Journal 6- Online Meetings

Online meetings is defined as having monthly faculty, or even parent/teacher meetings held online. There are many education circumstances that fall under this category of online meetings. It can have to do with any sort of communication online that represents solving an issue. There were other ways that teachers have used online meetings to their advantage. I saw both a positive and negative response on Classroom 2.0. Some teachers felt that this could be helpful because it seems meetings held once a month waste time. It seems as though whether or not it was help in person, or online, many teachers still felt they were held back from speaking. Faculty meetings can be more productive. What I noticed most after reading numerous entries is that the overall goal is a solution to the content of the meeting. If they are held online and an outcome is reached, then online meetings would be successful. When they are held face to face and P.E. teachers are having to attend meaningless meetings where no outcome is reached, online seems more productive. All in all, online meetings are a useful tool for educators. If a school can agree on an online meeting and the results are solutions, then online meetings would assist with a better school. However, if no one participates, and takes advantage of the situation, then the end result is poor. There needs to be a goal for any meeting, face to face or collaborative.

1.) Would you as a teacher participate in online meetings?

When I become a teacher, I hope to participate in online meetings. I am not sure how common they are right now, but it is something that I think will happen more in the future. It may be most helpful for more distant meetings, where many more people can be connected. Sort of a huge open forum, discussion. Many people would benefit from this, and therefore would be encouraged to join online meetings. They may be used with parent and teachers, and be more convenient. In addition, they save time. I still like the face-to-face interaction. That communication dynamic is important for meetings as well. There are certain circumstances that would fit for online meetings, and maybe some that still need the tone set to be effective.

2.) Do you think online meetings should be mandatory?

There is no question that some teachers may take advantage of online meetings. You can be watching television in the background without anyone knowing. There would need to be an ethic policy reminder to try and keep productivity in check. Staff meetings online should not be mandatory. Staff meetings should be held in person, because that personal interaction within communication can sometimes promote participation. When you can see body language or hear tones of voices, or other factors that come into play when discussing important matters. Often times though, a room full of people can not achieve their goal, due to interruptions etc. I believe a good balance should kept, using online meetings when convenient, or brainstorming ideas, reports, etc. But, then also still continue regular meetings to have the co-worker inter-action.

I read Asha's blog regarding "photo sharing". I like the fact that you can share so much with photos. I am a very social person and love to share photos with family and friends. It is a very easy way to stay connected. It can also be a good tool in the classroom for students to be interested in sharing photos and learning. Video streamlining is a very useful tool because you are able to have so much information at your fingertips. Students are able to be creative and have fun while expanding their knowledge.

After reading Tawn's blog about Wiki, and using it in class, I finally felt familiar with the Classroom 2.0. The "blog" can be useful for any learning situation. It is so great that educators have these useful resources to support each other. Without these collaborative findings, we would be without common knowledge.

I also read Laura's blog on "Shared Calendars". I am a huge fan of organization as well, and this is a great tool all around. It sounds like it saves a great deal of time and planning. With the view of every one's calendar, each person can stay on top of activities. When you have so many teacher's trying to coordinate, it makes sense to all be on one schedule. I have experienced the ical on MAC and it is very user friendly. In today's day and age, each school should have this free software included and mandatory!