Social Media in Education Resources and Guides

Social Media is an incredible resource for education. Educators can learn, share, connect and more with educators from around the world. They can collaborate and communicate with students, parents, and colleagues. There are many different social media networks, and lots of ways to use them.

Social media has been embraced by many educators, but many other educators, administrators and parents are concerned about using social media with students. Edutopia has a great article by Vicki Davis entitled "A Guidebook for Social Media in the Classroom" that goes over these concerns, myths about social media in education and some great tips and examples for using social media. It's a must read.

Here are some other great resources for learning more about social media in education:

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more

Social Media Cheat Sheets - free tips and more for social media sites

Create a Personal Learning Network

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, Email, Google+ - why/when I use each one



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Google+ Resources for Educators

10 Ways to Teach Using Google+ http://www.slideshare.net/ShellTerrell/google-plus-10-ways-to-engage-learners

A Must See Google+ Cheat sheet for Teachers http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/07/a-must-see-google-plus-cheat-sheet-for.html

Using Google+ as an online study resource: use to create online study groups. Students can create private communities in which they share resources, have discussions, and they can host Hangouts in which they talk see each other as well as share whiteboard space, share documents, and share presentations.

Connect, learn, and share more about Google Apps for Education

Google Education on Air https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/

You have the best seat in the house to learn with educators around the world. Connect with them on the web for free using Google+ Hangouts On Air

Google Apps for Educators-Learning the Tools https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/conference-sessions#TOC-Google-Apps-for-Educators--Learning-the-tools

Google Apps for Educators-Instructional Approaches https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/conference-sessions#TOC-Google-Apps-for-Educators--Instructional-Approaches  (I'd just pick ones that sound interesting or most useful for you and your students first)

Get on Google+, Google's social network, and explore some great educator resources and groups: 

Get Started with Google+ http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/getstarted/guide.html

Use this to connect with your students online, for true collaboration and anywhere/anytime learning. 

How Educators and Schools Can Make the Most of Google Hangouts http://www.edutopia.org/blog/educators-schools-google-hangouts-mary-beth-hertz

Google Apps for Education Community https://plus.google.com/communities/101802680117484972712

Google Docs and Drive Community https://plus.google.com/communities/102220963265544691087 

Chromebooks in Education Community https://plus.google.com/communities/111885171520981887334 

Google Apps in Education Community https://plus.google.com/communities/111138038754004333717 

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Google+ - what is it and how to get started using it

Google+ is Google's social network and it has become my preferred social network. Facebook has gotten too political, although I do use it to keep in touch with friends and family. Twitter is great, but Google+ offers so much more - photos, videos, animations, longer postings and comments.

It is a thriving community, with people and groups for all interests, including education and technology.

If you aren't on Google+, check it out. Here are some resources.

Related Articles:
Google Plus - tips for using in education, facts and data infographic

Social Media Guide and Resources for Educators

Google for Educators Resources

Tools for Changing/Improving PD and Meetings

Professional Development and Faculty Meetings are typically held face-to-face and many times are longer than they need to be, or too much time is spent on things that only affect a small percentage of those present. There are some tools and resources that can be used to change how and when PD and Meetings are held.


1. Google Docs/Google Drive - use Google Docs for meeting and PD agendas and shared resources. Participants can edit it in real time, or offline, for collaboration and meeting notes and minutes. Share the agenda ahead of time. Don't print things anymore.





2. Google+ - use Google+ and create a Circle for your PD or meeting groups and hold online discussions, post resources, and more, all online.



 

3. Google+ Hangouts - use this video conferencing tool to hold virtual meetings and training sessions.



4. Evernote - use Evernote to take meeting notes, prepare resources for PD, and then share all of that with others. Limit paper and make it easier to share resources.



5. Edmodo - Edmodo is a closed, private social network. You can set up groups for meetings and PD and share resources, have online discussions, and more using it.


6. EdCamp model - the Edcamp model puts the participants in the driver's seat for PD (and meetings) and allows for PD to be more meaningful.


What ideas and resources do you use for meetings and PD?

Google Plus Hangouts on Air feature now available to all users

 

Google+, Google's social network, has some great features that other networks don't have. One of them is Hangouts. Hangouts is a multi-person video conferencing system that is free. You can host virtual meetings, help and study sessions, or just chat with family. Google had added the ability for a limited group of people to be able to broadcast their Hangouts to the world.

Google has just announced that Hangouts On Air is now available to all Google+ users worldwide. It will be a gradual rollout though so the system doesn't get overwhelmed all at once.

With Hangouts on Air, you will be able to broadcast yourself publicly to the entire world, see how many viewers you have, and even record and reshare your broadcast. The public recording will be uploaded to your YouTube channel and to your original Google+ post.

This is a great way hold meetings, study sessions, online conferences (which Google did last week), and much more, and have the Hangout recorded for future replay and use.

Here's a video on getting started with Google+ Hangouts on the Air:





Source: Official Google Blog

Related:

Google Plus - tips for using in education, facts and data infographic

Google Plus adds Google Docs to Hangouts

Google+ - More Reasons its great for Education

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

10 Ways to Use Google Plus in the Classroom

Teaching with Google Plus - tips and resources

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google Plus now open to Teens, with safety features

31 Great Ways Universities are Using Google+ - apply to K12?

I just read an article entitled "31 Great Ways Universities are Using Google+" and was thinking that K12 could, and should, do many of these. Each way has a link to more information and ideas for that topic.

