Resource Review 7: Alternatives?

As the self-proclaimed leading provider of school-safe collaborative learning products for K-12 students, teachers and parents, I was curious about other options for collaborative learning technology in schools and libraries.

Article: (2009). 10 Social Media Tools for Learning. Retrieved from http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning2-0/10-social-media-tools-for-learning/.

Article synopsis: The author of the article explains how in today's information environment, it can sometimes be overwhelming to imagine engaging in collaborative learning through digital tools, but the challenge is from the level of difficulty presented by individual tools. Rather, the sheer number of options swimming within the cyber-sea of our reach confuses us as we get lost in the question of: what's the difference between them? Why should I choose A over B? Isn't there a C option that gives me the benefits of both without having two separate tools? She then lists her top 10 social media tools that can be utilized for collaborative learning anywhere.

The "Resource Review" verdict: Being such a recently posted article, I felt like her top 10 was up-to-date with the hottest social media tools to be aware of and implementing into programming considerations, whether librarian or educator (though I'm of the belief that as a librarian, you are an educator by nature, but that's another blog entry...). :) Each of the tools the author lists meets at least one of the following criteria: "encourages collaboration; enables user-generated content or input; provides a way to share; and facilitates informal or formal learning" (para. 3). For each tool, she briefly describes what the tool is, how it works, what users are doing with it, key features and potential downsides of the tool, and where to get more information. Her top 10 list (which include a few of the tools being researched by my classmates): Audacity, Dimdim, Edublogs Campus, Elgg, MindMeister, TalkShoe, VoiceThread, Wikispaces, and Yammer.

So in closing...: The author reminds users to be sure to research and compare different tools, and to honestly assess learning needs for individuals and the environment. With that being said, are there any true alternatives to using EPals.com? Yes, though I have not found a tool yet that offers as extensive resources specifically for students, teachers and parents with such a globally focused purpose. Personally, one of my favorite parts about EPals.com is that the guided and independent learning that takes place does encourage such a global perspective without losing the personal touch that gives education meaning. In short, EPals.com is being used effectively in information agencies as a method of mediating international learning projects, and thanks to its outstanding marketing efforts, coverage of its features and news is reaching a wider scope of classrooms every day. I haven't come across any huge outcry against using EPals.com, so they must be doing something right!