Thing #22 Nings... (Thing, Wing, Zing)

I couldn't resist the rhyming words.

I think using a Ning for class sounds like a good idea. There are other areas where we try to teach students that work and play are separate areas. There are the registers of language. Facebook is for play, Nings are for work/school.

Nings could be used for discussion groups. There could be a Ning for each period, or put them all together. I have students do an outside reading assignment each grading people. As part of the assignment, students would need to get on the Ning, put a post tell about their book and make comments about a couple of other books.

A Ning would be easier than everyone having their own blog and having to get on each other's blogs. They could just go to one place.

Another teacher at school had a Facebook assignment for her class that the students enjoyed very much. If we did the assignment on a Ning, instead, students wouldn't be tempted to get on their own Facebook account while working... it wouldn't be quite as easy.

I did a search for history nings. Many are from various classes... AP US History, World History... for class projects or assignments.

I found the national Council for Social Studies Community Network Ning. I looked at it, read some of the posts. I found an IB teacher who teaches in Thailand! One of the groups on the Ning is for European History, so I joined the NCSS Ning and the European History group.

So Nings can be used in the classroom for class projects and as a listserve to connect with other teachers, ask questions and learn the latest information in my field.

Thing #15 What will a library look like five years from now?

I use the library a lot between my history classes and Model United Nations activities, so the library is very important to me.

I have observed that many students want to find all of their information on Internet, rather than reading print material. The challenge is in finding internet sources that contain credible research. Another challenge (not limited to information found on the computer) is getting students to interact with sources, rather than simply "cutting and pasting."

The theme of the articles on Library 2.0 seem to emphasize a synthesis of the older look of a print library with the technology offered students today.

One goal of the IB History class is to get students to take on the role of an historian. Part of that involves looking at a variety of sides or interpretations of events. One way to do that is to read books written during the 20th century. As archives are opened or additional research is conducted, new interpretations and descriptions of events are written.

Sometimes the older books give information that newer authors don't include, because of their access to newer information. (But that doesn't mean libraries should be full of "old" books only!)

For history, I think students need both a facility for using the newest technology... which many already have and they need an appreciation for books. I think there is a place for both in the Library of the future.

For me, Library 2.0 means I need to be more skilled at using Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 technology... which is why I'm taking this class! There is certainly a lot to learn.

School libraries are still needed for research and to support classroom learning. The difference between the past and now and the future is the form that the learning takes or will take.