Thing 22: Nings!

I am really impressed with Ning! Ning allows users to create a social network to meet a specific professional, educational or personal interest or need. After reading 7 Things You Should Know about Ning, I realized how much potential this has. The article lists possible uses of Ning, suggesting communities that target: specific courses; incoming college freshman; dormitory residents; professionals; researchers; class reunions, etc. In an educational setting, " Ning provides an opportunity for students to create their own social networks and learn how to cultivate and sustain a community of users that might resemble professional contacts and relationships". (Educause Learning Initiative, 2008, p. 2)

I visited a Ning community called Middle School with 133 members. Reading the postings felt a bit like eaves-dropping on a conversation, especially since I wasn't sure what some members were referring to. Still, some good ideas were being tossed around. The Future of Education ning seems to have some very interesting forum topics and events. This network has more than 2,000 members and future members must be approved before being admitted. This would be a great one to follow to keep track of what is on the education horizon.

On to the library Nings! I checked out the Teacher Librarian Ning, created by Joyce Valenza and boasting a membership of more than 3,400. This site has some amazing features, including a Frapper map showing members' locations, podcasts and news from School Library Journal, job postings and even a poll! Very impressive! I also visited the Texas School Librarians ning, which did not seem as active or engaging as the Teacher Librarian Ning. (Maybe it's still in the formative stage?)

Nings provide a great forum to educators and librarians to interact with others in the profession, and for students to engage in a network based on a class or school project.