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RE: [xmca] ning


Hi Em,
Access to NING is conducted through "an administrator" for each section of the course. We've had grad students play this role, and I've done it as well. When I played this role, teacher candidates emailed me so I had their email addresses. We had already created a common template for each section of the course, and after dividing the emails into the sections, I batched them into a permissions page on NING, which automatically generated an invitation to the teacher candidate that was emailed detailing how they could join the group, set up their password, etc. A bit time consuming for such big courses, but this has worked for us. UBC is unable to share email addresses with us.
The administrator has the capacity to enter each section at any time; and when in the section, is identified by an icon. I was able to watch as teacher candidates responded to their invitation email, indeed I wrote into the invitation to give them directions and personalize it, and log in for the first time. For our first implementation, only the administrator was able to manipulate the site itself and give permissions. By the second year, the instructors requested that they have the same ability.
This sounds a bit rigid, but we were all working together to create the course, course materials, learn how to use NING, and teach the teacher candidates, so it was more fluid that it sounds. 

Not sure if this is helpful. Let me know if I am headed in the right direction.

Best - jennifer




Hi Jennifer,
What kind of access does ning have to a private site?
~em

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
On Behalf Of Jennifer Vadeboncoeur
Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 8:34 AM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] ning


Hi Folks,

We use NING in two large courses in the teacher education program,
one for elementary and one for secondary teacher candidates. There
are approximately 280-320 students in each course. They meet in a
large lecture hall for one hour of lecture, followed by two hours of
discussion in "small" break-out groups of about 30-34 teacher
candidates.

We use NING for several purposes: 1) to post writing assignments, for
example responses to weekly inquiry questions, 2) to enable
additional conversation outside of class, 3) to communicate general
information across all sections of the course, 4) and most important,
to build community among the teacher candidates and with the
instructors. We use the "forum," rather than the blog, and create
weekly forums to organize postings.

I am interested in the extent to which this technology, coupled with
the course structure, enables continued professional relationships
once teacher candidates complete their degree/certification and begin
their first teaching positions. Many of our teacher candidates teach
across Canada and the US, and internationally as well.

While NING is quite like other social networking sites, when we began
using it several years ago it was the only one that allowed us to
form closed community groups that were protected by an administrator
function that allowed us control over who could enter. We did not
want to use a completely open site. Teacher candidates can post
pictures, videos, their teaching activities and professional
contributions, and have conversations that we did not want to give
public access to. We have continued to use it because it also allows
us to use a French template for the sections of our courses that are
conducted in French.

For us, NING is incredibly useful. It is easy to use and continues to
evolve and offer new options as well. So far, so good.

Best - jennifer



Here's one example, although you need to be a member to use it:
http://www.ncte.org/community

Peter Smagorinsky
Professor of English Education and Program Coordinator
The University of Georgia
125 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602
smago@uga.edu

 >http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/smagorinsky/index.html


-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]

On

Behalf Of Helen Grimmett
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 8:17 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: [xmca] Re: technology for Classroom use

Hi,

I've recently heard about something called a "ning", which from what I
can gather seems to be a way to set up your own small scale networking
site (like a mini facebook) for your own circle of users. It seems to

me

this might be an ideal way for classrooms (or groups of classrooms or
teachers) to explore this technology and be able to share their work
without worrying about what else they might come into contact with on
facebook, myspace or youtube etc.

I haven't investigated it fully yet, but am wondering if it might be

the

sort of thing that will be useful for my research project on
professional learning. Perhaps someone else has some more infromation
about nings?

Helen Grimmett

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xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
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--
______________________________

Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
The University of British Columbia
Faculty of Education
2125 Main Mall
Library Block 272B
Vancouver BC V6T-1Z4

phone: 1.604.822.9099
fax: 1.604.822.3302

_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca



--
______________________________

Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
The University of British Columbia
Faculty of Education
2125 Main Mall
Library Block 272B
Vancouver BC V6T-1Z4

phone: 1.604.822.9099
fax: 1.604.822.3302

_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca