Using Nings with Middle School Students

[Jennifer Carbonneau]

What are the implications for using a ning with middle school students? What are the dangers? I know the benefits are priceless. I am assuming that these are safe places when I select the privacy fearture. Is my assumption correct? What should I include in a presentation to parents? How do I sell them on this rhealm of technology? Is a ning the best method? I am hoping that my page would facilitate discussions or student and class readings as well as a place to do peer reviews of writing. I realize that I will have to teach the ethics of using technology and respecting other's coprighted resources. What am I missing? What are the loop holes that my administrator may see when I present it to him? What reservations do school techs have? Anything you can offer that will help me prepare for this venture would be helpful.

[Steve Hargadon]

I meant to say, "that's a level of complication that most folks are *not* really wanting to add to their lives!" Whoops. I think maybe you understood anyway. :)

[Susan]

you can get a free hosted moodle at http://ninehub.com/

[Barbara Cohen]

Thanks for the great discussion! We've just entered the "World 'o Ning" with our 7th & 8th Graders and we're off to a great start so far! I'm wondering whether anyone might be willing to share examples of parent letters or permission forms you've used explaining why you're using Ning or other social networking tools in the classroom. We've already gotten one "why are you encouraging my kid to use a tool like this?!" email and I'm hoping to get something out to parents ASAP. Your help is much appreciated!

~Barbara

[Nancy Bosch]

I would look through you district's technology standards, writing standards, reading standards, communication standards and see what standards match with your "ning" goals. I suggest you best know why you're using a social network with your kiddos and be able to communicate that with your kids, parents, and admin. Good luck, N.

[Barbara Cohen]

Thanks...good idea, especially about the reading & writing standards. We're an independent school and our tech standards are woefully out of date and pre-web 2.0.

[Jennifer Carbonneau]

I have avoided using ning with my students, because they are too young to become users according to Ning's requirements. I teach seventh graders 12-13 year-olds (but not all are 13 by the end of the year).

[Steve Hargadon]

Yes, I'm sorry that's the case, but thanks for being careful.

[Jennifer Carbonneau]

How did Barbara get her seventh graders registered?

[Susan]

Just a thought, how about parent+child accounts? This way parents would open the joint account, and of course could keep an eye on activity.

[Barbara Cohen]

To answer Jennifer's question, the English teacher with the Ning is using it with a combination of 7th & 8th grade students, all but a few of whom are over age 13. We'd love to find a comparable tool to use with our younger students, without the learning curve of setting up our own Drupal or Moodle.

Susan, I'm intrigued by the parent+child accounts idea...but if a teacher is creating a shared space like a Ning in order to facilitate an intimate community of writers, I wonder what would change if the students knew their parents were monitoring activity. Our Division Head is also the parent of an 8th Grader, and she felt pretty strongly that if her son knew that she was able to read what he's writing on the Ning, he'd be less excited about using it. As long as the teacher is monitoring closely, that's enough for her. Thoughts?

[Susan]

Hi Barbara,
While I do understand exactly what you mean, I think that having a larger more varied audience could have positive sides.

I also wonder if a Ning site is the right place to encourage intimacy, many students already using blogs and social networking sites do so under a false sense of security. i.e while they should know the internet is a public space, they tend to ignore that fact. If students realize that their writing/communication can be seen by a wider audience, including their parents, it may just be a very good way of bringing this home and encouraging a bit of accountabilty.

Possibly you could set up an AUP for parents stipulating how they are expected to interact.

[Nancy Bosch]

I'm sure I'm repeating myself but I remember reading a post here about a teacher who created a ning with middle schoolers and within a week inappropriate pictures and comments by students in the class had popped up offending parents and other students. Talk about herding cats!! Yikes.