Communication

One needs to communicate to be able to collaborate. Collaboration is the working together, usually on something intellectual, to create or produce some product. Communication is the vehicle by which students collaborate- it is the exchange of ideas, information, thoughts, messages, etc. Technology can be the vehicle or the environment by which students can collaborate. A wiki is one of many environments that can be used to communicate ideas, thoughts, messages, info in order to collaborate. It can be the space where messages are exchanged from student to student, or from teacher to student and vice versa. It can be an environment where students publish finished work, or the host where ideas are stored before a final product is completed. It can be used to communicate ideas to a variety of audiences world-wide or within one nation, or as a receptacle where ideas are received from others.
 * **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?**

BLOGGING: Coryne's Blog
I'm pretty excited about the topic I blogged on - using glogster's new education program at edu.gloster.com pedagogically.

Blogging can be used by students to communicate ideas on a focused topic in the form of content response notes - students can post their Comments, Questions, Predictions, Inferences, etc. and students can have a conversations using blogs. The teacher can begin a silent conversation by posing a question and students can record their ideas and then respond to other student's ideas. Students can work within the chat feature of the blog to collaborate as well. As a content response system blogging is useful, however I think that it is limiting in its ability to showcase cumulative assessments such as a project.
 * How can a blog be used by your students?
 * What strengths and weaknesses does blogging have as an effective method of online communication?

WALLWISHER: Coryne's Wall Wisher Site
Similar to Blogging Wallwisher can be used to communicate ideas on a focused topic in the form of content response notes - students can post their Comments, Questions, Predictions, Inferences, etc. and students can have a conversations using Wallwisher. The teacher can begin a silent conversation by posing a question and students can record their ideas and then respond to other student's ideas. As a content response system Wallwisher is useful, however I think that it is limiting in the same way that bogging is. Additionally, Wallwisher limits the number of characters per post. This can be used when students can or even have to write their ideas concisely.
 * How can Discussion Boards be used by Students?
 * What strengths and weaknesses do discussion boards and wall posts have as an effective method of online communication?