It's the 21st century and our students are constantly "plugged in" to their electronic devices. Whether they are watching YouTube videos, texting, scrolling through social media, or conducting research, they have 24/7 access to the world. We need to start effectively using this knowledge within our classrooms and to our (both student and teacher) advantage.

Why is it important for our students to be able to communicate and collaborate using technology? Take an inventory of your environment. Do you have a mobile device? A TV? A computer? How do you typically receive news about your community or the world? I can guarantee that the majority of the time is NOT from newsprint. Our world is communicating instantaneously through technology and our students need to be able to do the same.

The traditional lines of communication and collaboration are being blurred through the use of technology. Many businesses are beginning to feel that even email is an outdated tool. They are beginning to look at new technologies, such as, Google Apps, as a quicker and more effective way to communicate and collaborate.
Knowing this about the job market, it is important that teachers make the necessary adjustments to better prepare our learners for their futures. Making these changes in the way we conduct lessons, has the added bonus of increasing classroom community (working together beyond the classroom walls) and student engagement in the lessons (using tools that are familiar and relative to their future goals).

Activities can appear differently within classrooms. For example, some students may prefer to take notes in a traditional, paper-and-pencil manner, while other students may prefer to take notes on Evernote. I like to offer my students multiple tools to perform the same task. This way, my students can decide which tool will work for the activity and allow them to communicate and collaborate with their peers effectively. It is imperative, though, that you are familiar with the tools you offer in order to help troubleshoot (until they become experts!).

In education and the globalized world, it is becoming even more imperative that we safely connect our students to each other and the world around them, as well as, connecting parents to their child’s classroom.
Google Apps such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Sites, provide whole new ways for students to collaborate on assignments. Google Classroom even provides an opportunity for a teacher to communicate to students and parents outside of the classroom. Blogging offers the ability for students and teachers to share with the community about the daily happenings in their room. Social media, by far, is the easiest to access and share quick information bites and reminders to students and parents. But if you are not inspired by these few suggestions, I highly recommend you explore other Web 2.0 tools that are available to you and your learners at the click of a button.
Remember, by using these many available (and familiar) technologies correctly and effectively, we could build communication and collaboration within and beyond the four walls of the classroom.

IMAGE RESOURCES

SLIDE 1: Galvez, T. (2011). Flat classroom 2011. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1DVIOlY

SLIDE 2: Taker, T. (2011). Technology. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1aVxppE

SLIDE 3: Fischer, E. (2012). World travel and communications recorded on Twitter. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1FCmAWg

SLIDE 4: Dooley, K. (2013). Social network. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1Oq1z2s

SLIDE 5: Maiden, E. (2011). Classroom. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1aVHmDs

SLIDE 6: Symo0. (2011). Technology. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1EqFzln

SLIDE 7: C_. (2009). Web 2.0 logo deadpool. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1O4WkDg