GSuite Establishing Social Communities
GSuite establishes a social and community component by providing opportunities for collaboration (Bell, 2018). GSuite for Education has features like Google Hangouts where students can instant message each other or video chat (Bell, 2018). I would encourage students to build friendships over Google Hangouts as they would benefit from actually seeing each other. If students are working on group projects using Google Slides, Docs, or other features, they can communicate by opening a comments thread (Bell, 2018). As a teacher, I would recommend using comment threads to communicate for academic purposes.
Collaborating Regardless of Distance
These tools are easily used for collaboration between geographically separated students by offering the possibility for instant communication regardless of location. Students can ask questions and answer each other on Piazza to work collectively while completing schoolwork (Piazza). Students can place notes on each other’s Padlets to share information, opinions, and ideas (TeachersFirst). Students can also post videos and comment on them on Vialogue (Vialogue). Additionally, students can communicate through emails, comment threads, or chat boxes and video calls on Google Hangouts (Bell, 2018). Regardless of the tool utilized by the teacher and students, everyone has the privilege of sharing information in an instant no matter where they may be located enabling them to communicate with ease as if they were in the same physical location. I believe communication via the internet can be more beneficial than instantaneous communication in person, because students have time to process their thoughts before responding (pg. 3).
Tech to Try Out Breaking Down Distance Barriers
Emerging technologies, like the “Tech to Try Out” from this week, break down the isolation that is sometimes experienced in an online course by providing a community for students. All five resources create opportunities for dialogue among students. Conversations in all formats is not required to be academic. Students could use Padlet to communicate with each other. They can be members of multiple pages on Padlet enabling them to socialize on some while completing academic work on others (TeachersFirst). As a teacher, I would encourage my students to interact and socialize with each other. I believe sites like GSuite or Office 365 would soften the harsh reality that online students are often all alone completing their work. They can make friends with students in their online class and build important relationships. Students may befriend a classmate and follow them on a personal social media account (i.e. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc)! I would encourage my students to use a class discussion board to converse with each other for homework help and for fun!
What Is Beneficial to My Classroom?
Idea #1:
I love the idea of digital discussion icebreakers from page three of Mastering Online Discussion Boards (TeacherStream, 2010)! Icebreakers would help students become comfortable with each other and the conversation. Additionally, it would be an opportunity for students to learn about each other on a personal basis. It may lead to spiked interests, communication, and friendships following the lesson. In all early elementary grades, students are very quick to stop working and become distracted and excited when someone is interested in the same activities they are. Icebreakers would be an excellent tool to utilize and help students make connections with their peers (TeacherStream, 2010).
Idea #2:
I enjoyed the concept of actively involving students in the process of creating rules on page five of Mastering Online Discussion Boards (TeacherStream, 2010). I am aware that teachers in physical school buildings regularly ask students to help make classroom rules once they reach second grade. They require students to tell why their rules should be enforced. I never realized that the same activity could be completed online on a discussion board (TeacherStream, 2010). I would do this in a digital classroom! I believe students would still benefit from the rule making process and would learn a lot. If students are experiencing an online classroom setting for the first time, it would be very important to help students learn the rules for a different type of classroom. It is always interesting and encouraging to learn that many aspects of a physical classroom appear in a virtual classroom only in a slightly altered format.
Idea #3:
I gained so much understanding and knowledge from the charts and explanations of different types of questions and activities on pages six through eight of Mastering Online Discussion Boards (TeacherStream, 2010). I have been curious about maintaining the attention of students. As a future early childhood educator, I am well aware of the short attention spans of students. I was concerned that discussion boards and online communication may become boring to them. I appreciate knowing the different options when creating a discussion board. It was helpful to learn where activities and questions fall on a difficulty spectrum (TeacherStream, 2010). This will help me as I create discussion boards for a variety of students with different intellectual abilities.
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