Most people have lots of practice learning the dos and don'ts of face to face conversation. We can see pretty quickly if our words have been taken offensively, out of context or just misunderstood.
In an online environment, that feedback is often delayed, and our messages are sent without the help of facial expressions and tone of voice. Because of that, we should consider online communication as a new artform and something that our students will need to be taught.
- Making Connections
- 4 Cs: Communication
- Blended Learning: Foster collaboration, not isolation, even when online.
- Differentiation: Online communication allows for multiple means of communication--text, audio, video, images & links.
Teach students how to communicate in an online environment.
While there are commonalities in all forms of communication, the online environment requires some unique skills. As more of our communication takes place online, we need to empower our students with the new skills they will need. Here are a few tips and resources to get you started.
- THINK before you post.
- This model has become very popular with teachers.
- Get free posters here.
- Leverage multimedia and the power of online tools.
- Think about how online communication allows for that is different from face to face.
- Limit your words.
- Show what you tell.
- A picture is worth a thousand words.
- A video is worth a thousand pictures.
- Link to your sources or additional information.
- Embed content.
- Make the communication interactive.
- Use proper online etiquette.
- Here are just a few of the many resources available online.
- 7 rules
- Netiquette
- Online Etiquette
- Social Media
- Online Communication Skills (from open.edu)
- Online Discussions: Tips for Students (University of Waterloo)
- Online Discussions: Tips for Students (Carlton)
- 10 Teacher Tips for Online Discussions (Educause)
Seesaw
For our youngest learners, Seesaw is probably the best place for students to learn online communication skills. The platform is limited to a safe audience of teacher, peers and parents.
- Journal Posts--Start with simple posts to the student journal.
- Talk about "wow" work or what makes work worthy of sharing.
- Talk about what is appropriate to post online and how it should be said.
- Post a picture with a caption or voice over.
- Record a video talking about the day's learning.
- Write a note to parents or teacher and read it to a friend before posting.
- Teachers should only approve work that meets the class expectations for online communication.
- There might be no audience more motivational to these students than their parents, so get parents connected and allow students to post some of their best work for their parents to see! Even our youngest learners can post a picture or video.
- Seesaw Blogs--Set up your classroom Seesaw Blog and connect with another classroom. This can give your students a safe introduction into an audience beyond their classroom.
- Practice posting to the blog as a class. (modeling)
- Choose some of the best work in the class to post to the blog.
- Communicate directly with another classroom to share ideas and learning beyond the walls of your classroom or school!
Schoology
For our learning in grades 3-12, Schoology provides an excellent place to learn and practice online communication. Again, the audience is limited to teacher, parents and classmates.- Discussions--This is probably the safest place for students to learn how to communicate with peers in an online environment.
- Teachers can teach, model and monitor good online communication.
- Consider starting with non-academic topics to get students engaged and give them fun topics with which to practice. These help build skills and classroom community! Here are a few examples.
- Introduce yourself to the class.
- Talk about a favorite hobby or trip.
- Discuss plans for the future.
- If I had three wishes . . .
- Daily bell ringers can also be done through discussions to get students primed for the day's learning and allow for regular practice communicating online.
- Updates--Typically teacher set this to view only for students. However, once students show they have mastered the skills of online communication through discussions, this could be opened up for student comments. Remember, however, that parents can see these replies!
Branching out!
As students get more skilled with online communication, consider offering audiences beyond the classroom. When students have an authentic audience beyond the teacher, and optimally outside of their classroom, their motivation changes beyond just getting a grade. It gives them a more authentic reason to do well. In short, make it real! Here are a few examples to consider:
- Skype or Google Hangouts--This is a great way to connect with another classroom or with experts outside of your classroom. Mystery Skypes are fun, and experts (like park rangers, museum experts, skilled professionals, etc.) are often willing to connect if you reach out to them.
- Gmail--For our older students, email can be a way to conduct interviews with experts beyond the classroom. These primary sources can be insightful and allow students to gain confidence seeking out answers to their questions.
- Webites--Websites are everywhere and an essential means of communication and information sharing in our current economy. For younger students, Google Sites can be created and shared only with a trusted audience (not wide-open on the web). For older students Google Sites or sites created with Weebly or Wix can be published publicly on the web to authentic audiences.
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