  Most of what you do on google is used for that

>purpose, even my gmail sells me stuff with its banner scrolling

>headlines.  It is creepy to think about, but that is probably paranoia

>(don't watch the Matrix and Terminator back to back so often).  Unless

>you really enjoy reading User Agreements, you will probably not notice

>that much of your information is used for purposes you would not have

>anticipated.  That is the realm of cyberspace and product development. 

>Sometimes, this may be how the tech company makes its money and helps

>gather feedback on how their product is functioning.  You also have to

>consider these things are services, often provided to the user for free

>and the creators want to make money somehow (we don't work for free, at

>least many of us).  

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>Maybe you can avoid some of this stuff by taking more control over your

>systems.  Instead of using facebook, try using Ning thats lets you create

>your own social network and have more control aover who and what, etc. 

>I'm not sure about the details, but I think this might help clear some

>things up.

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>matt

>

>

>

>

>Northeast ABLE Resource Center

>

>

>

>

>[ http://www.neable.org ]www.neable.org 

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

>From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Emily May

>Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:50 AM

>To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>Subject: [Technology 1514] Re: Social Networking Part

>III:GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

>

>

>

>

>

>

>Good find on the article.

>

> 

>

>I know a few people who have ended their MySpace accounts. Essentially

>what happens is that you just “disappear,” meaning that you disappear

>from your friends “friends” lists, all your announcements and comments

>disappear, etc.

>

> 

>

>The article says:

>

>“Other social networking sites like [

>http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/myspace_com/index.html?inline=nyt-org

>]MySpace and Friendster, as well as online dating sites like

>eHarmony.com, may require departing users to confirm their wishes several

>times — but in the end they offer a delete option.”

>

> 

>

>On a personal note, I find my relationship with google (I use gmail,

>blogger, google documents, google spreadsheets, picasa, and the list goes

>on

) to be far more creepy than my relationship with MySpace.  

>

> 

>

>Has anyone heard anything else on this front?

>

> 

>

> 

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>______________________________

>

>Emily May

>

>Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

>

>783 4th Avenue

>

>Brooklyn, NY 11232

>

>718-369-0303

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]emay at obtjobs.org

>

>[ http://www.obtjobs.org ]www.obtjobs.org

>

> 

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]mailto:emay at obtjobs.org

>  

>

>

> 

>###########################################################################

>

>

>From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On

>Behalf Of Leslie Petty

>Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:32 AM

>To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>Subject: [Technology 1513] Re: Social Networking Part III:

>GettingStudentsandStaff on Board

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>The discussion thus far has suggested some very innovative uses for

>MySpace in adult education.  I have very little experience in social

>networking sites, however, and wonder about privacy and safety in using

>these sites.  I think the points already made about keeping personal and

>professional personae separate and about how information is available to

>anyone is important.  This article in this morning's New York Times about

>the challenges faced by those who want to remove themselves from Facebook

>([

>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?ex=1218344400&en=3509c270367a4099&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-0208-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click&mkt=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-0208-HDR

>]http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/technology/11facebook.html?ex=1218344400&en=3509c270367a4099&ei=5087&wt.mc_id=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-0208-HDR&wt.mc_ev=click&mkt=TE-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M032-ROS-0208-HDR)

>made me wonder if MySpace has similar problems and if so, if those might

>be problematic for teachers and students?  Does anyone have any knowledge

>or thoughts about this?

>

>Leslie Petty

>

>

>

>

>On Feb 12, 2008 10:02 AM, Emily May <[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org

>]emay at obtjobs.org> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>On getting students and staff to stay within the protocols:

>

> 

>

>Out of the starting gate we had a few issues with staff wanting to

>confront students about things listed on their MySpace pages.  This issue

>is particularly poignant for our agency.  We help these young folks get

>jobs, and our job developers don't want to ruin their contacts by sending

>over someone who isn't ready for the workplace.  Oftentimes MySpace pages

>can uncover drug or alcohol abuse and/or gang involvement.  As a staff we

>decided that it was hard to tell how real these claims are on a MySpace

>page because MySpace serves as an "alternate reality" for many youth.  We

>also decided that our experience with them in our program was a much

>better judge of their character than what we read on-line.

>

> 

>

>On the student side of things, one of the reasons we knew that MySpace

>was so hot among our trainees was that they were always sneaking a peak

>during class!  That issue continues, but now we have a way to fight

>back.  Our secretary monitors our MySpace page from the front office.

>When a student is on MySpace, a little icon shows up on our friends

>list.  If that student is supposed to be in class, our secretary will

>contact the teacher and let them know that the student is on MySpace.

>Sneaky, I know, but practical!

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>Emily

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>______________________________

>

>Emily May

>

>Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

>

>783 4th Avenue

>

>Brooklyn, NY 11232

>

>718-369-0303

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]emay at obtjobs.org

>

>[ http://www.obtjobs.org ]www.obtjobs.org

>

> 

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]mailto:emay at obtjobs.org

>  

>

>

> 

>###########################################################################

>

>

>From: [ mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov ]technology-bounces at nifl.gov

>[mailto:[ mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov

>]technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Mariann Fedele

>Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 4:08 PM

>

>

>

>

>

>To: The Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>

>

>

>

>Subject: [Technology 1501] Re: Social Networking Part III: Getting

>StudentsandStaff on Board

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>Hi Emily,

>

>This is a great set of protocols. Have you had any difficulties in having

>staff and students meet and stay within the protocols?

>

>Do list subscribers have any concerns related to Myspace or other such

>sites that Emily can respond to?