Google+ is an excellent resource for education, educators and students. It allows for communication, collaboration, sharing and so much more.

Some of the ideas from the article that I think K12 can also use include online meetings, online help sessions with students, increased and improved communication among staff, faculty, admin, students, and parents, student feedback, extracurricular activity communication and collaboration, class conversations, posting of student materials and resources.

Check out the article and see some great ideas for using Google+ in Education.

Related:

Google for Educators Resources, tips, links, lesson ideas, help, and more

Google Plus - tips for using in education, facts and data infographic
Google+ - More Reasons its great for Education

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

10 Ways to Use Google Plus in the Classroom

Teaching with Google Plus - tips and resources

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google Plus now open to Teens, with safety features

Top 50 Google Plus Circles for Educators

Google Plus (Google+) is a great resource for educators. You can connect with other educators and share, learn and collaborate, you can keep up with news and current events, you can connect with friends, and you can have video conferences called Hangouts with colleagues or students.

Google+ allows you to share beyond the 140 character limit of Twitter, but doesn't have as much of the games and junk as Facebook.

Like any Social Media network, part of the success depends on who you connect with. Here is a list of 50 Google Circles for educators to join.



Related:

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, Email, Google+ - why/when I use each one

Infographic comparing Facebook and Google+ security

Google Plus adds Google Docs to Hangouts

 

Google has announced that Google Docs are now included in Hangouts on Google Plus. When in a Hangout, you just click on the new "Docs" button and you can add an existing document, upload a new one, and switch between and collaboratively edit multiple documents at once.

This is another great feature of Google+ Hangouts for education. Teachers and/or students can hold study groups, help sessions, or work on other projects using Docs in Hangouts.

 

 

Related:

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google Plus - tips for using in education, facts and data infographic

Google for Educators Resources

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

10 Ways to Use Google Plus in the Classroom

Teaching with Google Plus - tips and resources

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google Plus now open to Teens, with safety features

Google Plus - tips for using in education, facts and data infographic

Google Plus (Google+) is Google's Social Networking service. I love it. You can create circles (groups of people) and only share things with the circles you choose, can have Hangouts (video conferences), share resources, have conversations, and much more. Google+ doesn't have all the ads and games that Facebook does and has a cleaner layout. I think it's a great resource for educators to use with colleagues and with students. You can share resources, have discussions and learn from colleagues. With students, you can post resources, have a Hangout as a help session, and much more.

I've written about Google+ in education many times:

Google+ - More Reasons its great for Education

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

10 Ways to Use Google Plus in the Classroom

Teaching with Google Plus - tips and resources

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google Plus now open to Teens, with safety features


Here is an infographic with some interesting facts and statistics about Google+

Teaching with Google Plus - tips and resources

Google Plus is a great resource for education. Edutopia, a great resource in itself, has a great article "Teaching with Google Plus."

The article goes over some of the features of Google Plus, and how to use Google Plus in the classroom. The Circles can be used for groups or classes, Hangouts can be used for online study groups, and so much more.

I highly recommend the article, and Google Plus, for educators.



Related:

10 Things You Need to Know About Google Plus

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, Email, Google+ - why/when I use each one

Infographic comparing Facebook and Google+ security

10 Things You Need to Know About Google Plus

Waylou has a great article entitled "10 Things You Need to Know About Google Plus". Google Plus is a great resource for education. There are some great functions and it isn't cluttered with apps and games. You can easily create Circles (groups of people) and selectively share what you want with different groups. Hangouts let you have video conferencing (free) which can be used for study groups and more. I really like Google Plus. This article has some great information about the features and uses of Google Plus.

I highly recommend the article, and Google Plus, for educators.



Related:

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, Email, Google+ - why/when I use each one

Infographic comparing Facebook and Google+ security

Social Media in Education - connect, share, learn, communicate and more

Social Media, while sometimes described as a time waster and blocked by some schools, is actually a great tool for education.

Educators can use social media as part of their Personal Learning Network, to share resources, learn, discuss, connect, and more with other educators around the world. They can also use it to connect and communicate with students and parents, have students connect with each other and share, and so much more. Like any other technology, it's how the tool is used that is important.

Schools and educators should use social media for learning, sharing and communicating.

Here are some articles on how to use social media in education:

Create a Personal Learning Network

Twitter - A great resource for Education

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google+ and Google+ Pages - great for educators and schools

Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, Email, Google+ - why/when I use each one

Infographic comparing Facebook and Google+ security
Great poster for creating a PLN with Twitter

Here is an infographic on social media in education:



Via: Online Universities Blog

Google Plus now open to Teens, with safety features

Google+, Google's social network, is now open for teens. I've been using it for quite a while and really like it. You can post more that on Twitter, have great conversations, have video conferencing, easily choose who to share posts with , and you don't have all the bloat and apps that Facebook has.

Google has changed the age requirements for Google+ so that any Google Account user can join. That means it is now open to anyone 13 years or older.

Google has set some default settings for teens to increase safety and privacy, including setting it so that only people in the teens circles can send notifications and comment on posts. It also sets it so that if a teen has a hangout going and someone outside their circles joins the hangout, the teen will be removed but given a chance to rejoin. This gives them a chance to make sure the new, unknown person is safe to have in the hangout and wanted.

Google also has a Google+ Teen Safety Guide  and Google+ Safety Center for parents and teens that has safety tips and more information about Google+




Related:

Google+ - more reasons it's great for educators

Google+ and Google Pages - great for education

Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook - a nice comparison