Social+Bookmarking


 * __Social Bookmarking__:**


 * //What is Social Bookmarking?//**

Social Bookmarking is the ability to save and categorize a personal collection of bookmarks and share these bookmarks with others. Social Bookmarking uses a web site instead of a browser to list and organize your bookmarks. Users can comment on the usefulness and validity of their own and other members' bookmarks. Bookmarks are grouped into categories under titles called "tags." Social bookmarking can be used as a knowledge management system for individuals and groups. It is a powerful research and annotation tool that is searchable, shareable, and accessible from any computer.

http://delicious.com/help/getStarted (an article on Delicious summarizes how to get started and how to bookmark a page)

http://thecleversheep.blogspot.com/2008/01/social-bookmarking-in-classroom.html (a blog about Social Bookmarking and its use in the classroom)

There is a scholarly-like explanation of social bookmarking on [|youtube].


 * //What free resources are available for Social Bookmarking?//**

http://delicious.com/ http://www.furl.net/ (CAUTION: furl.net contains some racy wiki pictures on the web site that may not be appropriate for younger viewers. It is easy to access material with sexual content from this web site.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_software#Social_bookmarking (our great online source, Wikipedia, gives a pretty large list of the many social bookmarking websites)

//**What are web sites that have examples or models of Social Bookmarking used for educational purposes?**//

There is a YouTube video that explains the functionality of Delicious in a way that seems designed for students. [|This video] effectively explains the usefulness of using this website for research purposes.

//Professional (about teaching)// http://del.icio.us/almarow (this person's social bookmarking page includes bookmarks about how to integrate technology into the classroom)

//**How could Social Bookmarking be used with the following audiences:**//

Teachers can use this technology to recommend web sites to students who are doing research. Students can also share amongst themselves various web sites, especially if they are working on a collaborative project. This is a more focused way for students to conduct internet searches since the search results have already been "screened" by previous users. Teachers can also share resources with students such as web sites for MLA citations. Teachers can also share extra information with students who are interested in a particular topic.
 * Students (i.e. writing assignments, class activities)

Teachers who teach the same subject or texts can share resources and ideas this way. Teachers can develop professionally by subscribing to a social bookmarking network and receiving notifications as to when other users update their bookmark lists.
 * Faculty (i.e. resource sharing, professional development)

Our class has a "wikipage" and sending parents a link to this and other important links (sending school calendars) or resources (links to the MLA website) is useful.
 * Parents (i.e. communication, sharing of student work):


 * //What could be problematic about Social Bookmarking? What should teachers consider when they think about using Social Bookmarking in their classrooms?//**

The web sites available for searching social bookmarks have no supervision or regulation. Students would be able to access inappropriate material easily and share that material with others. There is nothing that teacher can do to regulate what comes up when students conduct a search on these web sites.