>

>Regards,

>

>Mariann

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>Mariann Fedele

>

>Director,

>

>NYC Regional Adult Education Network

>

>Literacy Assistance Center

>

>Moderator,

>NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List

>32 Broadway 10th Floor

>New York, New York 10004

>212-803-3325

>[ mailto:mariannf at lacnyc.org ]mariannf at lacnyc.org

>[ http://www.lacnyc.org ]www.lacnyc.org

>

>

> 

>===========================================================================

>

>

>From: [ mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov ]technology-bounces at nifl.gov

>[mailto:[ mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov

>]technology-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Emily May

>Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:54 PM

>To: [ mailto:technology at nifl.gov ]technology at nifl.gov

>Subject: [Technology 1498] Social Networking Part III: Getting Students

>andStaff on Board

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>[Image]Getting Students and Staff on Board.  We launched the plan

>mid-cycle and did a short survey examining how many of our youth had

>MySpace pages. 88% admitted that they did, but a number of them were

>hesitant to turn over their MySpace page information to us because of the

>content on the page.  If you go to our MySpace page you will notice by

>looking at the comments that not all the profile pictures are

>"appropriate." Among staff we had to agree to overlook this in order to

>meet the goals of the project. To balance this, we talk extensively in

>our classes about how employers are increasingly looking at MySpace pages

>prior to hiring.  

>

>Staff gathered together and developed a list of protocols for how we were

>going to implement MySpace internally.  These protocols addressed a

>number of challenges that we saw from the starting gate, including:

>student privacy, professionalism, and defining appropriate

>communication.  Here is what we decided:

>

>

>1.	Staff will not use what is on trainee's MySpace pages against them. 

>For example, if a student references drug or alcohol abuse on their page,

>staff will not bring it up with the students. Remember, MySpace is an

>"alternate reality" for many kids, and much of what is said online may

>not be true. We need to make MySpace a safe space for our trainees so

>that we can use this resource effectively to our advantage. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>2.	For trainees who are uncomfortable with the idea of giving staff

>access to their MySpace page, encourage them to set up a separate

>"professional" MySpace page. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>3.	Despite OBT's involvement with MySpace, trainees will still not be

>allowed to access their MySpace page during class time unless a staff

>member specifically directs them to the page as part of an activity.

>Trainees who wish to look at their MySpace page will be able to use OBT's

>computers at the end of the day. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>4.	Staff will be encouraged but not required to create a MySpace to use

>with trainees. Staff wishing to be "friends" with OBT's MySpace page must

>set up an OBT-specific MySpace page. You should not use your personal

>MySpace page under any circumstances; even if your page is professional,

>your friends' pages might not be. When creating your OBT MySpace page,

>you must use your work email address and your headline should be "Job

>Title" at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow. The only allowable friends

>are: trainees, alumni, or staff. All other friend requests should be

>denied. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>4.	Staff may use their OBT-specific MySpace page or the "OBT" MySpace

>page to contact students.  All communications must be professional. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>5.	All trainees will be encouraged to switch their MySpace page to a

>"friends-only" view (versus public).  This will help protect them in the

>event that an employer looks them up on MySpace. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>6.	All friend requests to the OBT MySpace page are vetted to ensure that

>there is a genuine relationship with OBT.  This is done by sending a

>message to friend prospects to confirm why they are interested in OBT. 

>

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>To get staff not involved in the development process on board, we

>developed and presented a PowerPoint presentation at our all-staff

>meeting.  We explained that traditionally, OBT had two methods to get in

>touch with our students: the phone and letters.  Now, we were expanding

>to include email, MySpace and Instant Messenger.  We didn't mandate that

>all staff use all the techniques.  Rather, our goal was to educate staff,

>get some key staff on board, and then publicize among staff the success

>stories.  We also designated three "MySpace Experts" to help get staff

>uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the technologies set up and adjusted. 

>Slowly, more and more staff have gotten on board – particularly among our

>job developers and retention staff – as they realize that these

>technologies make their lives much easier.  Staff report using these

>technologies to inform our students about upcoming interviews or contact

>them to see how they are doing on the job in addition to our more "macro"

>goals listed above.

>

>

>

>

> 

>

>Outside of issues of privacy (addressed in the staff protocols) our

>students were already essentially "bought-in" to the idea of MySpace.  We

>had students create and design OBT's MySpace page so that we could more

>effectively "meet students where they are at." This helped to improve

>student engagement and interest in the project.

>

> 

>

>Tomorrow, I will discuss how we used LinkedIn to meet a different set of

>goals. I will also examine other social networking sites out there that

>may be "hot" among the students you serve.

>

> 

>

> 

>

>______________________________

>

>Emily May

>

>Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

>

>783 4th Avenue

>

>Brooklyn, NY 11232

>

>718-369-0303

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]emay at obtjobs.org

>

>[ http://www.obtjobs.org ]www.obtjobs.org

>

> 

>

>[ mailto:emay at obtjobs.org ]mailto:emay at obtjobs.org

>  

>

> 

>

>

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

>National Institute for Literacy

>Technology and Literacy mailing list

>[ mailto:Technology at nifl.gov ]Technology at nifl.gov

>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to [

>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>]http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>Email delivered to [ mailto:lpetty at twmi.rr.com ]lpetty at twmi.rr.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>-- 

>Leslie Petty

>Associate Director

>Project IDEAL Support Center

>University of Michigan

>734-425-0748 

>

>

>

>----------------------------------------------------

>National Institute for Literacy

>Technology and Literacy mailing list

>Technology at nifl.gov

>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>Email delivered to mthacher at otan.us



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/technology/attachments/20080212/53124f80/attachment.html