We The Teachers - Module 5 Tool

We The Teachers:

1) Name of the Tool: 

2) URL of the Tool: http://www.wetheteachers.com/profile.php?id=60439

3) Please select the one, primary category for this tool: Networking/Social Tool

4) Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words.

This a Networking/ Social communication tool for teachers. The teachers sign up for free. It does not require a ".edu" email address however you need to confirm the email. Once signed you may invite teachers to be your chat bodies, you may join a group, have a forum discussion. Another important feature is uploading lessons' plan. The other teachers will rate your lesson plans and if you get high rates that will increase your "clout" which means increasing your rating influence on other teachers' work. The more lessons' plans you upload and the higher rates you get, the higher your clout is. The tool also allows uploading files and sending messages to other teachers. Educational apps (see screenshot below) can be downloaded for free.

5) Try using the Tool (you may need to sign up for a free or trial account) so that you will learn how it works and what its capabilities are - and so that you will be able to answer the following questions.

6) What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)

      Basic Computer and Internet skills

7) What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)
      Computer and Internet Access

      

8) How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)

     1- Sign in and confirm email sent to you after signing in

     2- Upload lesson plans

     3- Rate other teachers' lesson plans

     4- Add teachers as friends

     5- Communicate and network with other subscriber teachers around the globe.

9) Locate or create your own example of an educational resource created with this tool and discuss what you found or created. Also, please include the URL for this example or embed it into your blog post, if applicable.


The tool is social networking tool. Lessons plans can be uploaded. It does not create new educational resources however allows you to share them with others.

10) Include screenshots, audio podcasts, screencasts, or other multimedia elements that help describe the tool and how you used it. (Please indicate what program you used for this task.)


Voicethread link: 


http://voicethread.com/share/3224011/

11) Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).


 This tool can be used to communicate between teachers. Teachers can get ideas and download lessons' plans from other teachers. They also get feedback from other teachers about their lessons' plans. This feedback will be useful to enhance the instruction. The discussion forums and message features allow asynchronous communication between teachers. The tool is mainly for K12 teachers however a group of Higher Education educators can for a group to discuss their work, instructions, lessons' plans. In that case the rating will be done by fewer other instructors but would be still valuable.

12) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment? 

     Advantages: Simple to use, rating of your instruction by other teachers, communication and networking between educators, exchange of ideas, can download instructions done by other teachers (not re-inventing the wheel)

    Disadvantages: Does not include students, mainly K12 teachers, anyone with an email address can sign (no educator verification)

13) Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?

      I recommend this toold to K12 teachers. High Ed instructors may not find it suitable for them.