Four Four NEWNEW Social Media Picks Social Media Picks

Hope ManrossHope Manross

July 10, 2010July 10, 2010

Four PicksFour Picks

OoVoo – – free desktop free desktop text and video chat text and video chat applicationapplication

Schoology – – LMS & LMS & social networking toolsocial networking tool

History Pin (Beta site) – pinning photos and – pinning photos and stories to a world map tied stories to a world map tied to location & time periodto location & time period

Answers.comAnswers.com – – gets gets information from several information from several sites (Wikipedia, Britanica) sites (Wikipedia, Britanica) to answer your questions to answer your questions

OoVoo – OoVoo.comOoVoo – OoVoo.comWebware 100 WinnerWebware 100 Winner

http://www.oovoo.comhttp://www.oovoo.com Desktop text and video Desktop text and video

chat application chat application Video conference up to Video conference up to

6 people6 people Simple software Simple software

downloaddownload Requires broadband, Requires broadband,

webcam/camera webcam/camera (optional) and (optional) and microphone microphone

Free OoVooFree OoVooSkype CompetitorSkype Competitor

2-way video calls 2-way video calls Record & send 1 minute video Record & send 1 minute video

messagesmessages Create 1 video chat room & embed in Create 1 video chat room & embed in

social network, blog or websitesocial network, blog or website Friends without OoVoo can join you Friends without OoVoo can join you

from their browserfrom their browser 6 way text chat 6 way text chat Send files up to max 5MB at a time Send files up to max 5MB at a time

Using OoVooUsing OoVoo

Video Calling Video Calling http://www.oovoo.com/HowToooVooItem,aspex?pname=HowToooVooVideoCallinghttp://www.oovoo.com/HowToooVooItem,aspex?pname=HowToooVooVideoCalling

Setting Up Chat Room Setting Up Chat Room http://www.oovoo.com/HowToooVooItem.aspex?pname=HowToooVooVideoChatRoomhttp://www.oovoo.com/HowToooVooItem.aspex?pname=HowToooVooVideoChatRoom

OoVoo Help OoVoo Help http://www.oovoo.com/Help.aspxhttp://www.oovoo.com/Help.aspx

E-Learning UsesE-Learning Uses

Project collaborationProject collaboration (e.g. roles and (e.g. roles and responsibilities, status reports, problem solving, responsibilities, status reports, problem solving, discoveries made, next steps, collective discoveries made, next steps, collective intelligence)intelligence)

Social Networking ToolSocial Networking Tool for connecting people, for connecting people, resources and ideasresources and ideas

Online learning communityOnline learning community – getting to know – getting to know members of team members of team

Video chat roomVideo chat room widget can be embedded in widget can be embedded in blog or social network – enter room with a click blog or social network – enter room with a click

Possible ChallengesPossible Challenges

CONSTRAINT:CONSTRAINT: Students may not have Students may not have broadband, webcam/camera or broadband, webcam/camera or microphonemicrophone

SOLUTIONS:SOLUTIONS: Arrange for 2 or more Arrange for 2 or more computers to be available for class use, computers to be available for class use, have students who missed chat talk with have students who missed chat talk with learning partner(s) or use online HELP learning partner(s) or use online HELP tools for applications discussed tools for applications discussed

Free SchoologyFree Schoologyhttp://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=Schoologyhttp://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=Schoology

Safe & secure web-Safe & secure web-based learning based learning management management system built on a system built on a social network social network

Mobile apps & API Mobile apps & API (allow custom plug-ins)(allow custom plug-ins) coming soon coming soon

Blackboard & Moodle Blackboard & Moodle competitorcompetitor

Overview video at https://www.schoology.com/home.php

Impressive!Impressive! New startup company New startup company

(5/2009)(5/2009) Feedback button on Feedback button on

every page every page Starting with K-12 Starting with K-12

market and then on to market and then on to higher education higher education

Testimonials (on Testimonials (on Schoology site) rave Schoology site) rave about customer about customer support and support and “progression of “progression of applications”applications”

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology_and_learning/learning_technology_s_next_generationhttp://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology_and_learning/learning_technology_s_next_generation

SchoologySchoology

Learning ManagementLearning Management Class profile & web pagesClass profile & web pages Assignments & eventsAssignments & events Tests and Quizzes Tests and Quizzes (graded (graded

when submitted)when submitted) GradebookGradebook Online drop boxes Online drop boxes (submit (submit

