April 2008 — News
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Spotlight: Free Social Media Tools for Educators
Edu2.0 is a spectacular example of a learning community done right in terms of the technological sophistication and depth and breadth of resources available. It offers a complete Web-based learning management system for public and private teaching, more than 10,000 shared online resources, and a range of networking and collaboration features--wikis, blogs, feeds, chat, etc. And it also includes assessments, attendance logs, grading, assignments, and many other features found in traditional learning management systems but without the cost of commercial systems and without the hassle of implementing an LMS from scratch. There is no cost for Edu2.0, and there is no advertising on the site. And, unlike many social sites out there, Edu2.0 is easy on the eyes and on the brain.
Edu2.0 is really the standout in broad-based learning communities. However, there are several others also worth mentioning. (Some fairly well known sites are left off this list, as they cater mostly to tertiary education.)
Ecto is less focused on the learning management aspect and more on providing resources and a mechanism for sharing learning tools. Ecto describes itself as a "hosted, open networked personal learning environment." For teachers, it provides tools for organizing coursework and materials, facilitating exams, assigning work, and promoting collaboration among students. It also includes blogs and various Web 2.0 technologies, as well as hooks into outside resources.
ProProfs provides wikis, blogs, tutorials and a comprehensive suite of tools for generating content, including flash cards and quizzes. Its "Quiz School" feature is designed to let educators create online quizzes and practice tests for their students and provides a library of pre-designed quizzes, which range from K-12 education to technology certification, SAT and GRE prep, and general trivia.
ChitChat's Educational Network provides free online hosting for class Web pages and multimedia content and allows educators to share materials with one another. It also includes free online space, tools for adding course materials and assignments, and grading capabilities, along with the ability to mail grades to students on an assignment by assignment basis. It also includes blogs and tutorial videos.
WeBWorK is an open-source and free Internet-based system designed for math and science homework generation and dissemination. Funded in part by the National Science Foundation and supported by the American Institute of Mathematics, the software was developed originally at the University of Rochester by two mathematics professors. Its original scope covered only mathematics, but it's since been expanded (and continues to be expanded) to cover other subject areas as well, including physics, econ, chemistry, and others. It's now used in more than 100 institutions, ranging universities and high schools, and is also being deployed in some middle schools.
