Social+Collaboration+Media

=Skype: A New Way to Teach in the Classroom =

 Kate McCollum

Skype is rapidly becoming the new way to talk to one another from separate locations. We first began with phones then gradually upgraded to texting, and now the popular thing to do is Skype. So what is it exactly? Skype is a computer-based program that allows live video and audio exchange between users. Computers enhanced with a webcam built inside allow for this type of conversation to take place. So how can this be beneficial to teaching in the classroom? This new technological advancement allows students to study abroad which permits them to communicate with other students either from another school in the area or even other nations. Other ways it could be used is for Distance Learning, which is a program developed for high school students to take part in college courses at the universities without leaving their high school classrooms. It also would allow them to talk with important guess speakers live, for example maybe a hit author of a new novel or a survivor from the Holocaust.

Like everything else, there are always pros and cons that come with it. The pros are -- free access, ability to video chat from long distances, enables entire to group to communicate with one another, gives students new opportunities to study abroad without leaving the comfort of their home or school. But with all pros there are cons -- expensive computers to be able to use Skype, possible glitches in the camera, sound difficulties, picks up more background noise, which may disturb students, possibility of not having good enough signal for chat, or even being booted in the middle of a conversation and then not being allowed back on.

While Skype can have some drawbacks, the overall view is that Skype would be a very useful device when trying to develop more intellectual students. As stated earlier, having this in classrooms around the nation would allow kids to learn from other students or even be able to begin their college educations before they’re even out of high school, which in return would not only allow them to gain hours but also get used to the college life of studying before they have to endure full semesters of it.

There are numerous sites with many ways to incorporate Skype in the classroom including: [] [] []. Lastly, here is a video that visually explains the use and benefits of Skype in the classroom-media type="youtube" key="NnHLh9B5v_Q" height="390" width="640" 

=﻿Facebook =

Danielle Lance

Facebook is a social networking website — a gathering spot, to connect with your friends and with your friends friends. Facebook allows you to make new connections who share a common interest, expanding your personal network. Components: Uploading video/links/pictures, send messages, wall posts and discussions boardsUsers: Educators can create a school only account to be used in classrooms across the nation. Students must be 13 years of age to create a facebook account so it should be used in 8th grade classes and higher. Facebook allows teacher/student collaboration, it can be used as a technological way to keeping up with people, posts student's worksheets and how to videos. http://org.elon.edu/catl/ conference/documents/ FacebookEducation.pdf

=Using YouTube in the classroom: YouTube or You//Trouble?//=



 Dominque Ducloux

YouTube quickly became one of the most popular sites for viewing, sharing, and uploading videos for the world, friends or family to see. Although YouTube is mainly used for means of entertainment, YouTube has become quite popular in the classroom. What exactly is YouTube? YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. Its technology is used to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, Vevo, Hulu and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program. YouTube is starting to be used in classrooms for videos relevant to what students are learning, students can also upload class projects and presentations to YouTube to be watched in class. Once we have some guidelines, since there is some inappropriate content on YouTube, YouTube can be integrated in so many ways. One teacher by the name of Amburst used YouTube videos to enhance readings in his grammar class. Students read from a book, listened to a recording of the passage a technology to display a wide variety of user generated -video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Although YouTube does have inappropriate content, it’s easily skipped over or not seen at all. For your next unit, explore the possibility of YouTube. There is so much good content and the films are so short and easy to find. They can be perfect! But before you let students do anything with YouTube, make sure you give them some guidelines. Some very clear guidelines, otherwise you will end up with a catastrophe such as students looking up inappropriate music videos, or inappropriate content in general. Don’t let YouTube turn into YouTrouble. Here are a few links talking about how to utilize YouTube in the classroom: [] [] l []

=Twitter in the Classroom=



Madeleine Crawford

Twitter is a wonderful communication tool that is rapidly becoming popular in the classroom. It's a fun, effective tool that students will love to use.Twitter enables users to send and read text-based posts with up to 140 characters, called //tweets//, these are displayed on the user's profile page. Users can subscribe to other users' tweets, which is known as following and subscribers are known as followers or //tweeps// ('Twitter' + 'peeps). By default, tweets are publicly visible, though senders can restrict message delivery to just their followers. Users can tweet via the Twitter website, or external applications (such as for smartphones). Users can also group posts together by topic or type by the use of hashtags (words or phrases prefixed with a "#" sign). Similarly, the "@" sign followed by a username is used for mentioning or replying to other users. To repost a message from another Twitter user, and share it with one's own followers, the retweet function is symbolized by "RT" in the message. Pros: -a classroom communication tool. -enhances learning -updates students with usful websites and links -class discussions -way to record thoughts and ideas- it's a history -connects you to a larger world outside of the classroom and even the country -can improve writing -give insights about the process and can help educators make teaching more relevant -get comments, questions, and feedback posted by students during class

Cons:

-140 character limit -intended for fleeting tweets about casual activities

Links: [] http://classroomtweets.wikispaces.com/Using+Twitter+in+the+Classroom