Social bookmarking (a.k.a. "tagging") and networking are noteworthy Web 2.0 technologies for a number of reasons. A major one is that by allowing users to store online content, share it with others, and see content that others have collected, bookmarking and networking help educators and students move beyond the Google searches that are frequently mistaken for research.
And who doesn't want to help their students become better researchers?
Roger Riddell reinforces this point in a recent article in eSchool News Online, "Social Bookmarking Makes It Mark in Education." Riddell writes,
I believe these applications represent an exciting sea change for educators, researchers, and pupils. A globally accessible, flexible organizational system for multimedia content that organizes content in ways that make sense to both the creators and end users seems to combine the best of both World Wide Webs, 1.0 and 2.0.
The Blackboard Bravo! community just finished an exploration of educational uses of social bookmarking and networking, and we've left behind a few “artifacts” to help you learn how to use bookmarking and networking in your online course:
- Webinar - "Social Bookmarking & Networking in Education"
Description: Why you’d want to do this, how you’d do it, and what you can expect
Recording: http://tinyurl.com/yqb5sq Webinar - "So Now What? Using Social Bookmarking & Networking in Your Course"
Description: Discusses how Grand Rapids Community College introduced tagging and networking to faculty and students
Recording: http://tinyurl.com/367sy4- Structured Activity to Get Started with Social Networking [Link]
- Introducing Colleagues and Students to Social Bookmarking & Networking [Link]
I hope these resources help you get started in social bookmarking and networking online.
