Communication Tools
Beyond the walls
Educators are using web-based communication tools to bring ‘experts’ into the classroom, to collaborate with other classrooms across the globe, for showcasing address the learning styles of their digital-age students, as well as using research-based ‘best practices’ (marzanoresearch.com). This "Thing" will demonstrate some of the digital tools available to improve communication today.
Pre-Assess your skills for this "Thing"
Communicating in the 21st Century
In Howard Gardner’s book on multiple intelligence theory (Frames Of Mind, 1983), his work with Jerome Bruner in the 1960’s, and work on Project Zero has impacted educators and learning theories. Watch this video of him talking about education and his theories on YouTube. The availability of communicating (and learning) through the Internet has brought phenomenal resources into the lives of anyone connected to it.
The exciting result is that collaborating, communicating, and learning is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24x7) around the world. Educators and classrooms can reach beyond physical boundaries to communicate and share through the use of a variety of FREE tools. These generally fall into two categories, asynchronous (does not need to be communicating at the same moment in time), and synchronous (live, at the same time, at a distance):
The exciting result is that collaborating, communicating, and learning is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24x7) around the world. Educators and classrooms can reach beyond physical boundaries to communicate and share through the use of a variety of FREE tools. These generally fall into two categories, asynchronous (does not need to be communicating at the same moment in time), and synchronous (live, at the same time, at a distance):
Asynchronous:
Synchronous
- Blogging (eblogger, bloglines…) – see Face of Your classroom
- email (Gmail, Yahoo!Mail), Listservs, Text Messaging (SMS)
- IM - Instant Messaging (Google Talk, AIM by AOL and Microsoft IM, Meebo)
- Podcasts or Vodcasts – see Online Audio/Video and Screencasting
- Presentation tools (VoiceThread, PhotoPeach, Prezi, Slideshare) – see Presentation tools
- Social networking applications (Facebook and Twitter) – see Professional Learning Networks
- Tubes (YouTube, Schooltube, TeacherTube, iTunes, podcasts) – see Online Video Resources
- Web sites (Weebly, Google sites) – see Face of Your Classroom and Staying Informed
Synchronous
- Chat (IRC – Internet Relay Chat, Backchannel, TinyChat, Chatzy)
- Web-conferencing tools for synchronous communication (Adobe Connect, Dimdim, Webex, Vyew) – see Virtual Classrooms
- Video and voice over the Internet (VOIP) applications such as (Skype, Google Talk, oovoo, and Tokbox).
Aligned to NETS-T: 1.b, 1.d, 2.a, 2.b, 2.c, 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 3.d, 4.b, 4.d, 5.a, 5.c
Connections to Marzano Strategies: Effort and Recognition, Feedback, Note Taking, Student Discussion/Chunking, and Summarizing
BackChannel chat
What is backchannel chat? Imagine sitting in a lecture and being able to chat on your computer with the others also listening to the lecture, to have conversations around what the speaker is talking about. BackChannel lets you network in real-time with others online. It’s like chatting “behind the scenes.”
How is it relevant to education?
Explore 10 reasons why you should try it. It provides an opportunity for a running conversation, to explore ideas and concepts with others in a quiet manner. It keeps you engaged and you get to read what others are thinking. Imagine teaching a lesson, and a student doesn’t understand something you have just said. They could put that in a chat and have another student explain it – all without interrupting you. Imagine how effective note-taking could become if students divided up or took different viewpoints and wrote them in the backchat. Visit the Chatzy, tinychat, or TypeWith.me to try this out. There is no software installation needed, and these are FREE, and easy to use.
How is it relevant to education?
Explore 10 reasons why you should try it. It provides an opportunity for a running conversation, to explore ideas and concepts with others in a quiet manner. It keeps you engaged and you get to read what others are thinking. Imagine teaching a lesson, and a student doesn’t understand something you have just said. They could put that in a chat and have another student explain it – all without interrupting you. Imagine how effective note-taking could become if students divided up or took different viewpoints and wrote them in the backchat. Visit the Chatzy, tinychat, or TypeWith.me to try this out. There is no software installation needed, and these are FREE, and easy to use.
