School 2.0 in SA

Every now and again a really special new tool comes to light which really gives you a WOW feeling and this morning I was introduced to such a tool by Jabiz Raisdana (intrepidteacher via my twitter network). The tool (in context) can be found at (http://etherpad.com/R4WrUC2bwX).  Jabiz used this tool to create a letter to parents regarding “taking his learners and their material online”. The idea is that anybody (and I mean anybody) can just jump in and help him to write the letter- real-time- with no fuss or registration.

The real magic for me is that apart from actually creating the document real-time with others, you can actually see people adding their 2c worth. For the first time I felt as if I am literally working next to someone, watching what they are doing as they are doing it, while working on the document simultaneously.  There is also a space to discuss what you are doing or make comments on what the other person is doing. This tool therefore makes working together really tangible and “connected”.

We have been working together on Wiki’s and Google docs (to name but a few), for some time now, but none of them had the real time power coupled with discussion as Etherpad does. If you think about Google docs, it is always a big process to get everybody onboard before they can contribute. It requires sending an email, and all collaborators must have a Google Docs account before they can contribute. Google Docs also does not highlight who typed what, which makes effortless tracking cumbersome. When I work with groups of people in a workshop/class situation, this process can become a real inhibiting factor to the actual outcome of your endeavour with the emphasis on the tool and not the learning process.

So to summarise the advantages of using Etherpad:

• Documents are created on the fly (No registration needed) – the Url becomes the entry point
• Documents are edited on the fly (No registration needed)
• You can actually see edits being done and by whom as
• Every collaborator’s input is highlighted in a different colour
• Discussion facility
• Instantaneous (real-time)
• Supports infinite undos and ensures that every operation is forever undo-able, even in the presence of other editors.

Cons:

• New free service- might become paid for later
• Security: No choice of private or public pad. The url is the only point of entry. There are (/will be) self hosting/paid for hosted private “pads” available in future.
• Does not support rich text or embedding widgets or html. Only text based

How can we use it for teaching and learning?

I can think of so many ways, I can barely breathe…..

• Creating standardised letters as Jabiz has done: Letter to ask parents’ permission to engage them in social media tools http://etherpad.com/R4WrUC2bwX
• Having a brainstorming session online
• For online meetings
• Creating policy documents
• To see more examples of how people are using it, click here

I am definitely going to start creating standardised letters and material for my teachers to participate in and will give feedback on how it went. Maybe I should hold our next Maths literacy meeting in Etherpad??