Is anyone familiar with......

[Wendy Greve]

..... think.com ? It appears to be set up well with adequate safeguards. It is designed specifically for schools and encourages collaborations between schools, which I think may give it an advantage over wikis and nings. Looking at the enrollment form, enrollment is limited to specific types of schools (ours qualify) and enrollment needs to be approved. A limitation I do see is for those of you (like Lynn) who teach Ed Tech classes could not enroll unless it was done through your lab school.

I have requested a "Try It Out" account, but I would really be interested in your opinions. Please check out the site if you are not familar with it. Sometimes I miss the obvious.

I pray you were blessed through your worship today.

[Andrew Eickstead]

I used THINK the first two years I was teaching with some success. I prefer Digication, and even more prefer just using a wiki. The problem I had with think is that it becomes a social networking application for the kids and they don't see it as educational, but rather social. I haven't been on it in a couple of years, so maybe it has changed, but the little sticky notes that kids can leave got a bit out of hand with my freshmen. For me it was just a lot of monitoring, where with a wiki I can have much more control and less headache.

[Wendy Greve]

I looked at the Digi[cation] site, Rob. I confess to having some difficulty figuring it out. I could not find a "help" link. Or does that come with the "Try it"? I am interested in your comments once you become more familiar with it.

Hi, Durff! Nice hat! Actually, the purpose of think.com IS for collaboration. "Experience a new level of collaboration with Think.com Projects. Identify a topic of interest, assign your students, and allow others locally or across the globe to join." It is however by the same people who did ThinkQuest. I did find out that it is free. I got my "Try It Out" password. Now all I have to do is find the time to explore it. :o)

I am constantly amazed in the tools that are available for our students. It really "shrinks" out world, doesn't it?

[Durff]

oh yes...thinkquest has been around for a while! i'm sure it has changed a lot since i was last there. they have great stuff, but wikis are the platform for collaborations, not thinkquest. if it is now a pay site, i wouldn't. of course i don't pay for anything i don't have to, preferring to give that amount away....

[Rob Jacklin]

Wendy- I don't have any experience with it. But the folks from the Bit by Bit podcast recommed it highly!

I'm in the process of trying out an online portfolio site called Digication. Signed up at the end of last year, but will get more into within the next couple fo weeks.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help!