Every day it seems like a new tool for hosting and tracking online classroom discussions comes along. That's because teachers are realizing how powerful these discussions can be as a way to hear from EVERY student and extend learning beyond the school day.The video below from CollaborizeClassroom, a free online discussion platform for teachers and students, not only provides an overview of their tool, but also provides some compelling reasons you may want to consider using online discussions in your classroom.
Many of you may already be using the online discussion tools built into SWIFT and Moodle. Regardless of the tool, making online discussions rich and meaningful for students can be challenging. Check out the Free Resources for teachers over at CollaborizeClassroom to help with this. In particular, you'll find great tips and ideas for supporting online discussion in the "Getting Started" area, including Dos and Don'ts of Online Student Communication.
Want to experience CollaborizeClassroom from the student perspective? Head on over to my 10Tech CollaborizeClassroom site. When you get there, you'll be prompted to sign in, just as a student would. Click "Register now," then fill in the information, but select the "Don't have an email address? Click here." option (so that your email address is reserved for use as a teacher if you decide to use CollaborizeClassroom and follow the directions. As the teacher, I'll approve you and send you an email once I've done so, then you can head back, log in and even participate in some of the sample discussions I've posted for you. (NOTE: If I don't approve you right away, send me a gentle email reminder and I will.)
If you're here for clock hours, offer us your impression of online discussion and their usefulness in class. In particular, if you are already using online discussions, please share some of your tips and tricks with us.
