Choosing Communication Tools

Quite many of tools can be used to achieve the goals. After you know what is your need, make enquiries (headmaster, city/county education officials, in-service teacher training centres etc.). Some countries and regions provide licences for certain software or have made contracts of access to usage with service providors. One alternative is open software; somebody has to upload it and make configurations so that it can be used.

Choosing a specific tool or tools to communication and project collaboration, these kind of things are good to analyze:

• purpose
• experience of web-based tools or other asynchronous or synchronous communication
• resources (financial and other)
• time limit.

Common ways of using synchronous communication and asynchronous communication tools

• use e-mail for correspondence between two individuals
• use mailing lists to inform
• use chats for meetings
• use newsgroups for discussions
• use web publishing to communicate static information
• use videoconferencing to share perspectives, results, knowledge etc.

Choosing videconference facilities

How I know which option to choose?
Old saying 'Money talks' is relevant with choosing the equipments. Schools normally can't invest a lot to quipments, no matter how good and sophiscated they are. So group videoconrencing is reserved quite often to those who can afford many times the money needed to a brand new computer with videoconferencing system. But there can be a possibility to use group vc-system nearby your school.

Technology is rapidly moving towards the IP usage for many reasons, and one of them is money: the connection costs are much less in using Internet. But there isn't just merely plusses with IP...

[More info: Videoconferencing]

See the guide (PDF) produced in INSET On-Line project .

Netmeeting

Collaboration over Internet with broadband connections is one option for schools. It's less expensive to acquite and use, it can also be extended with tv screens or data projector etc. to serve usage with more than 2 - 4 people.

[More info]

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