This week we learned about some new tools to help us with collaboration. Collaboration is a key element in education because when multiple individuals work together toward a goal it can be accomplished faster and with more effectiveness.
I explored three specific online tools for collaboration which I felt were especially helpful. The first cool was Google for Educators. It is an online discussion board where the user can browse, ask, or answer questions pertaining to education. This is helpful because chances are any questions one has about education have probably already been asked and answered, so the user can simply browse for their answer. In the event that their question has not been asked and answered, then the user has the ability to create a discussion and ask their question to the online community.
The second and third collaboration tools which I explored where online video web conferencing platforms. FlashMeeting and IT4ALL. This can be more helpful to some users, as message board discussion forums can be an impersonal method of communication. The ability to see, hear and speak to another person can be much more effective and help the user understand.
I was not aware of any of these tools before taking this class and being asked to explore them. Now that I know about them, I am very happy to know that they exist to help me in my career as an educator if I should need the collaborative help of others.
