This module was all focused around the communication tools the Internet provides for us and how we can incorporate these tools into our classrooms. There are two different types of communication: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous communication is completely dependent on time. In order for the communication to occur, all parties must be online at the exact same time. Examples of synchronous communication tools include Face time and Skype. Asynchronous communication is not time specific; in fact it can happen anywhere, anytime so long as there is an Internet connection. Examples of asynchronous communication are blogging an email.
Email has become a very important tool in our society, especially within the last 15 years. Companies rely on asynchronous communication tools such as email in order to run smoothly. Many corporate companies in downtown Calgary have head offices in other continents and require employees on the other side of the world to email one another throughout their respective workdays.
Due to the fact that email is such an important aspect of communication I will undoubtedly use it in my classroom. I hope to teach elementary therefore, within an elementary classroom email can be used for easy contact with parents/guardians. At the beginning of the school year I would ask parents what their preferred method of contact was and email would be on the list to choose form. In my PSII placement email was the way my TA kept in contact with half of his parents. If I was working with upper elementary email could be used for students to contact other peers or even the teacher. Grade 4 or 5 may be a good grade to introduce students to this type of communication and teach them aspects of Netiquette thereby promoting digital citizenship.
Other ideas for using/introducing email in an elementary classroom are:
· Have each students set up an email account, compile a class list and have each students sent out a “warm and fuzzies” e-mail to each classmate (Althauser, 2009).
· Have students send a ‘class email’ to another class in the school. Students can compose an email as a class and receive responses back as a class. This idea also lends itself to having a “theme of the week” that both classes would discuss with one another through email (Burkhart & Kelly, 2000).
· The whole class works together to compose an inquiry based email to an ‘expert’ in a particular area (Burkhart & Kelly, 2000).
Using email to connect with people in other places of the world (epals) has obvious connections to the Social Studies curriculum. This type of activity can also be cross-curricular with the integration of the ELA curriculum. Furthermore, science curriculum can be introduced if students are connecting with ‘experts’ in a field or even other students who live in a different climate (temperature), etc.
As Kathleen Morris points out in her article Integrating Blogging into the Curriculum (2011), it is possible to have an elementary classroom where an asynchronous communication tool such as blogging is as much a part of classroom routine as attendance or calendar. Teachers must be conscious of the way they set of blogging in the classroom. For little elementary aged students I would recommend giving them a new topic (something simple) to blog about everyday. This way they don’t waste too much time trying to think of one and the students who become overwhelmed easily can approach blogging with a little more ease. Furthermore, the teacher must approach it with the right attitude and be comfortable and excited about blogging. Students pick up on the level of excitement displayed by teachers therefore; the more excited we can be the better!
Morris also discusses the importance of having students make meaningful blog comments on one another’s blogs in her article Quality Blogging and Commenting Meme (2011). Morris gives her students clear expectations about what a “good” blog comment may look like. For example, she uses a poster for her students to refer that reminds them to “write your comment like a letter, by always including a greeting, content, and a closing” (2011). She also has students “compliment the writer in one specific way”. By having a poster with our blogging/commenting expectations on it sets students up for success because they know exactly what we expect of them.
References:
Althauser, S. 2009, Touching the Future: Using iPod Touch Devices in Elementary Classrooms, Retrieved from,
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/icebergs-and-glaciers/touching-the-future-using-ipod-touch-devices-in-elementary-classrooms
Burkhart, L., Kelly, B. (2000). Instructional Uses of the Internet for Elementary Age Students. Retrieved from, http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/internet.htm
Morris, K. (2011). Integrating Blogging into the Curriculum. Retrieved from, http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/06/06/integrating-blogging-into-the-curriculum/
Morris, K. (2011). Quality Blogging and Commenting Meme. Retrieved from, http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/12/27/quality-blogging-and-commenting-meme/
Figure 1, Retrieved from www.istockphoto.com
Significant Comments:
http://kayleemelhoff.weebly.com/3/post/2013/07/communication-in-education.html#comments
http://joshmoralesjournal.weebly.com/1/post/2013/07/communication-i-21st-century-learner-email-blogs.html#comments
Email has become a very important tool in our society, especially within the last 15 years. Companies rely on asynchronous communication tools such as email in order to run smoothly. Many corporate companies in downtown Calgary have head offices in other continents and require employees on the other side of the world to email one another throughout their respective workdays.
