Discussions Across Sections

Interested in having all of your students in your similar sections discuss?

You can accomplish this in WebCT IF you share all the course, including combining the gradebook and all...but if you want to just discuss here are a few options available using free, Web 2.0 technologies.

Ning

1. What is Ning? Educause Explains Ning
2. How can it be used:
   • Social Networking
   • Sharing multimedia
   • Sharing URLS
   • Discussion Forums
3. Instructional Examples (most you need to be an approved member of):
   • English 101 by Dr. Alisa Cooper
   • English 102 by Dr. Alisa Cooper
   • ENH295 by Dr. Alisa Cooper
   • MCC Britain Study Abroad Program
   • ASB 222 Buried Cities
   • Quality Matters at MCCCD
   • MCC NOW Nurses Optimizing Wellness
   • Educause Top Teaching & Learning Challenges 
4. Get Started: http://www.ning.com/

WetPaint

1. What is WetPaint? A wiki, a website, a discussion board, and more.
2. How it can be used:
   • A wiki
   • A course website
   • A discussion board
   • A social networking website
3. Example:
   • MCC Social Science Department http://mccsocialsciences.wetpaint.com/forum
   • Kansas State Anthropology http://spring09.wetpaint.com/forum
   • MCC ENH http://enh241.wetpaint.com/forum
4. Get Started: http://www.wetpaint.com/

VoiceThread

1. What is VoiceThread?
   • Instructional Demo
   • http://voicethread.com/about/media/#
2. How it can be used:
   • Presentation tool
   • Collaborative conversation around an individual piece of media (image, presentation, etc.)
   • Presentation
3. Instructional Examples:
   • Introductions: http://voicethread.com/#q.b1191.i13695
   • I Have A Dream Project
   • Guest Vistor to an online course
   • Measuring Angles
   • Painting interview
   • Unicef Radio: Darfur
   • Give it a try: http://voicethread.com/share/608424/
4. Get Started: http://voicethread.com/#home

Turnitin.com

1. What is Turnitin.com? It's a plagerism detection software program. So why in a forum workshop??  It has a discussion board feature that you can use with your courses.
2. How can it be used: 
   • To accept written assignments and check for plagerism
   • To have classroom discussions
3. Get Started: http://turnitin.com/static/index.html 
   • (At MCC you will need to access Turnitin.com via SoftSense the first time: (http://ctl.mc.maricopa.edu/_resources/helpdocs/turnitin.html)

Google Groups

What is it? http://groups.google.com/ 

Take a Tour: http://groups.google.com/intl/en/googlegroups/tour3/page2.html

Give it a try: http://groups.google.com/group/mccdiscussionoptions

Get Started: http://groups.google.com/

ForumThread

1. What is it? Its a free discussion board/forum tool.
2. Give it a try: http://mccforumoptions.forumotion.com/
3. Get One: http://www.forumotion.com/