Educational Network Provides Free Environment for Course Content

By Dave Nagel, T.H.E. Journal

12/07

ChitChat has launched a new online tool for educators. Dubbed the "Educational Network," the service provides free online hosting for class Web pages and multimedia content and allows educators to share materials with one another.

Educational Network lets teachers create multimedia course content and share it with other teachers or with students via custom class Web sites. It includes free online space, tools for adding course materials and assignments, and grading capabilities, along with the ability to mail grades to students on an assignment by assignment basis.

"Most teachers want to make better use of the Web; whether it's to have their students take online quizzes or blog for class, or to share their course content with other teachers," said ChitChat founder Jack Phelps in a prepared statement. "But there's no simple way to share content, and they find that collecting work, evaluating it, and providing feedback via the Web is difficult if not impossible."

The Educational Network allows teachers to create their own materials and assignments (which can be copied and pasted from existing electronic documents) or to use materials provided by other educators. Those who sign up by Dec. 7 will be entered to win an XO laptop. Further information, including tutorials, can be found at ChitCh.at.