BP4_2009102_Educational_Uses_for_Social_Bookmarking

For me, bookmarking has taken on a whole new image! In the past, I created Word documents with hyperlinks that I would organize into folders according to subjects. I'd also need to create an index for myself, so I could remember what was filed. Still, I would experience frustration whenever I tried to locate sites that I had saved. This situation is now (amazingly) remedied for me with the social bookmarking site, De.licio.us. Through the research, I've also learned about another social bookmarking site named Diigo; but, I haven't visited the site at this time of writing.

This type of a research-gathering site is phenomenal. Since using it for the first time this week, I'm already excited for using it in many ways. As I peruse the internet for resources and information, I bookmark sites with tags, that are words that sort the sites into useful categories that work for me. I teach three different classes this school year, am concerned about the political and economic situations for education, and like to include sites that I find that I know will benefit the interest of others (like my son who is researching the development of algae for fuel). Sites are tagged with categorical words like: education, science, ELD, studentdirectedlearning, technology, algaeasfuel, moneyineducation, politics, etc. One particular article that I bookmark and tag could show up in many of the categories. So my sites are sorted usefully for my purposes! Educational uses are certainly one of the ways to use social bookmarking, and the research can back that statement up.

Social bookmarking is much more than just a place online to manage bibliographies, too. The application Diigo (www.diigo.com) is used in classrooms "where students provide notes and documentation when they read online articles" (Hargardon, 2008). Hargardon points out, in order to differentiate instruction, this site application allows students an entry point for research, starting from basic level research topics to the use of higher leveled, more sophisticated skills.

Bull (2005) points to the common problem, "how to locate the right piece of information" on the World Wide Web, and the associated problem of how much time is required to search. This is where the social bookmarking tool del.icio.us is discussed, as well as the image site Flickr. It's the tagging capabilities of these two social bookmarking sites that educators could employ for classroom use. Bull points to examples of students using the bookmarking tools by clicking on the category tag, "Oak" and seeing an array of images and information sites from across the country about the subject.

According to Hanson and Carlson (2005), social bookmarking has the "potential to transform STEM education by providing access to innovative curricula, stimulating applets and simulations, and other hands-on resources" (It's these social bookmarking resources that ) "hold the promise of providing teachers with new ways to engage students" (Hanson & Carlson, 2005). Educators can use these social bookmarking digital libraries to create up-to-date resources on specific topics.

I look forward to adopting the application tools of social bookmarking into my classrooms, too. I think such adoptions for 21st century classrooms are the needed tools to engage today's learners to think and become the needed collaborative problem solvers of today and the future.

© 2009, D. Cowden


Bull, G. (2005). Folk taxonomies. Learning and Leading with Technology, v33, n1, p22- 23. Eugene, Oregon: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Hanson, K. and Carlson, B. (2005). Effective access: teachers' use of digital resources. Newton, MA.: Education Development Center. Retrieved on 10/8/09 from http://www2.edc.org/GDI/publications_SR/EffectiveAccessReport.pdf

Hargardon, S. (2007). A little help from my friends. Retreived on 10/8/09 from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/toc-archive/2007/20071001.html