Communication_tools

Welcome to our collaborative page focuses on Week 2 Communication Tools You are welcome to contribute to this page... :-) Select the Edit button (see top right just above the white section) and then save... So go for it!

The live session recording from week 2

Quicktopic -
Let's see how this works a question related to Week 2 - I am embedding a quick topic here in the wiki for the first time.. here goes :-) Viv media type="custom" key="7325703" Janine posted a very insightful Quick Topic - Viv recommends you check it out Here I am embedding the RSS feed from the Quicktopic site (There are so many ways to share Quick Topic..) rss url="http://www.quicktopic.com/45/H/idTAsRC6gu2N.rss" link="true" number="5" date="true" author="true" enclosure="true"

Skype
=Twitter= Engaging in twitter related to #23things then please use this tag

WEEK 2 DISCUSSION SUMMARY (Communication Tools)
This week our focus has been on using communication tools in online teaching and training environments. We looked at Skype, Twitter, Facebook and QuickTopic. The first 3– Skype, Facebook, and Twitter – are almost worth whole courses on their own –but many of you took the opportunity to look at all 4 of the tools for the week. Skype generated the most interest, and is already being used by some of you to communicate with online students. Very early in the week Belinda highlighted an issue that several people had to contend with – all the tools under review this week are blocked in her workplace! Vivian suggested trying an alternative to Twitter – a tool called Yammer. Yammer is used a great deal in NSW DET and TAFE SA. Elsewhere on the same issue Michael wrote: //“We have to just keep chipping away at this, and it's the same all over the world. Teachers have to keep making a case as to why such and such site should be open. In a way it's now normal procedure. I don't like it, but it's now so often normal that if you want access to some social media site you have to request special access.”// Stephan posted some useful references to get started: 1) Twitter in plain English: [] 2) Getting Started: [] He also explained that it took two attempts before he understood the value of Twitter,and its importance as a vital link in his ongoing professional development. Sue:” I can see a personal value in linking with others in the industry or of similar interests or for just reading general content ... I have shown students (seniors) in class Twitter and so far the general consensus 'not sure how or why I would use it.' Because it is only a short amount of text it can be used in literacy classes, giving them experience inwriting in a public place. (Michael thinks: Great idea!) Students must be made aware that it is a public domain and their tweet can be seen by everyone.” Sue: “ I have Seniors in the computer classes and many of them whilst they are beginners they do know how to use Skype. I think it is the first thing their children teach them and it is straightforward. I could Skype students who are unable to make a session to get them up to speed and not feel so lost when they get back to class. Also I don't need to be at the workplace to do this I can do in the comfort of own home sipping a glass of wine if it is in the evening.” John: //“I use Skype quite often to consult with myemployer, especially after hours as part of my job”// Sharon: //“I also use it for my on line students..... It is great for real time discussion of assessments. And “my students use skype to talk to each other all the time. Most of them work and with an on line course they can contact each other after hours for discussions and friendship. Isolated students use it constantly.”// Seema//: “I have been using Skype in the office to get connected to our ever-travelling project officers. .... Skype (video) (can be used) in online assessment. Forexample, an Engineering student or a hair dresser student can focus the camera on their work, when they are far away from the tutor and the tutor/teachercould watch them doing the assessment requirements through the Skype-video onthe laptop or PC. In this way the tutor will be 100% sure that the assessment was done by the student himself/herself.// Kathryn added: //“Can also see a use for tutoring, connecting with peers - especially exciting is the potential for bringing guest speakers/industry experts into the classroom.”// And to wrap things up Janine found //50 Awesome Ways to use Skype// at: [] In the technical forum Stephan showed how to create documents in a Facebook group.(Text docs cannot be attached though.) How to use in education? Of course why not look on site for their examples... http://www.quicktopic.com/examples.html
 * Twitter**
 * Skype**
 * Facebook**
 * Sue raised the following concerns:**
 * How do we monitor what the students write and upload?
 * Who else is seeing the page?
 * If student attendance is spasmodic how do we monitor the use of the Facebook?
 * Seema: //“//** //Making different groups in Facebook for students to access their study materials and assessment, discussion forums etc are very good ideas. Most of the students have Facebook accounts and if that is the tool of studying, then students will be really into it in no time.”//
 * QuickTopic**
 * Janine got things rolling by starting a QuickTopic at** [] Michael and Stephan weren’t too impressed by this tool initially but Vivian discovered that you could embed such discussions in a webpage (see http://23plusthings.wikispaces.com/Communication_tools) There was some discussion around whether or not QuickTopic adds any value if you are using something like Moodle that has discussion forums anyway. There may be occasions when you want to use a quick and simple discussion tool and nothing else, and QT is clearly great for that purpose. A summary of QT offered by Jim:
 * a simple online forum
 * very quick & easy to set up
 * similar to idea of forums in Moodle ( or forums anywhere else i guess) but users don't need to create accounts so access is easy
 * Possibly teacher posts question & students respond
 * Similar to how we are using in this program, feeding ideas & thoughts back to community of learners
 * Making meeting arrangements - when are we all available type questions?
 * Online get together - not quite a class arrangement & students don't need moodle etc

“Now ** I ** know that I need to think more about structure and it is not enough to just add in a forum discussion (need to consider structure, participation, reflection opportunities, response, understanding re expectations, outcomes.” Hennie is referring here to the process of Instructional Design – how to structure and sequence content AND activities in such a way that it enables students to achieve outcomes AND engage them . That’s the ongoing challenge!
 * In conclusion I think it’s worth repeating an observation that Hennie made when reflecting on the first 2 weeks of the course:**