Skype TM
Skype is an online service which uses VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). Teachers have been using it in their classrooms since 2006, (watch this Cool Cat Tips for Skype in the Classroom video) to bring in 'experts' to talk with their classrooms. An example is a teacher that contacted the author of a book the class was reading, and was able to have the students talk over the computer connection, with video, so they could see her, and use the classroom webcam so that they could be seen as well. They had prepared questions in advance, and were able to have an exciting discussion. There are wonderful ways to use it for videoconferencing, connecting and communicating with other classrooms (such as projects with ePals or Flat Classrooms) and "50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom." This site has one entire section devoted to linked resources for finding other classrooms, authors, schools, and language learners looking for partner schools. If you need further examples, check out this blog from EdTechideas.
PLEASE NOTE: The video does not explain that you must DOWNLOAD SKYPE. SKYPE must be downloaded to your machine in order to use it.
What equipment do I need?
1. A PC or Mac computer with speakers and a microphone
2. An Internet Connection - high speed is best
3. A webcam (optional, but needed if you want to have video with your calls)
Visit the Skype Page and watch the video on how to make a FREE Skype call. It will get you started in 60 seconds.
PLEASE NOTE: The video does not explain that you must DOWNLOAD SKYPE. SKYPE must be downloaded to your machine in order to use it.
What equipment do I need?
1. A PC or Mac computer with speakers and a microphone
2. An Internet Connection - high speed is best
3. A webcam (optional, but needed if you want to have video with your calls)
Visit the Skype Page and watch the video on how to make a FREE Skype call. It will get you started in 60 seconds.
21things Hands-On Activity and Assignment:
CHOOSE ONE (Select either Assignment 1 or 2):
1. Before beginning this "Thing", complete thePreassessment of your technology proficiency.
2. Skype Assignment:
3. BackChannel Chat:
2. Skype Assignment:
- Watch the Skype tutorial, then download Skype and create a userid. Check with your school tech department to find out if access is blocked in your district. You may need to do this assignment on your home computer.
- Once you have installed it and created your username, (you do not need to sign up for a paid account), send a message via Skype to your instructor.
- Use Skype to call and talk with a friend or family member.
- Optional Fun – you can set up a group chat in Skype.
- Write a reflection in your portfolio about how (if you have classroom access) this could be used in your content area to bring in ‘experts’ to talk with your class.
- *Take a screenshot of one of your Skype connections, and also include your Skype username for the portfolio.
3. BackChannel Chat:
- Participate in a live backchannel chat session. Suggestions: you can attend the virtual “21things” session for this activity, the instructors will post a link to use; participate in a note-taking session with other educators at a conference; hold one with your classroom participating; hold one during a staff meeting, or your own creative use.
- Be sure to take a screenshot of your participation and paste into your portfolio.
- After participating, write a reflection about how this could be used in an educational setting, such as staff meetings, the classroom, or conferences. Are there some directions or ground rules you think would be needed to make this beneficial? How might this be used with your students as an ‘effective’ teaching strategy?
Post-Assess your skills for this "Thing"
After completing all of the activities for this "Thing", take the Post-Self Assessment of your technology proficiency for this "Thing". (This is part of your hands-on activity/assignment).
Additional Resources:
Check out these additional Communication resources.
1. Google Talk - Chat within Gmail, iGoogle or with orkut.
2. ooVoo - FREE 2-way video chat. You can add up to 6 participants with a paid account, record it, and use audio and/or voice from your desktop.
3. Tokbox is a FREE video chat service. You can have up to 20 participants in a call.
4. Article on Five Platforms for Classroom Back Channel Chatting
2. ooVoo - FREE 2-way video chat. You can add up to 6 participants with a paid account, record it, and use audio and/or voice from your desktop.
3. Tokbox is a FREE video chat service. You can have up to 20 participants in a call.
4. Article on Five Platforms for Classroom Back Channel Chatting
21 Things for 21st Century Educators by CCRESA, IISD, MISD, SRESD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at 21things.weebly.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://21things4teachers.net/.
Page updated August 18, 2011
