Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

“As schools and society become more inundated with digital technology, there needs to be a structure that they can teach students (and parents) how to act with respect to this technology” (Ribble & Bailey, 2007).

DEADLINE: October 15, 2014

PURPOSE: By participating in the discussion forums you will be exposed to appropriate experiences interacting with your peers and your instructors. You are supposed to discuss ideas together. A discussion forum is only effective if you respond to others and properly engage in constructive conversation.

ASSIGNMENT: Create a discussion question that prompts your peers and instructors to react or respond (collaborate) using proper digital etiquette (communication). Reply to one of your peer's topics.

STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT:

Posting a Topic:

1. Watch or read the resources provided to come up with a discussion topic (see below) or come up with one on your own.
2. Go to the "Communications" tab at the top then click on "Discussion Board".
3. Select "Communication and Collaboration".
4. Click on "Create New Topic" button.
5. Enter a subject for your post then compose the question referencing one of the resources (using proper etiquette and grammar/ spelling).
6. Click the "Post Topic" button when complete.

Replying to a Topic:

1. In the "Discussion Board" (see steps 2 and 3 above) read  through your peers' posts.
2. Click on the "Post New Reply" button to a peer's post you choose.
3. Reply to one or more of your peer's posts, remembering to use proper digital etiquette.
4. Click "Post Reply" when complete.

TOPICS TO CONSIDER:

• ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
  • Should Orange Schools encourage or discourage this use of popular online means of communication in the curriculum? (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc..)
  • How could Orange Schools create a community culture in which communication (e.g.: speech, tweeting, email, etc.) is appropriate both on and offline?
  • Should inappropriate communication outside the school day online be punishable by the school because it disrupts the educational process?
  • How does the inappropriate use of technology affect others?
  • What rules, options, and etiquette are important when using digital communication technologies?
• CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS:
  • European Court Lets Users Erase Records on the Web: "Europe’s highest court said [in May 2014] that people had the right to influence what the world could learn about them through online searches, a ruling that rejected long-established notions about the free flow of information on the Internet." Read the article and let us know what you think.
  • From The Good Project: “When the militant group, Boko Haram, abducted hundreds of Nigerian school girls last month, the major news outlets began to report the story. Yet worldwide awareness of the crisis didn’t reach a tipping point until the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls began to circulate across Twitter and Facebook.” Do you feel social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are the appropriate places to communicate and collaborate on such issues?