Discussion 3.1

Meeting virtually is a whole new way of getting work done for me. My group and I used Facebook chat as the platform for our meeting. We were unable to connect the video calling. The Facebook chat is similar to instant messaging and could be a great tool in the classroom. This would be a great way for teachers to connect when they are separated geographically, across campus, or in a lab. The platform allows multiple people into the session so that the collaboration can be multi-level. It might be a little awkward looking at a colleague's Facebook page. I am not sure if I would be comfortable using the platform with parents. One reason why I would not like to use the platform with parents is because they would have to "friend" me on Facebook. That connection can be too personal when you are trying to have a professional relationship with the parents of the students. When there has to be a lot of typing involved it takes a measure of patience. Often times when having a discussion with parents there needs to be a level of clarity, and not a lot of room for interpretation. They could misinterpret my words as they read the responses. I think the platform is best used when there is already a level of understanding between the two parties. The benefits of the Facebook platform are that it is easy to use, it doesn't require any installation, and multiple people can chat at the same time. Drawbacks of the platform include too much personal information available and the video calling component needs to be downloaded. With the platforms available to students and teachers today, can synchronous learning replace the traditional classroom when it comes to interaction?