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    What is Ecto?

    Ecto is a collaborative personal learning environment that transforms the wired classroom into an interactive, collaborative, and student-centered classroom — the very definition of a modern learning environment. Any member of Ecto (students, teachers, publishers) can create and share content. Ecto gives you the power to connect classrooms across the hall, across town and across the globe.

    This short video presents an overview of some of the features of EctoLearning as well as some examples of how teachers and students are using Ecto to improve learning.

  • I am a student, what can I do with Ecto?
    One of the great things about Ecto is that you have an active role in your own learning experience. You can create, collaborate and share with video, graphic, and text tools that you already use.
  • I am a teacher, tell me about Ecto.
    Ecto helps you ease the move towards collaborative, constructivist-based teaching methods. Ecto also lets you learn from other teachers and share methods and content that works for you.
  • I am an administrator, tell me one thing about Ecto that will blow me away.
    You want to give the kids in your school a truly global learning experience? With Ecto your 7th grade class can do a joint project with a 7th grade class in China. (This is actually already happening, and oh, we have a 5th grade class in the US doing a joint project with 5th graders in India.) How do you like them apples?
  • I am a parent, can I use Ecto?
    With Ecto you can see what your child is learning, what they need to work on, and what is coming up next week. All this information and you don’t even have to call or e-mail the teacher. And while you are at it, you can use Ecto to study whatever you want to learn. Just search the library to see if there are any courses that you are interested in. If you find one, simply join it. If not, you can easily build one.
  • What do you mean it's free?
    It is pretty simple actually. When you create your Ecto account, you sign up for a free account. Period. You can use the free account as long as you want. Really! No "trial periods" that run out -- and we don't collect any payment information. It is free, really! Everything is in full working order with your free account.
  • Why would you do that?
    We do this because we want you to see if Ecto is a useful tool for you to teach and learn. If you find that Ecto makes teaching and learning more efficient and fun then that is great. That is all. If we can help kids learn, we think we have done something worth while.
  • What about privacy?
    We do not mess with your stuff - your stuff is your stuff. Period. We don't sell, barter or share your contact information. Period. Please refer to our privacy policy for additional details.
  • Do I need to install anything?
    You don't need to download, install, or configure anything. All you need is a web browser and an internet connection and you can be up and running in seconds. Just create an account and you have access to a truly modern learning environment.
  • What web browsers can we use?
    Ecto is a modern learning tool so it requires a modern web browser to work properly. If you have Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Safari, or Firefox you will be fine. Other browsers may work, but they are not supported by Ecto.
  • Is Ecto secure?
    We take the trust you place in us with regards to your data security very seriously. We do what we can to protect your content and information. Our servers are housed in what is called a "Tier 1" hosting facility with state-of-the-art physical as well as virtual security. All areas of Ecto are password protected and we will not sell, barter or share your information or any of the content that you enter. No one will be able to access your data unless you give them permission. Though we do everything that you can reasonably expect us to do to protect your data, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee 100% security. Be careful with how you share and treat your links, passwords, and user accounts.
  • Can we install Ecto on our own server?
    Nope! Ecto is only available as a hosted service. That way we can assure the quality of your learning experience and keep our costs down and your prices low. Besides, if you install Ecto on your server then the whole concept of networking with people outside of your school or organization goes out the window. The real power of Ecto is uncovered the first time you contribute to the teaching of a kid in India and you learn something new from a teacher in China.

  • Who created Ecto?
    Ecto is brought to you by a small group of educators and developers. We’re fascinated by the incredible social, collaborative, and learning power of the internet. So, why can’t students and teachers work with learning content any way they want? That’s where we come in. We created Ecto so you can collaborate, create, edit, track and share content with virtually limitless flexibility.

    We’re all teachers and students at various times throughout our lives. We’ve all had different learning challenges in both roles. By giving teachers and students the tools to implement social constructivist learning we think learners of all kinds can take a more direct and active path to knowledge. We’re passionate about leveraging the best internet technologies to improve sharing and learning.

©2006 Ecto, LLC 2005-2006