EDOL 533: Week 5 - Cummunication Tools...

Question #1:

     Have you ever used online communication tools in the classroom before?  If so, detail your experiences.  If not, what has prevented you from using online communication tools?

Answer:

     I have used some of the online communication tools discussed for this week, and the one that i like the least is the use of "email" as a communication tool. I know that probably sounds crazy to most of you, considering that it is one of the primary forms of communication used in today's never ending exchange of information, but i assure you that there is at least a touch of sanity to my reasoning. As I have found in both the teaching, and the business world, the problem with emails is that the "tone" of the message can be very easily misconstrued. Because the reader is only getting a visual on the words being communicated by the author, and is unable to hear the influx or tone of the authors voice, it is very easy for the reader to misunderstand or misconstrue the authors message, or the proper emotion by which the message was sent. For instance, I have sent emails to parents before, informing them of their child's progress in class, and the parents often think that the child is in trouble, or that I am upset with the student, even if I am communicating that the child is doing well, or getting a good grade. I have always found that a personal "hand-written" note sent home with the child always seems to come off much softer with the parent or guardian. The access to "emoticons" has made a tremendous change in benefiting the use of email, and helping the reader to understand our message, but I still prefer other avenues. How about you guys?

Question #2

2. Identify one online communication tool you can use in the classroom and discuss how you will prepare your students for using this communication tool. 

     I really like the idea of using blogs within an ongoing lesson plan, much like we are doing for this class here. I think it gives the student a wonderful sense of "ownership" in learning and communicating their understanding of the material being presented. I love the fact that it gives other readers the opportunity to respond to their posts, and to collaborate with their classmates in regard to specific instruction provided by the educator. 

     Blogging also allows the student the opportunity to place "still" graphics, video, charts, etc. into the blog itself, further allowing them to communicate their understanding of the lesson material. This form of online communication allows all the parties involved to access the information needed, wherever their is access to the internet, which means they can work at school, at home, in the local Starbucks, etc.

     One of the cool things I really like about the opportunity to use blogs in the classroom is that they can be fully customized to fit the students personality, and allow them to be as creative as they choose in regard to how they facilitate their blog. This provides a fun and exciting way to learn and to communicate, and gives the student a welcomed change from the daily "Please turn you text to page 176 and read through page 182 and then fill out the worksheet" mentality that has deadened our classrooms, numbed our kids out in regard to any change of learning being exciting.