Online Classes

In our Learning Thru Technology class, we have met a number of times via the Internet rather than meeting in our classroom. While this may not be appropriate for every lesson, I think it's a great opportunity for students and teachers to explore how technology can be used in the classroom.

When we used Elluminate, we were able view Power Point Presentations without clicking anything. The presenter of the class controls everything and students have the opportunity to observe and participate in discussion. Students could talk amongest themselves and to the teacher through the use of an instant message system, which the teacher could observe if he had any questions about what students were talking about. In addition, the teacher and those students with headsets were able to communicate orally. It was really interesting to see that logging into a website could give students the opportunity to communicate and learn without leaving their dorm rooms.

I think this technology could be really helpful in a high school classroom. Students in one room could connect with students in another city, another state, or even another country. There are so many people out there that have things to teach; virtual classrooms make this learning easier and more accessible.