Social Bookmarking is an interesting concept. I appreciate the ability to find my favorite bookmarks on any computer. How long have we been waiting for that to happen?! I also like the idea that we can share out book marks with others. My dad and should create an account so we don't have to send so many emails to each other with "check this out" and a URL attached.
Tagging was somewhat daunting until I realized it didn't really MATTER what I decided to tag my sites with. It's what I need to get me back to that page and not what is "socially acceptable" or "correct." Like some of our other librarians have said, tagging offers an opportunity to teach our students how to categorize what they read and use keywords, synonyms, etc. It's a great learning tool.
Of the three sites we investigated (del.icio.us, Furl, Ma.gnolia), I have an account with del.icio.us because I would be able to network better within that site with other librarians. I also liked the fact that it is simple and clean. Ma.gnolia is the most aesthetically pleasing site and I might find myself using it at some point in the future. The difference with Furl, that I'm really drawn to, is the ability to highlight and save a portion of the text from the site you are bookmarking.
No matter which site you choose, the possibilities abound for school use. The ability to have sites at hand for students to use in research is fantastic and much easier to create than having to go through the longer processes we've used in the past with other sites. Social bookmarking will also allow students to find and share sites they think appropriate to what is being taught in the classroom. It gives them ownership of the learning process.
If you haven't realized it, you need to check the home pages of these sites often because they post "sites to watch" and other noteworthy sites for the day. One such site I found was BookMooch, a site where you can "mooch" books off of other people around the world.
The only frustration I have come up against so far is knowing the identity of my fellow "bookmarkers" so I can add them to my network.
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