Social Publishing
(Document Sharing Web 2.0 Tools: Scribd and Docstoc)

Jerry Bates and Jason Siko

Table of Contents

Introduction
Web 2.0 tools simplify online publishing, making it possible for authors to share (publish) their work by uploading the content in a variety of formats (e.g. .doc, .pdf, .ppt, etc.). For viewing purposes, the document can be displayed in a slide format, a page-turning format, or a scrolling format. The sites provide the ability to view these documents without the application (i.e. one does not need a .pdf reader to view a .pdf), although Flash needs to be installed on the browser. Document sharing websites, such as Scribd and Docstoc (described below), offer coding to embed documents into blogs, wikis, and the like. Users can set privacy, copyright, and purchasing rights for the documents they upload. Publishing your documents with one of the web 2.0 tools gives you the added benefit of online document storage, particularly when coupled with privacy features.

Examples of Social Publishing in K12 Setting

• Lesson on Atomic Structure
• Ideas for Integrating Technology
• A student team work product on the solar system
• Using phrasal English verbs
• Haiku lesson plan from Docstoc
• Richard Byrne’s blog cites Docstoc’s journaling forms
  
  • Flowchart
  • Piechart
  • Six square adaptation of KWL chart
    

Popular Services
Both Scribd (http://www.scribd.com) and Docstoc (http://www.docstoc.com) are free services, with simple sign up procedures. By default, documents are public, so it pays to carefully consider a distribution plan.

• Scribd

• uses iPaper (http://www.scribd.com/ipaper) as the online reader for uploaded products. (The same reader is used by Posterous.)
• permits readers to download the document in its native format (unless the author edits that feature out of the code.)
• permits reader comments

• Docstoc

• YouTube : founder Jason Nazar describes Docstoc
• notice how to use Categories list to start a search, then enter a search phrase (e.g., “lesson plans”) in the Search box.
• See the find “related docs” and “other docs by this user” once you’ve located a document.

Getting Started

• Docstoc Tutorial

• Scribd Tutorial

Uses of social publishing in the K12 setting

• With an emphasis on professional presentation, these publishing tools are naturals for showcasing students’ best work. Using a blog for portfolio reflections, students can then embed links to the finished products housed on one of the publishing sites. Consider publishing the student-generated products from project-based learning experiences.
• Teachers may utilize the online platform as a repository for the instructional materials they create for use by students (e,g, course expectations, assessment rubrics, how-to guides).
• Since this type of tool is preeminently a publication host, teachers and students alike ought to be able to access both content material and pedagogical instructional aids.
• Instead of sending printed weekly newsletters home in Kindergartners’ backpacks, consider posting them with one of the social publishing tools.
• Instructional support personnel may find these tools very useful as a way to push professional development resources, either for first-time delivery or references after the fact.
• Although they may be so used, these tools may not be the best choice for developmental versions of student products.

Considerations

• Authorship, ownership, and copyright/Creative Commons licensing are all important issues with online/social publishing.
• Durability and viability. Scribd was launched in 2007 (http://www.scribd.com/about), as was Docstoc (http://www.docstoc.com/about/). Both startups are backed by venture funds. Authors are advised to always have an offline version of their work.
• In the K12 environment, educators need to protect children’s privacy and identity.

Additional Resources:

• Thinking about using Scribd for textbook evaluation?
• Using Scribd in the Classroom (pamphlet from Purdue)

Last Updated: July 27, 2009