Introductions

[Steve Hargadon]

Welcome! Please introduce yourself, let us know who you are and where you are from, and, if you are already using Ning in an educational setting, how you are using it.

[Steve Hargadon]

Muito bem! Glad to have you here. :)

[meri walker]

Hi all,

I'm an organizational consultant and teacher recently relocated from urban life in Austin, TX to a tiny town in southern Oregon called Ashland. The move has pushed me through the window into Web 2.0 as a way to keep connected with my clients...and now I'm shifting my attention back toward education reform, one teaching-learning relationship at a time. I'm writing a series of reports called "Teaching for a Living - Instead of a Paycheck" and I'm about to release the first one inside another NING community here, the We Are Teachers IMAGINE network. NING networks have opened up a whole new world for me in the last six months and I'm really looking forward to learning with and from you here in this one...

[Steve Hargadon]

Hi, Meri. Nice to see you here. I'm interested in how you are going to release your report. Will you attach/embed a document, or put the full text in a forum or blog post?

[Steve Hargadon]

Welcome, Tracy.

[Steve Hargadon]

Matthew:

Welcome! Please consider putting your network into the list on the front page if it's open and can be seen by others. Would love to learn more about it.

Steve

[Andy Birch]

Hi there,
I'm Andy from Jersey in the UK, currently teaching at Beijing BISS International School in China where I teach Grade 4 and am the ES ICT coordinator. I was just recently introduced to Ning at the Learning 2.0 conference in Shanghai. I plan to introduce it across the school in the next few weeks for staff and students. I'm hoping that it can add deeper levels of communication between the school community and create a dynamic place where unstructured learning, inquiry and communication thrive.

Since I'm new feel free to point me in the right direction and point out the newbie mistakes and advantages of a social networking site like Ning.

[Steve Hargadon]

I really wanted to go to Learning 2.0! Just didn't fit my schedule. I'm planning on listening to the podcasts that come out.

You might want to check out the example Ning networks for educators--I've put a list of them on the front page, lower right side. I *think* you were our 2900th sign-up for Classroom 2.0, right? That's also a good place to see how educators can use the site and to see what features you like.

Good luck!

[Owen Bradley]

I am a music educator in North Port, FL and chairman of the Performing Arts Academy at my school. I am interested in exploring social networking as a tool to extend the classroom. I am particularly interested in distance collaboration- I really see this as the future of education. Currently, I am thinking about setting up a ning social network to allow my teachers to easily share what is going on in their classrooms. Later, I would like to expand the community to include students in the Small Learning Community.

I welcome any thoughts, suggestions, and ideas!

[Craig Roland]

Hello from Gainesville Florida. I'm Craig Roland and I teach Art Education at the University of Florida. I set up Art Education 2.0 last April for art educators interested in exploring applications of new technologies in their classrooms. Then, my colleague and I set up UFARE 2.0 this Fall for our students and alumni at UF. Looking forward to learning from this group and offering my own "two cents" when i have something to contribute to the mix.

[ddeubel]

Hi,

I'm an educator, working presently in Seoul, Korea. I train Korean and foreign teachers for the world's largest school board, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Originally from Canada. I've lived and taught in a number of places across the world and a variety of levels. From Grade 4 (miss 'em) , Grade 7-8, adult ESL, High school geography and various courses as a TEFL trainer. Now I train teachers in EFL methods and technology.

I'm an avid runner, love pasta, red wine, large dogs, good poetry, thinking and the loneliness of the wild......

Looking forward to the conversation here. It is important to education and mostly our students. Got here late, overwhelmed with new courses starting this month.

I also have a ning on English as a Foreign Language I also design and make educational games , many available on my Batcave site. So I really believe in the power of technology used wisely to transform and enhance learning.

David
"When one teaches, two learn."

[Huaihao Chang]

Hello,everyone.
I am a new one here.I am a student of Educational Technology in Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Now I am trying to set a network by using Ning.
And I've found it is a little slow when I read or write something at Ning in Shanghai.

[Steve Hargadon]

Welcome! So glad you joined here. Can't wait to help you. I sent your contact information to a friend in Shanhai who also uses Ning: Jeff Utecht. See his Ning site at learning2cn.ning.com.