The article Generation IM was very informative about the different "killer Applications" that can be used in the classroom. One of the the applications explained was Imbee which is similar to a facebook and Myspace, however it is modified to be appropriate for regulations of the classroom. Some teachers have used Imbee for social networking within the classroom. One teacher imparticular, Tenkely used the application to educate her students on Internet safety as well sa to get them familiar with blogging. Once the class got familiar with the site, Tenkely began posting the projects and assignmetns on the web. In doing this, the students' friends and family began tuning into what had been posted giving the students a web-based audience.
As a result the quality of work increased, because the students knew that they had an audience other than their teacher. The kids use this site outside of class to just talk about their interests and whatever. This allows the teacher to get to know the students better. As a teacher, getting to know the kids is key. Once you understand their interests and dislikes, you can incorporate some of those into the lessons. In my opinion, incorporating Imbee into the classroom is very helpful in introducing the students to technology, as well as getting them to interact with one another. From the artice, we learned that the students' quality of work was improved with the posting of the students work on Imbee. This shows that Imbee can be used as a motivational factor with the students.
Another application called Moodle is another application that really interested me. Mark Fuson, a High School English teacher, used Moodle as place to put all his teaching materials online, along with an outline of assignmentts for each week. This is an amazing tool to keep the parents informed on the happenings and requirements of the classroom as well as to help the students stay on track with the class.
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