The Continued Growth of Social Networking (in Education)

http://blog.ning.com/2008/10/500000-social-networks-on-ning.html

Ning reached 500,000 social networks, a fascinating milestone.  Classroom 2.0 passed 12,000 members this weekend, and the Ning in Education network hit 2600 members a few hours ago.  I think we're learning a lot about using the community and creativity aspects of social networking in highly educational settings, and (maybe) getting a little past our pre-conceived notions of social networking that came from early experiences with MySpace and Facebook.

Of course, even though I do consulting work for Ning and consider myself their "education evangelist," I want to say "Good on ya, Ning!"  I do believe that they've played a great role in helping to redefine our perceptions in this area.

Becta Report on Benefits of Web 2.0 in the Classroom

http://news.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=38417

From the article:

• Web 2.0 helps to encourage student engagement and increase participation – particularly among quieter pupils, who can use it to work collaboratively online, without the anxiety of having to raise questions in front of peers in class – or by enabling expression through less traditional media such as video.
• Teachers have reported that the use of social networking technology can encourage online discussion amongst students outside school. 
• Web 2.0 can be available anytime, anywhere, which encourages some individuals to extend their learning through further investigation into topics that interest them.
• Pupils feel a sense of ownership and engagement when they publish their work online and this can encourage attention to detail and an overall improved quality of work. Some teachers reported using publication of work to encourage peer assessment.