Teaching online is
a very popular concept. I use it to teach English as a Second Language.
Skype or any Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) program is essential.
Most instant messenging programs (YahooIM, MSN Messenger, etc.) offer
this functionality.
There are other Internet technologies that are also useful. User groups or message forums (Google Groups
for example) are popular. The teacher begins a “written discussion”
and the students contribute. These groups are similar to blogs where
the blog author starts a conversation and readers share their comments
and thoughts.
Blogs and wikis are great for year-long projects. The class or
teacher chooses a topic, for example, the weather. Students can write
about how the weather affects their community, weather in other
countries, learn about hurricanes, and so on. They can also take
pictures of interesting weather-related or weather-affected events.
You may want your students to create a blog about their community.
They can attend town or city government meetings and other events. Its
a great way to get them involved in the community.
Blogs are great for showing how students’ writing improves over
time. They also teach writers about discipline. Having to write 3 or 4
interesting entries a week is a great skill, especially for students
that want careers in journalism.
I love wikis. A wiki (like Wikipedia)
allows students to collaborate. They can edit existing material or
create new material. This tool allows students to create “their own
textbooks.” For example, an English class can write their own “grammar
book” or a history class can write a “book” about the American
Revolution, based on the material they learn from class and student
assignments.
Technology provides many opportunities for education. Like any tool,
book or website, the learning value depends on how well the tool is
used.