By Lotta Larson, Ph.D.
NETS-T ID; IIIA,B,C,D; IVD; VA

One of the greatest advantages of using the Internet in K-12 classrooms is the immediate access to the outside world. No longer are students and teachers limited to the people and resources available within their classroom walls. With a simple mouse click, students can collaborate with peers from around the world, ask an expert for help with a research project, discuss a book with a favorite author, or interview a state senator. The National Educational Technology Standards for Students state that students should "communicate information and ideas effectively . . . using a variety of media and formats" (ISTE, 2007). The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) further emphasizes that 21st century kids must be able to communicate effectively using verbal, written, and nonverbal communication skills through the use of a variety of communication tools.

Online Communication Tools
The means of electronic communication are available in various forms including email exchanges, voice/video connections, asynchronous message board discussions, and blogs and wikis. Most of these technologies are free of charge, widely available, and easy to integrate across content areas. Before deciding which communication tool to use, it is important to consider lesson objectives and the purpose for online communication and collaboration. Rather than focusing on the technology itself, teachers should develop a clear vision that supports an "authentic experience for our students and a realization that many of our students want to tap the social communication side of the Internet" (November, 2010, p. 32).

Email exchanges. Email is an inexpensive, readily available communication tool. Electronic penpal partnerships (also called e-pals or keypals) can be orchestrated between classrooms representing diverse geographic areas and grade levels. For example, fifth grade students reading a favorite novel may email the author and ask about the ideas behind the book or the publishing process. Furthermore, the fifth graders can share their thoughts about the novel in email exchanges with other students from across the country. ePals (www.epals.com) is a free service that allows teachers to find other classrooms for e-pal and project exchanges. Much like teaching proper letter writing form (such as the parts of a friendly letter), it is, of course, important to share appropriate email form and etiquette before engaging in an email exchange. 

Voice/video connections. There are many ways to integrate voice/video connections, such as Skype, into the classroom. Because Skype sustains a group of people within a voice chat, students can work collaboratively on a project with multiple partners. The free version of Skype (available for download at www.skype.com) also supports two-way video calls, allowing participants to see each other via webcams. This is a great way to introduce students to linguistically and ethnically diverse students from around the world. Teachers may use Skype for virtual office hours or homework assistance some evenings or weekends. It can also be used to include students with prolonged absences in class discussions and activities (November, 2010).

Asynchronous message boards. Many schools offer asynchronous message boards as part of their course management systems. Teachers can also use free versions of Blackboard (www.coursesites.com) or Moodle (www.moodle.org) to create online discussion boards. Here, students might collaborate on assignments or discuss current events. Because the conversations are asynchronous (not in real time), students have extra time to formulate their thoughts before posting on the message board. This, of course, encourages all students to participate in conversations--not just those who are verbal and quick to respond within the classroom. In particular, English language learners and students with special needs seem to benefit from this type of communication (Larson, 2009).  

Blogs and wikis. For collaboratively sharing and receiving information, blogs and wikis are becoming increasingly common in K-12 settings. Blogs, or weblogs, are easily created websites that can be quickly published and updated from any Internet connection. Wikis, by nature, are collaborative webspaces where anyone can edit content (think of Wikipedia). Before creating a classroom blog, teachers should first introduce their students to a wide variety of already published blogs as models. Blogs and wikis generally do not contain vast amounts of static content but rather reflections and conversations that are frequently updated (Richardson, 2010). Blogger (www.blogger.com) and Wiki Spaces (www.wikispaces.com) are two free, user-friendly resources.

Start Communicating!
While literacy has always been a social phenomenon, the integration of technology and the emergence of new literacies bring social components even more to the forefront as access to computers and the Internet clearly invite new forms of social interaction and opportunities to share ideas and information (Leu, 2002). Online communication tools provide students and teachers with a plethora of options for expanding learning beyond their classroom and interacting and collaborating with people from all around the world.

Sources:

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2007). National educational technology standards for students: The next generation. Retrieved from www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx

Larson, L. C. (2009). Reader response meets new literacies: Empowering readers in online learning communities. The Reading Teacher, 62(8), 638-648.

Leu, D. J., Jr. (2002). The new literacies: Research on reading instruction with the Internet. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J. Samuels (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 310–336.

November, A. (2010). Empowering students with technology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Partnership for 21st Century Schools. (2009). Framework for 21st century learning. Retrieved from www.p21.org

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful Web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.