Final Project Update

In a testament to the fast changing nature of educational technology, we have a late entry into the private social network sweepstakes I've been working on for eAchieve Academy and my final project. I researched BigMarker, Edmodo, SayWire, Schoology, Google Circles, BlackBoard Learn, ePals and MaxClass before settling on Ning as the platform for our enclosed school social network. All those sites have some attractive features, but none are designed specifically for the purpose of creating a school social network. Ning is the closest, so I received preliminary approval for the project from the district and set up a social network environment on Ning.

http://eachieve.ning.com/

I recruited a small group of students to test drive the site and things were moving along smoothly.

Then out of the blue, I get a Google Alert about a brand new ed tech resource - new software for schools that want to establish a private social network for their students. Stop the presses! That's exactly what I'm trying to do. The new contender is called K12 Kit and since I wouldn't feel right if I ignored this possibility, I have scheduled a demonstration for next week. One of the intriguing features of this site is that it allows for a school yearbook and school newspaper integrated right into the program. That would be a really attractive feature for eAchieve.

I will continue to build on the Ning site and incorporate the feedback from my student focus group, but K12 Kit looks like it could be a game changer. Stay tuned...