Online Communication Tools

Online communication tools are a wonderful part of technology and more and more is being integrated into the classrooms every day. There are so many different types of online communication tools today: blogs, e-mail, and chat are just a few. There are also different types: synchronous tools and asynchronous tools. “Synchronous tools enable real-time communication and collaboration in “same time-different place” mode. These tools allow people to connect at a single point in time, at the same time. Synchronous tools possess the advantage of being able to engage people instantly and at the same point in time. The primary drawback of synchronous tools is that, by definition, they require same-time participation -different time zones and conflicting schedules can create communication challenges. In addition, they tend to be costly and may require significant bandwidth to be efficient. Asynchronous tools enable communication and collaboration over a period of time through a "different time-different place" mode. These tools allow people to connect together at each person's own convenience and own schedule. Asynchronous tools are useful for sustaining dialogue and collaboration over a period of time and providing people with resources and information that are instantly accessible, day or night. Asynchronous tools possess the advantage of being able to involve people from multiple time zones. In addition, asynchronous tools are helpful in capturing the history of the interactions of a group, allowing for collective knowledge to be more easily shared and distributed. The primary drawback of asynchronous technologies is that they require some discipline to use when used for ongoing communities of practice (e.g., people typically must take the initiative to "login" to participate) and they may feel "impersonal" to those who prefer higher-touch synchronous technologies.” (www.asaecenter.org)
Because I am only a teacher assistant and not an actual teacher, I do not get the privilege of using online communication tools with students. I do, however, communicate with other teachers using e-mail, chat, and text messaging. This is very beneficial when one needs to find out something quickly.
I plan on using the blog in my classroom. In order to prepare my students for blogging I will have to determine that all students’ AUPs are in the file and up to date. Then I will inform parents of procedures and secure parental permission. During class, I will teach my students about safe, acceptable, and sensible behavior as online authors and readers. After going over this, I will then review the policies and guidelines pertaining to student access. Then I will discuss with them the non-posting rules of no complete names, e-mail accounts, or references to reveal location. I will finish by setting clear expectations regarding respect and consequences.

Works Sited:
Ashley, Julia. "Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication Tools." ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, Dec. 2003. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.