E-communication

The most important concept I got out of my conversation with my cooperating teacher about e-communication is that opening the lines of communication through technology sends the message to our students that class doesn’t end when they walk out of the school building. When the teacher is accessible through email, the students can get the support they need. Email is convenient for both the teacher and the student as they do not need to find a common time to communicate. My cooperating teacher also has Google Chat that she uses from time to time with the students. The night before a big project is due, she informs her students that she will be available for a set amount of time for them to ask her any last minute questions. I think aggravation of students and teachers may be alleviated by this set up. From my experience as a student, the night before a big project is due can become more stressful when you realize you may be missing a critical piece of information or you are unsure of how to cite a source. As a teacher, I am assuming it is irksome when many students send questions in an email the night before a project is due expecting a response before the morning.

I think e-communication is an important tool to utilize. Inviting students to email me about their homework, questions, and concerns will enforce the idea that they are supposed to be thinking and working on schoolwork outside of school. Students may feel more comfortable having a conversation with a teacher via email. The students can also go back to check the email for reference if they forget what the teacher’s response was. If a student is absent, they are still able to submit papers if email or Googledocs is an acceptable format for this. Also, if students are absent for an extended period of time, they can communicate with the teacher via email in order to get the assignments they are missing. Perhaps the most important aspect of e-communication is the fact that it allows the teacher to be accessible to all students. Students and teachers have busy lives and it is not always possible for them to find a common time to meet to discuss important issues. I think I will utilize email and google chat with my students in the future. I also think, depending on the class, it may be interesting to create a Wiki or Blog for communication. I could post the schedule and homework for the week and there could be an area for students to continue discussions from within the classroom outside of the classroom if they so choose.