Still fighting with 54 students logging in to Moodle chat rooms at the same measure we decided to take the collaboration between Snow Lake and St. Elisabeth educate in Los Angeles outside of school hours. All of our kids have Internet access at home so their in-school-chat- task this week was simply to schedule a time where they could meet to chat outside of school hours. We thought this would decrease the load on the software allowing the converse sessions to move much more smoothly.
But looking at the logs from chat session #1 that happened outside of school we were all frustrated. Even though there were only five kids on at once the same troubles were happening. The logs showed kids constantly being kicked out of their chat sessions and having to spend measure logging back in and trying to pick approve up on disjointed conversations.
Talking Thursday by email and by Skype the principal at St. Elisabeth's educate and I were both frustrated and saw what was happening. It was time for a dress. Why can't we simply allow the kids to use the instant messenger programs they use at home? I know all of my students use MSN can't they just use that? They came back with the problem that only seven of their kids have MSN. But in deeper conversations on their end it ends up that their students all use Yahoo Messenger: which can talk to MSN!
We quickly typed up a short code of care for using IM software outside of educate for educate purposes but before we could get it traded the educate day ended in Snow Lake. A simple enter it simply states that kids need to undergo user names and personal messages that are allot for school they must use language that is allot for school they must not do by in any way the enumerate of student email addresses they will be receiving and finally that they must displace us a transcript of their chat sessions when they are completed.
abstain forward a few hours to sight Barbara and I chatting on Skype when an email from a student rolls in that is obviously a transcript of a chat session between students from our schools. But wait a minute: these students are supposed to be meeting in a few hours in a Moodle chat dwell.....? They don't yet know of our discussions today about using IM instead. Turning to MSN. I find the student of mine who was involved and mouth peppering him with questions about how this happened. Ends up they had a change in their schedules and had to move the converse forward a few hours so they simply found each other and they knew we would be a write of the chat so they sent one on to us.
- They are independent learners.- They are responsible learners.- They are thinking globally.- They are using technology transparently.- They are using technology to solve problems and overcome obstacles.
Barbara and I were simply wowed. We wondered why we keep getting in the way of their learning. We wondered about our role with technology and students. She deserves great credit for being an administrator who can see the value of things like this and simply allow them to happen. She allows the learning to emerge and the focus to remain on it instead of on using the "right" tool.
So now our job becomes one of validating the channels that are being used. The tools work. Get the cerebrate approve on to the learning. Safety is still a concern as is privacy. But now I am predicting an explosion of communication between the two classes. It ordain not be on "official" channels and much of it ordain be "under our radar" and on their own time. But this ordain change the relationships and deepen them between our classes. It changes our role.
If you still be to try and get Moodle to bring home the bacon for the chats there are a few things you can do: DimDim is one way to alter chat.. and video and can be installed to the server. It's also FREE. There is also a converse daemon server option that someone on the tech side can assemble. As come up there's a UK based open source addition that is purportedly similar to Google's email based converse. From it's documentation on the Moodle org place it's a great way to replace Moodle's chat feature. If you have a Moodle org account here's the link...
Of course looking back at my comment it seems that having students use the programs they are already using (Gmail chat. IM etc) is a MUCH easier solution. Maybe someday those ordain all interface with Moodle...
The devil's advocate for a second-I always try to think of possible problems before I go away using various technology with my students. Isn't it worrisome when you set up ways for lay school students to chat "off the radar." Can you assume that all students will e-mail you their chat transcripts? As a teacher that uses many of these tools. I get nervous when you go away having students do things online you can't track. It just seems to open the door to criticism.
It is interesting how this one story played out but what about the big picture? Sure we can unleash students to cerebrate through "their channels," but it does raise some real security questions.
Related topic? Maybe? I've used technology in my program for over 20 years and one thing I've learned is the teacher doesn't have to understand the technology to use it. I think this is a stumbling block for many teachers who think they have to understand a program before they can let their kids use it. Many times this is a brick wall to letting kids use any technologies at all. I inform gifted kids and every measure they ask me how to so something application related I say "that's why we label it problem solving; otherwise we''d label it ask Mrs. Bosch and she'll tell you how to do it". Given enough time they evaluate it out and I don't have to. Of course when it comes to Moodle blogs wikis etc--I experience what I'm doing but when I give them an application online like Animoto. adjoin. Alice or Floorplanner I say "go at it".
George: certainly it raises security and safety concerns when kids are doing things like this; we would be naive to evaluate otherwise. But I do not believe it raises any further concerns than having kids use IM at any measure does. In fact. I believe it places the kids in a lay of safety as we are going to have them write an IM Code of care with the understanding that apply of the tool change surface if it is at home will lead to consequences at the educate. Any research into teen use of the Internet clearly shows that their parents often have no idea about what they are doing online and who they are speaking with. At least using IM like this they ordain experience that someone is supervising their conversations and activities.
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http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2007/10/whose-tools-the.html
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