Shared Learning ConferenceFebruary 19, 2010

Gary Toews

Shared Learning ConferenceFebruary 19, 2010

Gary Toews

Developing Collaborative Developing Collaborative Online Classroom Online Classroom

CommunitiesCommunities

Developing Collaborative Developing Collaborative Online Classroom Online Classroom

CommunitiesCommunities

SD34 AbbyNet Conference

✦ Run by STaRT Education.✦ Easy to set up. Any teacher can create a

class conference in Abbynet.✦ Administration can be distributed to

teachers at the school level.✦ Not a friendly web view. Based on email

model.✦ Good for some things: discussion, creating

and handing-in FirstClass based assignments.

✦ Requires FirstClass client to get full experience.

✦ Easy to learn if you already are familiar with FirstClass.

✦ Grade 4 and higher

SD34 Wiki Server✦ Run by STaRT Education. Pilot year 2009-10.

Next year will be preloading students from Grade 5-8.

✦ Simple interface.✦ Control of who views and can edit.✦ Commenting can be moderated.✦ Quicklook for many file formats✦ Very rich media experience✦ Grade 3 and higher

External Wiki Services✦ You are at the mercy of an outside

organization.✦ May have more features✦ There is a great deal of variety to choose

from. ✦ WetPaint, PBWorks, WikiSpaces

✦ Click here for a great list of available wikis.✦ Click here for Ways to Use Wikis with your students

Google Docs✦ Run by Google (can be difficult to get

support).✦ Very scalable. Can handle a great deal of

traffic and does not require a very fast connection to the internet.

✦ Supports iPod Touch via QuickOffice ($9.99 in Apple App Store)

✦ Excellent collaboration features. Students can share with teacher for marking.

✦ Powerful applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint compatibility. (Presentation module is especially powerful for students)

✦ Integrated into the larger Google system.✦ Grade 4 and higher.

✦ Media centric. Based on the model of dropping media files into a shared space. 

✦ Powerful media conversion and sharing features.

✦ Can be used for text-based communication✦ Commenting and presentation mode built in.✦ Only one Guest user. Everyone shares this

level of access. Difficult to manage a class.

✦ Shared text document for collaborative writing.

✦ All have same level of access to space. Requires maturity of users.

✦ Very "live" feeling to collaborating.✦ Chat on the side bar enhances the process.✦ Limited to 15 concurrent users. ✦ Can be exported as Word file✦ Has a timeline to view process.

Putting it all together...Putting it all together...

✦ Some tools are very good at one or two Some tools are very good at one or two things. You must choose from a variety of things. You must choose from a variety of tools to get the full experience.tools to get the full experience.

✦ You need a home for your community. You need a home for your community. AbbyNet conference can be a good start.AbbyNet conference can be a good start.

✦ Then choose the best tool for the result you Then choose the best tool for the result you desire.desire.

✦ Web links can be used to refer to tools from Web links can be used to refer to tools from within AbbyNet Conference.within AbbyNet Conference.

✦ The hybrid model is the most powerful. Face The hybrid model is the most powerful. Face to face and the classroom extensionto face and the classroom extension

Putting it all together...Putting it all together...