Blog 5

I am not currently teaching, but as a college student I have used online communication tools in the classroom.  I believe that having these experiences as a student will help me use similar communication tools in my classroom.  While attending EKU, I had classes that required us to have online discussions similar to EDOL 533.  This was a great way to work at your own speed and not be forced to sit in a classroom.  It also allowed time to think about what you wanted to say and not be put on the spot like one would face in a typical classroom.  I have also used email as an online communication tool in college by working on group projects.  It was a lot easier to email people in my group than to schedule a time where everyone could meet together and discuss our project.  Other people in my class would attempt to only work on the projects when they were physically together.  This prevented them from having their project done on time and put together as well as our group.

One online communication tool that I can use in the classroom is using Facebook.  My current goal is to become a high school math teacher.  Since the majority of the students already have Facebook accounts, they will already be familiar with Facebook and how to use it.  I do not plan on becoming “friends” with any of my students.  The reason I do not plan on adding my students is not that I have something to hide, but in most cases school age children post information that they would probably not want their teacher to see.  And when I become a teacher, I do not want to be exposed to some of the activities that my students will be involved in after school.  The best part about using Facebook is that I can create a group page that everyone in the group will be able to communicate with each other, but we will all still have our privacy.  I will be able to post homework assignments on Facebook and if any of my students have problems with completing their assignment, they will be able to post it on the group’s wall.  The other students will also be able to help each other with their work and I will also be able to monitor their communication.

Another online communication tool that I can implement is email.  Most school districts give their students school email accounts.  Using email is a way that I can communicate with my students with any problems they may have that they do not want to publicly post on Facebook.  Using email in high school will prepare my students for college when they will use email on a daily basis.  This will also help them learn the correct etiquette when emailing their professors when they are in college.