& return assignments)& return assignments) Track usage through Track usage through

analyticsanalytics

Social Networking ToolSocial Networking Tool Cross school Cross school

networking networking Private messagingPrivate messaging Group workspacesGroup workspaces Blogs & profile pagesBlogs & profile pages Personal file storage Personal file storage Bookmarking Bookmarking

SchoologySchoology Management FeaturesManagement Features Calendars (school, Calendars (school,

course, group, course, group, personal) personal)

Email and SMS Text Email and SMS Text NotificationsNotifications

Privacy Control & Privacy Control & Word Filters Word Filters

Administrative FeaturesAdministrative Features Import & Export Import & Export

classes, users & classes, users & gradesgrades

Parent/Guardian Parent/Guardian accessaccess

Email address & Email address & username supportusername support

School Vanity URL School Vanity URL Single Sign OnSingle Sign On

e-Learning Usese-Learning Uses

Collaboration Group profiles include blog, group events, discussion board and document sharing

Evaluation Analytic tools track student usage by course, assignment, discussion & user

Communication & Social Networking Each user has profile, blog, private document area (bookmarking) and file storage

Convenient Administrative Tools Attendance, Gradebook & Assignment Management

Possible ChallengesPossible Challenges

Schoology’s Schoology’s assessment features assessment features appear similar to appear similar to Quizlet and are better Quizlet and are better suited to knowledge suited to knowledge and comprehension and comprehension (stimulus/response – (stimulus/response – one right answerone right answer) ) type objectives vs. type objectives vs. analysis and synthesis analysis and synthesis (Constructivism) (Constructivism)

History Pin: We Are What We Do History Pin: We Are What We Do http://www.historypin.com/http://www.historypin.com/

Explore world map by Explore world map by location or date/yearlocation or date/year

Identifies nearby photos Identifies nearby photos Attach your photos to Attach your photos to

specific location on mapspecific location on map Compare photos (tied to Compare photos (tied to

an area) by time period an area) by time period (street view) (street view)

Tell stories about the time Tell stories about the time period using your photosperiod using your photos

Comment on photos and Comment on photos and share them (email, share them (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Similar to Flickr’s Geotags without stories (both use Picasa)

Using History PinUsing History Pin

Great overview video at home pageGreat overview video at home page Applicable any topic linked to a Applicable any topic linked to a location location

and time periodand time period (e.g. social sciences) (e.g. social sciences) Writing stories template Writing stories template

http://www.historypin.com/schools-toolkit/http://www.historypin.com/schools-toolkit/ Exploring Stories Teacher notes Exploring Stories Teacher notes

http://wawwd-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/Exploring%20photos.pdfhttp://wawwd-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/Exploring%20photos.pdf Stories & images (people who actually lived Stories & images (people who actually lived

the event) - best way to learnthe event) - best way to learn

Possible ChallengesPossible Challenges

Beta siteBeta site – they – they are still working are still working out the “bugs” out the “bugs”

Need to validate Need to validate that information that information you are using in you are using in class is accurate – class is accurate – you can create a you can create a post disputing post disputing location on History location on History Pin Pin

Answers.comAnswers.com Webware 100 WinnerWebware 100 Winner

http://www.answers.com/http://www.answers.com/ Pulls from Wikipedia and Pulls from Wikipedia and

Britanica (multiple sites Britanica (multiple sites updated regularly)updated regularly)

Help with spelling, usage Help with spelling, usage and translationsand translations

Free software download Free software download to learn about any word to learn about any word on your computeron your computer

Today’s feature Today’s feature (birthdays, history)(birthdays, history)

FAQ – Help FAQ – Help

e-Learning Usese-Learning Uses

Helping students pick a Helping students pick a topic and begin researchtopic and begin research

Verifying accuracy of Verifying accuracy of information they found information they found at some other site (2at some other site (2ndnd source) source)

Getting a translation Getting a translation (including sound) when (including sound) when an author uses another an author uses another language (if browser set language (if browser set to accept web sound)to accept web sound)

Help with citations Help with citations (includes cite link) (includes cite link)

Possible ChallengesPossible Challenges

Answers.com could Answers.com could become one-stop become one-stop shopping without shopping without instructor monitoringinstructor monitoring

Encourage students to Encourage students to comparison shop sites comparison shop sites for best features for best features (answerbag.com, (answerbag.com, Yahoo Answers) Yahoo Answers)