I am loving Diigo. I know I’ve written about this site before, but the more I use it, the more I like it. I’ve been bookmarking sites like mad, and I’ve set up networks with a lot of the Edubloggers I read so that I have access to their bookmarks, too. It’s a bit of information overload, but most definitely provides a wealth of information and useful links. You can find my links at http://www.diigo.com/user/Tekkieteacher. If you decide to set up an account, feel free to send me a friend request and join my network. After all, in this Web 2.0 world, you are what you share!

One of my latest additions is Boolify Project. If you’ve ever wondered how to efficiently search the web, this tool will show you the way!

I tried to upload this last night, but TeacherTube was experiencing technical difficulties (technology is great as long as it works ! :-))

Here’s a video on this week’s featured website, Diigo.

Download Video: Posted by tekkieteacher at TeacherTube.com.

This week’s featured website is Diigo. It’s online bookmarking, social networking, and instant messaging all rolled into one site. Here’s a nice Wiki about how to use it, too!

What is Web 2.0? Here’s an example:

Last night I was twittering with other Edubloggers where I learned about a live EdTech webcast with Danah Boyd on social networking and education that was starting in just a few minutes. I logged in and joined the live chat while listening to the live audio stream. While participating on the chat I learned about Diigo, SqoolTools, and Buzzword, bookmarked them all on del.icio.us,  and added one of the participants in the chat room to my del.icio.us network.

It was way cool.

This is not your parents’ Internet.

We’ve all heard about Facebook and MySpace, but for those of us just a teensy bit older than 25, there’s another social networking service called Ning. Just like MySpace and Facebook, the site is blocked by the school system. However, I found I could still get to a really great Ning community called Classroom 2.0. The pictures don’t work if you are in the school building, but the text is there. It’s a great resource! If you’ve been thinking about learning more about social networks, nothing’s better than giving one a try!

Last week I was speaking with one of our English teachers, JJ, about an extra credit assignment he’d given his seniors for their study of the Iliad. JJ asked them to create a “myspace-like” page for one of the characters, writing an appropriate profile and communicating with other characters from Homer’s epic. He did not tell them they had to actually use MySpace to create their page. They could have used another software application or even hand-drawn the page.

What happened? Most students opted for the cyber-approach and the Iliad is now alive and thriving on MySpace!

Most of us have heard about MySpace and Facebook, but do you know what they are? They are social networking sites that many (if not most) of our students are using to find and communicate with friends. 

Download Video: Posted by laurie.king at TeacherTube.com.

Are these sites sometimes used inappropriately, with students making inflammatory comments and posting questionable photos? Absolutely. Are they home to predators hoping to befriend minors for unspeakable purposes? Yes.

When used appropriately, though, these sites are not evil. Humans, and most especially the teenagers we teach, are social beings. Social networking is just another way to socialize. We can embrace this technology and strive to use it to make learning relevant for our students, in the process teaching them how to responsibly and safely utilize this resource. Or, we can ignore it.

But one thing is certain — it’s not going away.