Ning

= Communication Tool: Ning = Group Members: Abram, Tony, and Grant


 * A glance at Ning**



What is Ning?

 * Ning is an online platform for people to create their own social networks. Ning offers an easy-to-use service that allows people to join and create Ning Networks. With more than 1.9 million Ning Networks created and 40 million registered users, millions of people every day are coming together across Ning to explore and express their interests, discover new passions, and meet new people around shared pursuits. By creating a network on Ning users can sign up, participate in forums, post videos, share audio, post blogs, schedule events, and much more. Almost everything you need on a social network and it can be completely free. Because it is free it has a great advantage for teachers to create their own networks with students.

//What is it that makes Ning great?//

 * ====Ning allows teachers to create a social network in which students can communicate easily with one another. A teacher would be able to make Ning private, which means that only the students invited could participate. This feature ensures that NIng will be safe and free of unnecessary outside information.====
 * ====Ning allows to have content for any topic or need. What is also great about it is that it is filtered to weed out any inappropriate content, pictures, videos, and more.====

//What are the problems/limitations with Ning?//

 * ====One Limitation that is very frustrating to work with is the lack of a search button. There is no way for a member to search for a group that they would like to be involved in.====
 * ====For some groups you have to be invited this feature of Ning can be exclusive to some people.====
 * ====Ning has the power to make a creator give up part of their site.====
 * ====There may be additional fees====
 * ====In general, Ning is an extremely good tool to use. The only problems or limitations are listed above.====

What can Ning be used for in science or in a project?

 * ====Students on our Ning will be discussing the importance, advantages, and disadvantages of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Students will use resources given by the teacher to research the different types of energy sources (Coal, wind, solar etc.). After adequate research has been done, the teacher will be able to have the students chat about what they have found, create individual blog posts, or use forums for a more structured discussion of the topic.====

Find a tutorial video on YouTube
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//What is helpful about this tutorial?//

 * ====This tutorial is very helpful for new beginners at Ning. It shows all of the possibilities that Ning has to offer. The narrator walks you through the steps of getting signed up, searching for new groups that you can join, writing discussions on those groups, and creating your own group. This tutorial allows people to better understand the purpose and the uses of Ning.====

Useful Resources About Ning
[|http://about.ning.com/product/index.php] This website is Ning's own. It is a resource that describes all of tools that Ning can be used for.

[] This link shows how Ning works. It shows how it works behind the curtains. It shows the pros and cons to using Ning and some of the difficulties with Ning. It also applies Ning to an educational setting which is very helpful.

[] This resource is all about the numbers. It shows how many users are present on Ning, the amount of visitors/ new members per month. There are also some very helpful videos located on this website that were created by the CEO of Ning