Think.com, A Better Option?

I was recently reading MisterTeacher’s Blog and he had mentioned he had stopped using Blogs in his classroom because of the inappropriate pop-up ads that were coming on to the students pages.  His solution was a new site created by Oracle called Think.com.

“Think.com connects schools, teachers, and students from around the world to collaborate on projects, share experiences, and build knowledge together,” as stated on their site.  So I decided to explore a little to find out more about this site.  The most important and beneficial thing from the teacher perspective I found is Think is FREE and password protected to avoid outside forces getting into students pages. 

You do have to complete an application which is reviewed by the Oracle Foundation, but it seems it is just a formality to prevent unwanted users.  Your school needs to be accredited, which most public schools are. 

The site allows students to create webpages, speak with other members from around the world, and really get hands-on experience with educational technology.  You can have a free trial, but again you need to complete an application.  I am in that process now and hope to hear by next week so I can start exploring.

I think the most important thing to learn from MisterTeacher and usable technology is to do your research before initializing such a venture into your classroom.  Technology is great but not perfect, and there are some safety issues that need to be researched, discovered, and avoided if possible.  Remember you need to have your students safety in mind at all times when using technology in your classroom.