Chapter 17: Modeling with Structured Computer Conferences

This reflection will be in regard to my experience exploring the structured discussion board entitled, Convince Me.  I felt the site was very user friendly with regard to adding your argument of choice, and then once another user posted an opposing argument it was very easy to post a rebuttal.  You can also read through each argument and decide if you feel convinced or not based off of what you have read in relation to the posting.  I had to convince other users that synchronous discussion boards were better than asynchronous discussion boards, using valid examples and discussion of two tools that can be used to exemplify synchronous discussion boards.  I explored Skype and discovered how useful it is for chatting and instant messaging for the user.  It is a quick way to communicate within a group at a particular time if a specific project is in need of collaborative effort.  I also thought it was important to emphasize how awesome Google docs has been throughout the many projects we have completed throughout this course.  This is a synchronous discussion board with many beneficial tools that make discussion and collaboration into a project that can involve and display personal creativity and meaning for all members of a group.

I would use and apply the different tools that have been introduced to me such as discussion boards to explore scientific current event topics, and I would use Google docs as a place for students to collaborate and create documents that discuss these events.  For example, my students could collaborate and create interactive documents about earthquakes in relation to the current event that just happened in Japan.  Maybe one could discuss the environmental impacts that have occurred because of the nuclear meltdown, and use Convince Me to discuss what may happen in the future because of the nuclear contamination that has happened in the area.  Will biodiversity decrease in flora and fauna?  If so when and why might this be the case?  As a teacher I could create asynchronous screencasts about these current events and provide some background information to the students about each current event.  This will allow me to bring real-world situations into the classroom and create interactive documents that start discussion or debate and invoke the students cognitive processes.  Modeling with synchronous and asynchronous discussion boards are valuable tools that allow students to create communities of learning using verbal models as a means of conceptual change.  I feel pairing these tools with scientific current events that foster reflection and debate is an ideal way to keep up with the dynamic field of science and the new discoveries that are made every day.  Here is a link to my synchronous discussion board argument, and my rebuttal posts to my classmates on Convince Me.