Due to the fact that email is such an important aspect of communication I will undoubtedly use it in my classroom. I hope to teach elementary therefore, within an elementary classroom email can be used for easy contact with parents/guardians. At the beginning of the school year I would ask parents what their preferred method of contact was and email would be on the list to choose form. In my PSII placement email was the way my TA kept in contact with half of his parents. If I was working with upper elementary email could be used for students to contact other peers or even the teacher. Grade 4 or 5 may be a good grade to introduce students to this type of communication and teach them aspects of Netiquette thereby promoting digital citizenship.
Other ideas for using/introducing email in an elementary classroom are:
· Have each students set up an email account, compile a class list and have each students sent out a “warm and fuzzies” e-mail to each classmate (Althauser, 2009).
· Have students send a ‘class email’ to another class in the school. Students can compose an email as a class and receive responses back as a class. This idea also lends itself to having a “theme of the week” that both classes would discuss with one another through email (Burkhart & Kelly, 2000).
· The whole class works together to compose an inquiry based email to an ‘expert’ in a particular area (Burkhart & Kelly, 2000).
Using email to connect with people in other places of the world (epals) has obvious connections to the Social Studies curriculum. This type of activity can also be cross-curricular with the integration of the ELA curriculum. Furthermore, science curriculum can be introduced if students are connecting with ‘experts’ in a field or even other students who live in a different climate (temperature), etc.
As Kathleen Morris points out in her article Integrating Blogging into the Curriculum (2011), it is possible to have an elementary classroom where an asynchronous communication tool such as blogging is as much a part of classroom routine as attendance or calendar. Teachers must be conscious of the way they set of blogging in the classroom. For little elementary aged students I would recommend giving them a new topic (something simple) to blog about everyday. This way they don’t waste too much time trying to think of one and the students who become overwhelmed easily can approach blogging with a little more ease. Furthermore, the teacher must approach it with the right attitude and be comfortable and excited about blogging. Students pick up on the level of excitement displayed by teachers therefore; the more excited we can be the better!
Morris also discusses the importance of having students make meaningful blog comments on one another’s blogs in her article Quality Blogging and Commenting Meme (2011). Morris gives her students clear expectations about what a “good” blog comment may look like. For example, she uses a poster for her students to refer that reminds them to “write your comment like a letter, by always including a greeting, content, and a closing” (2011). She also has students “compliment the writer in one specific way”. By having a poster with our blogging/commenting expectations on it sets students up for success because they know exactly what we expect of them.
References:
Althauser, S. 2009, Touching the Future: Using iPod Touch Devices in Elementary Classrooms, Retrieved from,
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/icebergs-and-glaciers/touching-the-future-using-ipod-touch-devices-in-elementary-classrooms
Burkhart, L., Kelly, B. (2000). Instructional Uses of the Internet for Elementary Age Students. Retrieved from, http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/internet.htm
Morris, K. (2011). Integrating Blogging into the Curriculum. Retrieved from, http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/06/06/integrating-blogging-into-the-curriculum/
Morris, K. (2011). Quality Blogging and Commenting Meme. Retrieved from, http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/12/27/quality-blogging-and-commenting-meme/
Figure 1, Retrieved from www.istockphoto.com
Significant Comments:
http://kayleemelhoff.weebly.com/3/post/2013/07/communication-in-education.html#comments
http://joshmoralesjournal.weebly.com/1/post/2013/07/communication-i-21st-century-learner-email-blogs.html#comments
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