The first social networking tool that I found was: DocStoc
The website is: http://www.go2web20.net/app/?a=Docstoc
DocStoc is a free online document exchange database and social networking site. It allows users to store, search and share any type of document. These documents can be anything from Word, Excel, pdfs or PowerPoints. It is a similar website to Flickr.com for posting pictures and YouTube.com for posting videos. On this site not only are users able to post their own documents, but they are able to categorize and use other documents that have been posted.
The second social networking too that I found was: Stickapps
The website is: http://www.stickapps.com/
Stickapps is a web 2.0 tool that provides instant messenger and chat room solutions for a plethora of online communities. It has a variety of options to choose from regarding what type of online communication you wish to use. All applications are web cam accessible too. They are customizable and easy to use. With this tool, you are able to widen your social network and also hold conferences online with colleagues or friends.
The final social networking tool that I came across was: ooVoo
The website is: http://www.oovoo.com/
ooVoo is a video chat application. It is similar to Skype and iChat except better! On ooVoo a person can chat with up to six different people. All you need is a web came and a microphone to participate. Not only can you talk in real time with people in many countries, but you can also leave video messages and video call recordings. Video chatting is the future and ooVoo is just one more application that is easily available on the internet.
Those are some interesting tools. I agree that oovoo could be used in amazing ways to open students eyes to other parts of the world. You should look into skype too. Similar program with slightly more options and less bugs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael, I have never heard of the first 2 web tools, but I am addicted to oovoo. It's one of the best things I've ever used. I have to say that I like it better than skype though.
ReplyDeleteI also found a site recently that is similar to docstoc, called "my on db" (myowndb.com). Sites like these allow our own documents to be used no matter how far we are from our computers, but they go even farther than this: they allow us to start making our own collection of information available to the world. What a concept; while I'm out reading one person's PDF article, someone else can be benefiting from mine!
ReplyDeleteOovoo sounds really interesting- it would be really cool to video chat with multiple educators in our Edu 310 class or to incorporate it into our future classrooms.
ReplyDeleteDocStoc looks like a really great find with tons of information and I will definitely be checking that out!
I never really thought about the crossover between social networking and professional development either. As it turns out, I'm actually a member of a social network for my job - except it's not publically called a social network but the premis is the same. (Who knew?!)
ReplyDeleteI always thought of social networking as something for entertainment, non-work time, etc.
Wow, ooVoo seems like a really interesting Web 2.0 application. I just commented on someone else’s blog aobut the usefulness of Skype when we used it to talk to different leasers in technology education in the classroom such as Will Richardson. It appears that ooVoo has some of the same qualities as Skype but has enhanced in much more by adding features such as being able to talk to many people at once on one connection. This would be very helpful, for example, a whole class cannot make it to the scheduled time but can all meet up on ooVoo at another separate location. In addition, I really enjoyed how the users can keep a log of the video for later discussion or presentation to someone who was not able to join the ooVoo chat. For example, if a student was not able to join the ooVoo chat, the teacher could then send the student the video recording and have the student comment or write a discussion on the topics that were discussed.
ReplyDeleteIt was a refreshing thought in my mind about the crossover between social networking and professional development. When I think about social networking, I don't put academics or my future with my profession in the same category. I have never used oovoo, but if it is anything like skype I should try it out. Have you ever tried skype? I will have to get over my fear of impromptu speach if I ever use oovoo because it might be intimidating speaking with multiple educators as a student.
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