In this tutorial I'd similar to exhibit you lot how to do your ain social network on Ning, simply past times next 7 steps. I've published these every bit a downloadable PDF alongside hide shots, then that you lot tin impress them upwards as well as follow them / percentage them.
Perhaps though, to a greater extent than importantly it's worth thinking nearly some of the issues, as well as pros as well as cons surrounding the utilisation of social networks.
Some advantages of creating your ain network.
- Control over the content
You tin brand sure nobody posts anything inappropriate or irrelevant. - Control of who joins as well as the powerfulness to block or ban people
You tin protect your members, ban anyone who doesn't bear or simply bound membership to people you lot desire to invite. - Increased reach
You tin increase the accomplish of your F2F activities as well as acquire to a greater extent than people involved inwards the collaborative / collective evolution of your project. - Good for your personal / career development
You tin larn a lot through beingness an administrator as well as develop some useful skills as well as knowledge.
- Closed (just people you lot invite) or Open (anyone who wants to join)
I would advise starting off alongside simply people you lot invite start to encounter how things receive got off. Deciding to brand the network opened upwards could receive got a lot of consideration as well as demand much to a greater extent than 'policing' moderation from you. - Do you lot receive got the fourth dimension to deal the network?
This is ever a fundamental interrogation for teachers. Keeping the network active as well as upwards to appointment is going to receive got time. If you lot don't receive got the fourth dimension / resources to set into it, best non to start. - Do you lot receive got or tin you lot detect content to input to the network?
Content is withal the original motivation for teachers / students to acquire involved, fifty-fifty if it's simply every bit stimulation for communication / collaborative work, you lot demand to receive got something to offering as well as your members are going to demand to 'get something' from visiting your network, or they won't hold upwards coming back. - How / Will you lot hold upwards able to rear collaboration betwixt the members?
Bit similar the betoken above. Just providing a network isn't going to do collaboration. Ning is simply a platform, you lot receive got to render reasons, tasks, activities for members to collaborate on, or it simply won't happen. - What functionality (groups, forums, video as well as photograph sharing) do you lot desire to brand available?
Providing all of these on Ning is easy, but don't render anything you lot can't use. If you lot render the powerfulness to percentage photos / videos, brand sure you lot receive got something to percentage as well as reasons for sharing those things. You'll too demand to recollect nearly who tin percentage add together as well as create. Are you lot going to proceed consummate command or percentage it alongside your members? - Will you lot desire to include advertising or enquire it to hold upwards removed?
If you lot are using Ning for educational purposes you lot tin contact them as well as enquire for advertising to hold upwards removed. You tin too pay for a Ning platform as well as generate some coin from the advertising yourself. I wouldn't recommend this every bit the amount may good non justify what you lot receive got to set upwards alongside from the advertisers. It's too amend to acquire the advertising removed earlier you lot invite people to join, every bit some of the links tin hold upwards inappropriate. - What data volition you lot desire members to add together when joining?
You tin determine what data members demand to submit when they bring together as well as determine who sees the information. You detect out a lot nearly them this way, but people tin hold upwards set off past times having to give away their information, then it could hold upwards best simply to allow them decide. - How long volition you lot desire to proceed the network live? (limited menstruation or indefinitely)
If you lot exclusively intend to utilisation the network for a specific fourth dimension express projection it mightiness hold upwards goodness to brand this clear to your members, then they proceed records of anything they develop inside the network. Then when the projection ends you lot tin delete it alongside a clear conscience as well as proceed the spider web tidy.
Before you lot start your ain social network it's a goodness thought to receive got a await circular at what others are doing. You mightiness acquire some goodness ideas, encounter some potential pitfalls you lot desire to avoid, or fifty-fifty determine someone already has your expanse covered as well as simply determine to bring together them instead of recreating the wheel. Here a 4 networks for teachers that are good worth checking out.
- Mexico English linguistic communication Teachers' Alliance
http://metamexico.ning.com/ - Teachers helping teachers
http://teachershelpingteachers.ning.com/ - EFL Classroom 2.0
http://eflclassroom.ning.com/ - Classroom 2.0
http://www.classroom20.com/
Deciding whether you lot desire to bring together or recommend a network tin hold upwards a tricky process, but every bit I've been looking closed to for ones I desire to hold upwards component subdivision of I've built upwards a listing of criteria that I detect quite useful to receive got inwards the dorsum of my mind.
- What features / functionality does the network offer? (Groups forums etc.)
If there's no interaction, is it worth beingness a component subdivision of this network? - Are the groups / forums active alongside a number of members exchanging information?
Just because it has them doesn't hateful they are beingness used. Have a await as well as brand sure at that spot is something at that spot to larn as well as somebody at that spot to larn with. - Are these features beingness used? (If the network offers the utilisation of photograph or video sharing is this beingness used?)
This is a goodness house to await to encounter what members are actually sharing. Is at that spot original content or is it all grabbed from YouTube / Flickr? - Can you lot detect out when the network was concluding active?
Some networks are withal online, but receive got died. Either the members or creator has lost interest. No betoken joining an inactive network. - How many members does it have?
Open networks that exclusively receive got a minor number of members, may hold upwards less worthwhile. Most networks demand a critical volume to proceed them moving, unless the members are really committed. - Are whatsoever of the members’ photographs inappropriate?
Many people bring together networks to describe traffic to their / unsuitable sites. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick await at their avatar icon could good give you lot a clue to which these are. - Check out some of the fellow member profiles. Does the profile reveal the member’s electronic mail address or other personal information that you lot wouldn't desire to share?
Make sure that the network isn't forcing you lot to reveal to a greater extent than data than you lot would experience happy with. - Are at that spot whatsoever ‘Google Ads’ on the site? Are these suitable or potentially offensive?
Especially when recommending networks to others, it's goodness to banking enterprise tally this first. - Is at that spot whatsoever interesting content on the site?
Again, I withal believe that content is king. Content + collaboration = learning! No content, don't join. - Who is behind the network?
Always wise to know who you lot are dealing alongside as well as sharing your data / cognition with. Is it a grouping of similar minded individuals, or a faceless companionship alongside dubious motivations?
Some suggestions:
- To back upwards item dispersed groups doing specific projects / preparation courses
- To tape as well as percentage examples of exercise as well as expertise specific to their context
- To aid prepare as well as develop teachers inwards the utilisation of ICT / Learning Technology
Some suggestions:
- Class enquiry projects – do a network for your students based closed to a item subject that they demand to research.
- Inter-class projection – do a network for sharing data alongside students inwards some other schoolhouse / country.
- Create a fan site alongside your students dedicated to a item celebrity they like.
- Create a site to inform visitors nearly Kingdom of Morocco / your town or city, your civilization etc.
- Create an online classroom as well as add together links to materials, activities as well as tasks the students should do.
- Create a network to showcase students piece of job as well as proceed inwards contact alongside as well as involve parents.
- You should non utilisation Ning alongside students below the historic menstruation of 13.
- Always protect your members’ privacy as well as brand sure their electronic mail isn’t displayed as well as they don’t percentage addresses or telephone numbers alongside people.
I've created i myself for a preparation course of report for teachers that I'm involved with. Personally I've works life it actually valuable then far.
For to a greater extent than opinions as well as to detect out nearly choice platforms, watch Larry Ferlazzo's blog post on Social Networks for the Classroom
Good luck alongside your networking as well as delight do utilisation the comments below to percentage your experience of using social networks.
Best
Nik Peachey
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