Obami & Barbara Mallinson. Social networking & e-learning

También hay emprendedoras... aunque no lo parezca ;-) .. en este caso Obami es una red social ... que nos la definen así, en su propia web:

Obami is a social networking site that’s been developed as an e-learning, collaboration and communication platform for use within and between both primary and secondary schools.

Obami is offered free to schools so that all educators, learners and their families can benefit from the supportive role that social media plays. The community is also accessible via its mobile platform (www.obami.mobi), providing wider access to all things school related.

Obami will enable your school to…

• Build online communities that mirror real life school groups (e.g. a prefect body, a class, a sports team or a cultural club)
• Reach the entire school audience or filter information to the individual and encourage his/her participation
• Distribute school newsletters and notices, and enable your school community to provide valuable feedback
• Upload study notes, class handouts and helpful information
• Assign, submit and mark homework, tests and projects
• Share school events, term dates, exam timetables and sports fixtures
• Upload photos and videos from the school play, the science experiment, or the swimming gala
• Support correspondence and collaboration between, and amongst, classmates, teachers, and parents

Obami knows the importance of online safety, and has made every effort to minimise the threat of online predators, cyber bullying and harassment...
Because it’s a “walled garden”, whereby only registered schools are able to join the community, the Obami environment is safe for kids to interact with each other, and the adults in their lives.

Obami carries out random content moderation, reporting inappropriate and offensive material to the school administrator. An extensive profanity filter has been put in place to prevent hateful messages and malicious content from being sent and shared on the platform.

The Obami Team also collaborates with schools to help educate, prevent and deal appropriately with offensive behaviour.

Mallinson has since brought Obami back to South Africa to try and make a difference in the country she’s always called home. Memeburn.com caught up with her to talk online education and where it is all going.

Memeburn: What are the major trends you are seeing in your industry?
BM: With Mxit and Facebook making up a huge percentage of South Africa’s online audience, I think educators are really starting to get how beneficial social media could be, if applied to the classroom. And with the rise of cheaper broadband connecting more schools, and content being accessible through a much wider range of devices, it looks like e-learning in South Africa is on the cusp of something wonderful.

MB: What will the industry look like in 10 year’s time?
BM: It’s easy to picture the virtual 3D classroom of the future, but the biggest shift will occur when our education model, which has been the same for the past 150 years, changes from standardised schooling to personalised learning.

I imagine students will be using social media tools to gain accreditation based on their natural talents and interests, rather than regurgitating a set curriculum. And then, 15 years after that, we’ll start seeing a world filled with business leaders, artists, biochemists and engineers that have been in training since birth.
This isn’t to say that schools will become redundant; they serve an important developmental role, but with online resources becoming more readily available and more engaging, geographic location will no longer be a limitation.

MB: Which new technologies most excite you?
MB: Anything that makes life better for a group of people — i.e. green technologies, simpler online payments, etc (leer más...)

Fuente: [Memeburn]