Produsage Pride

One of my favorite activities in this class was creating the produsage projects. When I first read the syllabus, I thought that the assignment had to have a typo because I had never heard the word before. I searched on Google to get a fuzzy understanding, but was still unsure at the beginning.
The actual creating of the produsage was challenging and actually fun. I had an idea, a goal in mind and I chose a “tool” or a Web 2.0 technology to accomplish the goal. As I worked, I got stuck a couple of times wanting to do something and not knowing how. It was a great accomplishment when I figured it out through the help sites, playing with options and asking classmates and friends for help.
My second produsage is a social network (I built a social network?!?) on Ning called Step-Up. This came from a committee that we started at my school last school year. We wanted to focus on sustainability and encourage our school community to be more environmentally aware and make sustainable choices. We had great ideas for events and projects, but our time and energy was limited. We didn’t have an easy way to get other people involved and disseminate information.
The goal of this network is to do just that: get people involved and informed. The projects will give ideas for sustainable change and provide a community of support. We are preparing for an Eco Expo in the spring. Students and families will share the results of the various projects and celebrate success.
My next step is to make a plan with the existing committee members on how we can use this network. Will we start with families or will we introduce it in our classrooms? Will we invite key people that will then help market the site? How else will we manage the network to increase participation and effectiveness?
Please check out Step-Up. It will be open until school starts then go private when the students begin using it.