The reason I have chosen ICT in TESOL as my special module – and I made this choice very quickly 😆 – is because I realised that ever since I had to store my first thesis on a floppy disk, the way the world communicates has changed radically. In fact, I would dare to say that the communication barely existed before the Internet. What people once called communication was mostly possible in person. The other ways of communication were difficult or were taking a long time. We now look at some “ancient” technologies as a sign of our real age 🤠and marvel at what we can do or rather what modern technologies can do for us today.
What is it?
So, communication. This week we are testing the online collaboration tools and I have to tell you - it is a real re-vo-lu-tion! They allow - no more no less - travelling in no time and transformation from physical to digital space. In education, the whiteboard, an epicentre of the classroom has made a digital shift in recent years too, combining the advantages of visual thinking and collaboration with the virtuosity and convenience of technology. Forget the messy chalk on blackboards (shush 🤫 age)! Confidently keeping its position in the top 10 of online whiteboards is Conceptboard which I am going to review this time.
Is it useful?
Although this platform is mostly used in marketing and project planning in business, it is primarily a service that provides a whiteboard online space that could be used successfully in teaching and learning. Its versatile applications include:
♾Infinite canvas – no borders to how big the whiteboard could be
⏱ Real time collaboration as well as asynchronous modifications
📑 Various templates
👀 Range of visual tools, such as sketches, sticky notes, shapes, easy drag&drop function for images, videos and other files
🗂 Ability to attach files – allowing you to make presentations, explanation of new concepts or online tutorials
↖️ My favourite – live cursors – allows everyone to be an interactive ongoing participant!
Any concerns?
🤔 Zoom function is too sensitive
🤔 Internet access is needed
🤔 Only two languages supported
🤔 Multiple layouts on the same canvas can get too cluttered
Online collaboration tools like Conceptboard, as the description suggests, support collaboration and interaction in the classroom which is a vital part of language learning process. Also, teaching learners online means that teachers provide opportunities for them to develop the whole new range of useful skills, such as managing their learning and developing confidence in taking initiative and risks (autonomy), peer feedback or editing and brainstorming activities (meaningful interaction). There is still a valid role for a teacher to support the development of these skills.
There are many other online collaborative tools in the market. If you are interested in finding out which one works better for you, then go and explore as they all have their own benefits:
