Educating with Social Bookmarking

Creating, organizing and sharing links

to connect modern learning in K-12 schools

We’ll explore:

• What is Social Bookmarking

• How Educators Can Use

Social Bookmarking

• Examples of Social Bookmarking

Applications in the classroom

What is Social Bookmarking?

Social Bookmarking is tagging or marking a website and saving it for later. Instead of saving them to your web browser, you are saving them to the web. And, because your bookmarks are online, you can easily share them with friends.

(http://webtrends.about.com/od/glossary/g/tag_def.htm)

Some popular Social Bookmarking sites include:

TwitterYou know you’ve tweeted or re-tweeted an online news article.

PinterestPost web images of your favorite things much?

RedditMark, post and vote on news articles and hangout with the President!

DeliciousFree bookmarking service loved by educators

DiigoCollect and organize anything. It’s like Delicious on steroids, but you have to pay for the good stuff.

How can educators useSocial Bookmarking?

Educators can use bookmarking to store, organize and share bookmarks of websites. The bookmarks are stored on a Social Bookmarking site rather than on your local computer. This tool can be very beneficial in organizing websites for use with students, or sharing your bookmarked pages with colleagues. Some uses in the classroom include but are not limited to: • List websites for classroom use• Access bookmark from any computer with an Internet connection• Share sites with colleagues• Create a list of homework help sites that students can access from home or school• Create a list of safe research sites for students• Organize your bookmarks by topic to be used in specific units of study

(studyhttp://www.edtechnetwork.com/social_bookmarking.html)

Examples of Social Bookmarking Applications in the classroom

It is a free and widely used service. It is also very powerful. When users “tag” bookmarks with keywords, Delicious and similar sites, take all of the other bookmarks that are tagged with the same words and connects them, as well as the people who posted those bookmarks. Thus, creating a strong community of like minded individuals. The following learning experiences can easily be accomplished using Delicious and other Social Bookmarking web tools.

Delicious is a great site to get started using Social Bookmarking.

https://delicious.com

A. Create an Online Reading List

Language Arts and Social Science teachers can create an online reading list. Students can access that list, and then, participate in a discussion about the information either online or in the classroom. For example, students may be assigned to read two articles with opposing views about a historical figure. Then they may have to compare and contrast the information that was given. CCCS: 8.1.C, E, F; 8.2.D,E; 6.1, 6.2; Literacy RI.9

B. Conduct an Information Scavenger Hunt

Any teacher may use social bookmarking to create an information scavenger hunt or quest. For example, a consumer and family science teacher may have students look for and document specific information about the health benefits of the ginger root from a compiled list of sites. CCCS: 8.1.C, E, F; 8.2.D,E; 2.1.B

C. Analyze and Critique

Art teachers can mark and organize websites according to artist or style. Then, students can view the listed sites to study the artwork. For example, 2nd or 3rd grade students may examine the works of Pablo Picasso on a series of saved bookmarks and then have to determine if certain works of art are from his blue period, rose period, or cubism. CCCS: 8.1.C, E, F; 8.2.D,E; 1.2, 1.4.B

Wrap up

The potential for advance growth and learning through Social Bookmarking is limitless. Educators can utilize dozens of Bookmarking sites. Some sites focus on images and pictures, others on news and pop culture. There are also hundreds of online tools used by these sites that allow students to post their own bookmarks, respond to and discuss posted tags, or organize and search information. The possibilities are endless and only restricted by the educator’s creativity.

Resources

(http://webtrends.about.com/od/glossary/g/tag_def.htm)

(studyhttp://www.edtechnetwork.com/social_bookmarking.html)

https://delicious.com

http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/

Richardson, W (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin, 92-99

Slide show created by,

Joseph Kingjosephcking@mac.com