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ISTE Member Networking Opportunities

In addition to the resources and professional development opportunities included in membership, ISTE is experimenting with a variety of social and professional networking programs. We've heard from you that you would like more opportunities for connecting with peers, learning from fellow members, and building a professional network of contacts. If you're already in one of the networks listed below, please add ISTE as your friend or join the ISTE group. If you're not already involved with one of these social networking sites, consider joining one—it's a great opportunity to connect with peers from around the world.

How do you feel about these tools? Love them? Hate them? Send us an e-mail letting us know.

Second Life^TM

Second Life^TM, a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE), is more than just a networking platform, but networking is one of ISTE's major uses of this emerging technology. We host weekly networking socials for educators, sponsor an "in world" group, and provide numerous opportunities for ISTE members to interact and collaborate.

To join ISTE's group, do a group search (from within Second Life) for "ISTE: Educational Technology Assoc" and select "join". It's that easy! Joining the group means you'll receive important notices and invitations to group events.

Learn more about ISTE's Second Life Project or stop by ISTE's Second Life headquarters.

Special Interest Groups

Expand the "I" in ISTE membership by joining an ISTE Special Interest Group. SIG membership offers a great way to increase your knowledge base and connect with international colleagues who are focused on a particular aspect of the dynamic field of educational technology. Membership in an ISTE SIG is also an investment in career development, providing:

• Knowledge-sharing listserves that extend your learning community across time and place;
• Online and print venues for sharing research, expertise, and best practices;
• Face-to-face meetings and conferences with materials focused on enhancing your professional skills;
• Awards and recognition for outstanding contributions to the field; and
• Special leadership opportunities at NECC and within ISTE governance.

Now membership in all of ISTE's SIGs is free with a Standard Membership! To learn more or to add a SIG to your membership, visit www.iste.org/sigs.

MySpace^TM

MySpace^TM, a popular social networking site used by millions worldwide, allows users to create profiles, add friends, publish a blog and news bulletins, upload images, videos, and other streaming content, and customize the look and feel of individual pages. Interestingly, recent demographic studies show that MySpace is most popular among users over 35 years of age.

To "friend" ISTE, please visit http://www.myspace.com/iste_org and select "add to friends."

Facebook^TM

Facebook^TM, another popular social networking site, is similar to MySpace.com, but is arranged slightly differently. Users are given access to other user profiles only if they share overlapping networks or groups. Networks are typically related to college or high school, company, or other affiliation. Recent demographic studies show that Facebook is most popular in the 18–24 year-old age demographic, but is actively gaining in popularity with the over-35 demographic.

To join ISTE's Facebook group, please visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2233200833 and select "join group" from the right side navigation panel. (Note that you'll need to have an account to view this page.)

LinkedIn^TM

LinkedIn^TM is a professional networking site, enabling its users to present information about professional capabilities, find and connect with current and former classmates and work colleagues, and tap into a wider network for job searching and other professional opportunities. Think of it as an interactive résumé/rolodex for the Web 2.0 age. Current numbers estimate more than 9 million users, and the number is rising rapidly.

To join ISTE's LinkedIn group, please visit the signup page. Note that ISTE members are preapproved when using the same e-mail address used for ISTE membership. If you prefer to use an alternate e-mail address, or if you've joined ISTE within the last month, it will take about one business day for you to be approved to join the group.

Wikispaces^TM

Wikispaces^TM is a Web 2.0 tool that allows multiple collaborators edit the same Web site. It features RSS notifications, a discussion tab for each page, and easy-to-use editing tools. Wikispaces also offers free private spaces without any advertisements for K-12 teachers to use in their classrooms (see http://www.wikispaces.com/help+Teachers for more information).

ISTE's Special Interest Groups each have their own spaces on ISTE's own private wikispaces label. Here, SIG officers post up-to-date SIG information, lead discussions, and solicit input from their membership. All SIG members are encouraged to post resources, comment on SIG-related business, and participate in discussions. Visit www.iste.wikispaces.net to view all of ISTE's wikispaces.