When we hear about social networks, the first reaction is to think of Facebook or Twitter. But they are not the only ones, since there are some directed specifically to the educational field. And others that, even being ‘generic’, offer possibilities in education. Thus, teachers, students, and families are in permanent contact thanks to educational social networks.
Educational social networks
Here is a list of the most prominent educational social networks. And you, which one do you use?
Leoteca
Its creators define this social network as ” a children’s community where reading becomes a much more attractive activity ” since, in addition to reading, students have the opportunity to share experiences with classmates, teachers, and friends. Why not make a suggestion, comment, or vote for a book that you really liked? They are other possibilities of this space. The role of adults is important because without their consent children cannot be part of it. For teachers, it can be used to track student reading activity.
Interuniversities
It is a social network and career search engine for students from all over the world in which its members share experiences and can discover skills that perhaps they did not think they had thanks to taking vocational tests. They also offer an orientation test for those students who do not know what to study. Once you have registered, you will enjoy all its possibilities for free. You can upload content not only in public but also in private and share what is written on other social networks directly. Likewise, you access the news of your contacts and universities that you have joined, students are kept informed of everything that happens in their center … Teachers have the option of creating a class or group within Interuniversity.
Cyber correspondents
It brings together three functionalities. The first is the social network in which its participants under 18 tell how they feel, what they think, what worries them … To participate, yes, they must do so through groups and processes of social intervention or educational institutions such as institutes, associations, town halls, NGOs … It also serves as an educational and free ICT resource because it can be a complement for the development of educational activities. Finally, it works as a digital newspaper made by young people who express their ideas so that others know them.
Internet in the classroom
This is the name of the INTEF teaching social network, in which the teaching communities share their experiences and resources for using the Internet in the classroom. Forums, projects, 2.0 best practices, methodologies, blogs … are some of the features offered to teachers.
Clipit
Thanks to this educational social network (free and developed by the Rey Juan Carlos University ), it is possible to put into practice new methodologies in which the student acquires an active role in their learning process, such as flipped classroom, project work, blended learning… It is a collaborative work environment in which they themselves explain and present concepts through their own videos which, once published, are put together for the rest of their colleagues to view and offer suggestions for improvement. It also provides teachers with additional tools. Such as creating rubrics to guide the discussion process, assessment tests, and learning analytics.
Brainly
She specializes in the field of social learning and eLearning. As it is based on the exchange of knowledge and ideas and mutual help. It is aimed at students of all levels, including home-schooled children, as well as parents and teachers. The questions can be consulted according to the subjects (Biology, Geography, History, Art, Social Sciences …). And it is available in several languages. You have to register.
Docsity
Search, consult, or download content shared by other students. This is how this educational social network is that allows you to consult notes, news, educational videos … related to biology, chemistry, law, history, languages, mathematics, or psychology, among other subjects. For university students, it is an interesting source of consultation. Highlighting the Blog area in which articles on different careers are written. It also allows you to exchange opinions, resolve doubts or receive notifications when another user consults the content that we have uploaded. Students with more active participation accumulate points, which gives access to the different options on the page.
Edmodo
In 2008, Nic Borg and Jeff O’Hara founded this educational platform that works as a social network and in which teachers, families, and students can participate. It allows you to create closed and private groups, send work, share links and documents, attach files … There is also the option for teachers to invite students to participate in online discussions, for which it is necessary to register with a username and password. The teacher, in Edmodo, is the only one who can create the groups and manage them, while the students (and also their families) need to know the access code to these groups to consult the content that is uploaded.
Eduskopia
It is a social network that is defined as a space for reflection and debate that, in addition, invites the educational community to generate new ideas in a collaborative way, as well as to put them into practice. In parallel, they offer workshops, talks, seminars, or training aimed at parents, students, educators, organizations …
Todoele Community
Focused on teachers of Spanish as a second and foreign language. It tries to offer a space for meeting, collaboration and dialogue. In short, a place to exchange ideas and points of view.
Other Education
It is defined as a safe virtual school, with a social network structure for Primary and Secondary teachers and students. It also offers different educational tools, including a comic generator. You have to register, but it’s free.
Network Students
It is a training platform that puts teachers and students in contact. So that the teacher can teach online courses and support their face-to-face classes. It can also be installed in a teaching center and have virtual classrooms, online exams, edublogs, chats … It has free and paid services.
Schoology
It is a platform, aimed at teachers and students, allows discussion forums, bulletin boards, grade books, rewards, and a tool to carry out evaluation questionnaires. Furthermore, it is possible to create courses with a multitude of interactivity possibilities.