Collaborative+Online+Spaces

Online spaces like Google Apps for Education, blogs, wikispaces, moodle, and others provide opportunities to students and teachers to collaborate at very low or no cost to schools/districts. They also enable new ways to collaborate with the community.
 * Collaborative Online Spaces**


 * 1) How is this topic relevant to your own school or district?
 * 2) Why is this important?
 * 3) What changes or new initiatives would you like to implement in your school or district?
 * 4) What forces or influences are **obstacles** to these initiatives?
 * 5) What forces or influences are **positive forces** that might help you implement change?
 * Possible forces include people, habits, customs, attitudes, policies, structures, money

Collaborative Online Spaces Online Spaces like Google apps for Education, blogs, wikispaces, moodle, and others provide opportunities to students and teachers to collaborate at very low or no cost to schools/districts. They also enable new ways to collaborate with the community.

Why is relevant to your school district?

Many felt the tools available are but very underutilized. With so many choices, the tools can be hard to manage from the student's perspectve (too many user names/passwords). This format is equitable and promotes collaboration. Classroom experience most important for modeling digital citizenship and managing online learning. Learning how to be online safely is more sensible for modeling when students are younger.

Why is this important?

It is important because it is not going to go away. Students are much more comfortable communicating in these formats. Low or not cost in these financial times it only makes sense that to use things that are available to us. Real time. Collaborate with students.

What changes or new initiatives would you like to implement in your school or district?

Give access to more students (some districts only allow Grade 8=). Supplement with keyboarding skills. More time for professional development for teachers as well as support of teachers in the area. Add time for parent training.