Diigo

Diigo is a rather complicated, but useful site for social bookmarking of other websites. I prefer using iGoogle to keep my bookmarks available from any computer I use. However, they are not open to public sharing. For that purpose, Diigo is superior.

Moodle is a alternative option for students if they wish to keep a wiki/sharing page open. From a class moodle page, links can be added & comments can be stored about the web pages.

If a teacher wants yet more control, then his/her school website could also contain a page of links, and that would give the teacher tighter control of which website links were added to a class list. This option would require a lot more input by the teacher though.

I think that as long as Diigo were closely monitored by the teacher, it would be a very useful site during research work in the classroom.

Wikis

Wikis have an advantage over Google Docs in that people my sign up to be members without needing an invitation. So, people interested in a particular subject can congregate and "make new friends" without needing to already be in an "inner circle".

However, with this advantage comes the other side of the knife edge. There is a potential for unwanted posts & changes to be made. Internet "graffiti" can run rampant on wikis whilst being all but nonexistant on "invitation only" Google Docs.

Moderating a wiki takes a higher level of monitering. However, it allows for a greater number of "strangers with common interests" to share and learn.

6 of 1, half a dozen of the other I suppose...

Google Reader

Among a couple of rather nerdy Math readers, I also added the "Official Google Blog" to my list of 5 readers. It's a nice "one stop shop" to keep myself updated on how Google, & Gmail are helping me keep up with the exponentially growing world of technology on the Interwebs.

Google Reader is a nice way to have selected blogs come to my home page. Good stuff!

ITunes U

ITunes U is actually pretty "swanky". I now have a lecture about "modern scientific uses of hyperbolic geometry" on my IPod. That's pretty cool for a high end math nerd such as myself.