Digital Blog Post #F – Chapter 8

Chapter 8 in the textbook was full of information about communication and collaboration. The first concept in the chapter that caught my eye was Electronic Communication Between Teachers and Student. They list email, text messaging, teacher or classroom websites, blogs, microblogging, online discussions, and wikis as great sources for communication between students and teachers. Each of these sources has its own benefit in keeping communication between students and teachers active and students engaged. As a teacher it is important to pick some of these options and start opening up the communication line. When I become a teacher I think I would defiantly use email, wikis, and text messaging. Emails I can send to not only students but also to parent to give important information or updates. Text messages can also be very useful in the class and out of it. Surveys or group polls in class are only a couple of interactive things that can be done with text messaging in the classroom. Also teachers can send text message reminders to students about important due dates.

The next concept that I wanted to explore further is wikis. Wikis “are websites that teachers and students create and edit together by reading and revising each other’s ideas and comments.”( Maloy, et al, 2013, p.187) One of the websites to go to if you want to start the process is Wikispaces. This website allows a student or teacher to start building a website page for everyone to work on. Having worked on a wikispace recently I think that wikis are a great way for teachers to promote team work and research. It is a tool that I think can work with many grade levels and produce great work. It also allows student to use their creativity to make the page fun to look at and read. Wikis are defiantly something I will be using in the classroom with my future student.

The next concept, collaborative learning environment, ties in with wikis. Collaborative learning environments create an environment where “student work together on different parts of a problem and discover key concepts and information for themselves.” ( Maloy, et al, 2013, p.204) With a wiki teachers can look at what each student is doing and how they are participating in the group. I think a big part of this that is important is that teachers that create a collaborative learning environment are encouraging students to work in a team, think critically, and problem solve. These are all things that I think students need to learn and build on as they grow in their learning journey.

The link below will bring you to a story I created on this subject.

http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb01_54f3661dd08ad

In conclusion, it is important for teachers to use electronic communication inside and outside of the classroom. Using these technologies can allow teachers to communicate things like important deadlines to not only the students but also the parents. It can also allow teachers to create collaborative learning environments for students to build on their team work skills and problem solving skills among other things. Wiki pages can be created to start this learning journey.

Resources:

Kahl, C. (2015, March 1). Collaborative Learning at the Zoo. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb01_54f3661dd08ad

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Wikispaces. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2015, from https://www.wikispaces.com/