Communication

I feel that communication and collaboration differ in that the purpose of each is different. When people are communicating they are sharing information they have with others. This can be done for a variety of reasons, but this information is something the person already possesses and wants others to be aware of. Collaboration on the other hand involves people working together towards a common goal. This process involves each person bringing their own set of information to a given situation and through communication sharing that information with the others in an attempt to accomplish something. Whether it is students collaborating on a project, or teachers collaborating on how to improve their practice, the work among people has a desired outcome. Communication and collaboration are different, but they do go hand in hand. Collaboration is not possible without communication. Virtually all of the technology we have examined can help meet the objective outline in this section. Things such as the Slide and Wordle and the other technology help students "interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.” And “contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.” Perhaps one of the best tools is the wiki. Students can work collaboratively on a project through the wiki. By giving each student the ability to edit the page they can all work together to complete a given project. This ability to communicate and collaborate through the wiki allows students to reach the final objective of “contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.”
 * **How is communication different from collaboration?**
 * **How can the technologies we have used so far meet the communication and collaboration objects as outlined above?**
 * **How can a wiki be used as a tool for online collaboration**

Blogger Website

How can a blog be used by your students?

I think students can use blogs in a variety of different ways. Blogs provide a forum for students to display what they have learned and what they are currently exploring. I think the blog would work well with some long term group projects. If students are working together on a project they can communicate and collaborate through the blog. They can post what they have completed and what they are working on. Blogs provide an opportunity for other members of the group to comment and make suggestions. This open line of communication that can be accessed from in and out of the classroom could be very helpful.

What strengths and weaknesses does blogging have as an effective method of online communication?

Some of the strengths I see is the ability to have all students lend a voice to what they are working on. Each person can display their knowledge and contribute to a whole class discussion. A possible weakness is the fact that the blog would need to be very closely monitored by the teacher.We would need to make sure that everyone was actually contributing and that what was being contributed was appropriate.

Pirate Pad I think this tool can be used in a variety of different ways. Holding a class discussion on a given topic using Pirate Pad would allow all student to contribute at their own pace. Teachers could pose question, display an image or video, or present a quote and have the students respond.

The strengths I see are that all students would be able to contribute even if they are uncomfortable speaking in front of the class. I also like the fact that students can take time to think about their responses before the offer them. This is important for many students who need more time to process information. Perhaps on of the weaknesses is that some students that are unsure of how to respond are forced to do so in front of all of their classmates. This may lead to some uncomfortable situations. However, like all other classroom situations, the teacher can monitor the discussion and help struggling students respond appropriately.