E- Communication

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E- Communication

• An Introduction to
• On-Line Forums in the Classroom
• Presented by Leanna Prater and Jeff Jones
• District Technology Resource Teachers
• Fayette County Public Schools
• Lexington, KY

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What is a forum? Technologically speaking

• A forum is an interactive environment where
  people can discuss topics.

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Who uses forums?

• Teachers
• Students
• Other professionals
• Administration

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How will using forums impact student achievement?

• Participation of all students
• Meet learning styles
• In depth thinking
• Motivation

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Participation of all students

• Teacher required
• Log of who has participated
• Shyness
• Willingness to participate think before I
  speak and edit response..

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Meeting Learning Styles

• Visual Learners
• Tactile/ Kinesthetic
• Auditory

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In Depth Thinking

• Question your students.
• Challenge students to question themselves .
• Challenge students to question each other.

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Motivation

• Safe environment
• Uses technology
• Feels like chatting

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Where can I find Fayette Countys Forum?

• http//teach.fcps.net/forum/

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Getting students enrolled

• TRT and the spreadsheet
• Enroll them yourself
• Have students enroll themselves

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Getting Started
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Deciding on how to use the forum environment

• Discussion platform
• Small group work/projects
• Joint projects with other classes
• Joint projects with specialists
• other

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Setting up the forum

• General Guidelines for your students
• AUP form/student work w/ name permission
• Making things sticky

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Posting

• New Topics
• and
• Replying to Topics Posted

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Tools
Profile
Delete
E-mail
Edit
Reply with a quote
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Lesson Plansand Projects
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US Regions ProjectWebsite http//teach.fcps.net
/trt14/usregions.htm

• 4th Grade students in Lexington communicated with
  students in Wyoming, Alaska, Texas and Illinois
  about the similarities and differences of the US
  Regions. Students were experts on where they
  lived and shared that information with others in
  the forum.

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Finding Contacts

• E-mailed people I know
• Listservs such as Edtech
• Internet research- elementary schools in statesgt
  e-mailed 4th grade teachers and tech teachers
• Riverdeep Classroom Flyer

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KY Regions ProjectWebsite http//teach.fcps.net
/trt14/kentucky/kentucky.htm

• 4th grade students across Kentucky will discuss
  the similarities and differences about the
  regions of Kentucky.
• Project is just beginning. Registration is still
  open.

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Lesson Plans

• General Template for Lesson Plans
• Language Arts
• Social Studies

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Assessments
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Assessments

• Rubric
• Scoring Guide

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Research on Peer Conferencing Within a Forum
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Research

• How do revision skills of classes using the
  Forum for peer conferencing in writing compare to
  those that peer conference in a traditional way
  in the classroom?

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Research Procedure

• 5th Grade Classes at 2 Schools
• Feature Articles and Short Stories
• Students were trained on the environment prior to
  research
• Students copied/pasted work in forum as well as
  typed directly in forum using a new topic for
  each writing piece.
• Students edited piece directly in forum
• Students commented on peer work

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The Data
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Findings

• Control Group averaged 2 conference times
• Variable Group averaged 5.56 conference times
• Control Group averaged 2 times the piece was read
  
• Variable Group averaged 24.39 times read
  (inflated number due to forum environment).
• Variable Group averaged 55.5 edited within the
  forum.

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Other Findings

• Students do not know how to conference on writing
  pieces.
• Teachers needed more instruction on use of the
  environment
• Limited computer time
• Students lacked keyboarding skills

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Theories and Thoughts on Writing within a forum

• Teachers can assign other teachers as writing
  mentors. Conferencing within a forum can occur at
  anytime.
• Log of postings
• Evidence of editing
• Ease of copying and pasting from Microsoft Word
• Students must rely on their own skills for
  spelling and grammar (forum doesnt support)
• Teachers can post general directions to for all
  students
• Students have an audience for their writing

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Ideas for Integration
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Language Arts

• Literature Circles
• Reviews
• Comparing texts
• Reading buddies/ Pair with another class to
  discuss
• Conferencing on Writing

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Science

• Discuss big ideas
• Links to current topics
• Ask an expert
• Communicate for group projects

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Social Studies

• Discuss the big idea
• Projects Culture Studies
• A new look at regions/ pairing classrooms from
  outside Fayette County
• KY Regions Project
• http//teach.fcps.net/trt14/kentucky.html

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Math

• Ask an expert
• Open ended math problems
• Math question of the week

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The Arts and Humanities

• Invite a special area teacher to post questions
  for students to consider before going to class.
• Discuss art work, music, drama, etc. with links.

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Thanks for coming!Need additional
informationEMAIL lprater_at_fayette.k12.ky.usWE
B PAGEShttp//teach.fcps.net/trt14http//teach.f
cps.net/forum