Introduction to Telecollaboration - NCSM Conference 2002

is telecollaboration? Telecollaboration involves people in different locations using Internet tools and resources to work together.
  * most use email, either one-to-one, or via a listserv communication
  * many use Web sites as support
Consider the logistics of planning a collaboration classroom activity:
* How much online time is required?
* Will you have the time to prepare?
* What learning contexts are needed?
* Are you and your students/colleagues comfortable with the tools (email and Web browsers)?


Listserv Resources

NCSM-members Listserv archive
View posts and discussions dating back to 1997 at: http://mathforum.org/epigone/ncsm.members/

Public Discussions at the Math Forum (gracious host of ncsmonline.org!)
http://www.mathforum.com/discussions/

Other Educational Listservs
A reference list of education listservs. http://www4.district125.k12.il.us/webmeisters/cchausis/maillist.html


Live chat and places to "meet"

"Tapped In"
This site provides for synchronous and asynchronous conversations and conferences among participants in the professional community of educators. The Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and the Center for Technology in Learning acts as the  "organizer, architect, and host" for this site. They say, about their mission, "We don't provide TPD [Teacher Professional Development], we enable those who do to be more effective." http://www.tappedin.org
Take the tour at: http://www.tappedin.sri.com/info/webtour.html

ivisit room login screen iVisit: http://ivisit.com/
Video conferencing made easy! The great benefit of this site is that it is accessible to both Mac and PC users! And, if you have a webcam (although one is not required) up to 10 visitors can "visit" in the virtual conference room created exclusively for NCSM members! Once you have downloaded the iVisit software, connecting is easy as 1-2-3!
1. Launch iVisit
2. Navigate to the room: Education/Conferences/nscmonline
3. Enter the password: ncsmleader to enter the room and visit!
 

eBoard's online "cork board" -- http://www.eboard.com/
"eBoard is the easiest way to post messages, photos and files online. You can use it for group communication or as a homepage. Using the familiar image of notes on a corkboard, it enables you to post pictures, announcements, files, messages, links and interactive discussions online in seconds. You can password-protect your eBoard so that only authorized persons can enter. It's simple enough for second-graders and adult newcomers to the Internet to use. And, every eBoard gets its own URL: "www.yourname.eboard.com" -- Free trial for 30 days, each "board" you create is a subscription of $29 per year.

Yahoo Instant Messenger -- as a download or from java-enabled web page -- http://messenger.yahoo.com/.

AOL Instant Messenger -- free download -- http://www.aol.com/aim/home.html
Links can be added to web pages for private chats! (Sample page. http://www3.district125.k12.il.us/cchausis/chat2.html)

MSN Instant Messenger -- free download -- http://messenger.msn.com/

Chat windows as part of Web pages -- depending upon the service, some are better than others.

Sample page: http://www.homestead.com/cchausis


Email Resources

Many free email services are available on the Internet.  Some of the more popular are Yahoo, and Hotmail, which both offer more than email services! Most of the search companies also offer free email accounts.
Yahoo
"Access email from anywhere." You can also configure Yahoo to check email from another POP mail account (check with your email administrator if you do not know whether your mail is a POP account). Get instant notification when you have new messages with Yahoo! Messenger. Limit of 6 MB free storage.  http://www.yahoo.com
You can create a "community" page in Yahoo as well, but only Yahoo members can participate.

Hotmail
From Microsoft's MSN, "Hotmail is the world's first web-based e-mail provider, which means you can send and receive messages from any computer connected to the Internet. You can use Hotmail from home, work, school, an Internet café, a friend's house or any other computer in the world with an Internet connection... great for people who use more than one computer, travel frequently, or don't even own a computer. Limit of 2MB free storage. http://www.hotmail.com


Telecollaboration for the teacher and classroom:

TeacherLine
TeacherLine is designed as a source for content, community and collaboration. This comprehensive, professional development Web site is designed for college instructors, K-12 teachers, and future teachers. The TeacherLine site was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline/welcome.cfm
Teacherline's Community Center provides an opportunity to chat online with fellow teachers or education experts like Alan November! Check out the archives!! http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline/community/community.cfm

NickNacks Telecollaboration
NickNacks offers helpful suggestions about how to participate in educational telecollaboration and points visitors to high-quality curriculum-based projects.  http://www1.minn.net/~schubert/EdHelpers.html

Teacher-to-Teacher Collaboration
The primary focus of this Website is to note sites that support teacher-to-teacher collaboration, particularly teacher-to-teacher exchanges focused on professional development "of teachers, by teachers, and for teachers." A few sites are included that foster classroom project-oriented collaborative exchanges between teachers.
http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbot/teacher2teacher.html

The National Math Trail
This site sends students out into the community to identify and solve math problems in the real world. Take part in this nationwide math project and build a Student Showcase on your website. This will give us a view of your local community and a look at your students' work. Visit the Math Trail website for more details. http://www.nationalmathtrail.org/