NING Reflection Thread

The first Ning community I joined is the one Sarah recommended: ISTE Community http://www.iste-community.org/?xg_source=ningcom
I found the following page: ISTE in Second Life http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/Member_Networking/ISTE_Second_Life.htm
Since my own failure to use Second Life (computer froze/freaked out every visit), I found it interesting (and disappointing) to see the extensive presence ISTE has in Second Life. One can visit the Second Life Headquarters and volunteer to be a docent, presenter or panelist in a presentation. There is an archive of ISTE Eduverse Talks: I was excited to see topics such as podcasting, copyright issues, “high-yield technology practices” and clouds. The Rochester Institute of Technology even offers online classes through Second Life. However, all of these great talks took place in Second Life and my computer froze again. I had better luck with SIGMS (a special interest group for media specialists)
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/SIGs/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_.htm . This link: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Templates_and_Starter_Kits&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=34&ContentID=2863 to templates and starter kits for advocating for technology within your school and community. These resources would work well for grant applications, faculty development, and BOE presentations.
I also joined the English Companion Ning
http://englishcompanion.ning.com/?xg_source=ningcom , winner of a 2009 Edublog award. This group was a little less high tech so I was able to access most of the information. The posts include a wide range of topics from AP classes, testing,
classroom management advice, Young Adult Book Club, and Free Tools for English Teachers. The posts include: when students say “that’s so gay”, using blogs and wikis in the classroom and using Ning for the purpose of having students role-play characters &/or historical figures. There are posts that include lesson plans, including technology, on a range of subjects from Shakespeare and Animal Farm to slam poetry