The Top Ten Internet Collaborative Tools

The first two below, email and listservs, are by far the most commonly used, but the remaining options have unique benefits for education and are enjoying increased use as more teachers understand what they offer! An article on the application of these tools for K-12 instruction is available at http://lone-eagles.com/tencollab.htm and was published in the Dec/Jan. 2000 issue of Leading and Learning Magazine ( http://iste.org ). 

NOTE: The terms used to describe online discussion groups vary widely and continue to change. Here's a single resource to review to appreciate the volume of Free Web-based Collaborative Tools available http://www.kmunity.net/Free_Tools_/free_tools_.html Thanks to Casey Hughes for creating such an incredible listing!  Note that search terms are given for each section which will provide you with rich listings of additional tutorials and resources!

Tutorials:

Workplace to Workspace: Using Email Lists to work together online
By Maureen James and Liz Rykert IDRC 1998
 http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-31824-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
You'll find links to all chapters in the table of contents at the URL above,
but you're advised to  buy the book and support the generous author!)

Electronic Collaboration: A Practical Guide for Educators
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/collab/elec-collab.pdf
An outstanding resource from the U.S. Dept. of Education.

WebTeacher
http://www.webteacher.org/
One of the best collections of Internet tutorials.

Reach for the Sky
http://www.learner.org/courses/rfts/b3web.htm

Free Email accounts available at:
http://www.hotmail.com and http://www.yahoo.com

Netiquette Guidelines:

Good Summary of Netiquette
http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html

Disney's Cybernetiquette for Kids!
http://disney.go.com/cybersafety 
An educators' favorite.

For additional information search for email+tutorial*  or netiquette

Workplace to Workspace; Using Email Lists to work together online
By Maureen James and Liz Rykert IDRC 1998
 http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-31824-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
You'll find links to all chapters in the table of contents at the URL above,
but you're advised to  buy the book and support the generous author!)

Topica Groups http://www.topica.com 
Database of 84,000+ listservs plus tutorials for beginners.
Create your own free listserv discussion group.

Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com
Offers free listservs (called groups) and more

Netpals Free Listservs http://netpals.lsoft.com
Free listservs with web-based archives.

Reach for the Sky Lesson on Listservs
http://www.learner.org/courses/rfts/b4web.htm

For additional information search for listservs+tutorial*

Listservs, also known as Mailing Lists

Although not all mailing lists are the same, they are similar enough to consider one set of instructions for joining them.

1. From the databases of thousands of mailing lists below, select one that you would like to join.

http://alabanza.com/kabacoff/Inter-Links/listserv.html

http://www.topica.com See also http://groups.yahoo.com 

2. After you have selected a list, find out the following two things about the list.
   One, the e-mail address of the mailing list, and two, the formal name of the mailing list
   
3. Address an e-mail message to the electronic address of the mailing list.
   Leave the subject of the message blank or put some "x"s in it.
   
4. In the body of the message, type:

Subscribe [listname] [your first name] [your last name]

If your name is Jane Doe, and you are subscribing to a mailing list called ElemTcher, then you would type:

Subscribe ElemTcher Jane Doe

5. Send the message. After a moment (or perhaps longer) you will receive a message from the list manager computer. The message will welcoming you to the list, describing the types of discussions that take place on the list, and how you should participate. This message will also describe how to unsubscribe from the list if you should decide to leave it. Be sure you keep this information so you can unsubscribe when you want to!

Three Great Mailing Lists

Hilites: Collection of high-quality classroom-based collaborative learning projects.

1. Formal Name: Hilites

Send the message "sub hilites your name" to majordomo@gsn.org

2. Formal Name: Nethappenings keeps you up on new happenings

Send the message "sub NET-HAPPENINGS your name" to listserv@lists.internic.net

3. World Wide Web in Education: WWWEDU has over 1600 members
from 35 countries.
Formal Name: WWWEDU
Send the message "sub WWWEDU your name" to listproc@ready.cpb.org

Tutorial:
Reach for the Sky
http://www.learner.org/courses/rfts/b5web.htm

Google Groups
http://groups.google.com/googlegroups/deja_announcement.html    See also http://groups.yahoo.com
Create your own free newsgroup!

For additional information search for newsgroups+tutorial*

The Ultimate Bulletin Board
http://www.infopop.com/

Discovery Channel School BBSES
http://discoveryschool.com
Now called "conversations" and are found in the student and teacher sections.

Outstanding BBS definitions, examples and more
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/bbs.htm

For additional information search for BBSES+tutorial*

Free Web-based Collaborative Tools available
http://www.kmunity.net/Free_Tools_/free_tools_.html
Thanks to Casey Hughes for creating such an incredible listing!

Grant Bowman's Listing of Collaborative Tools
http://www.grantbow.com/groupware.html Outstanding!

David Woolley’s Guides and Clearinghouse:
http://www.thinkofit.com/webconf/

For additional information search for web+conferencing+tutorial*

Tutorial:  (Search for IRC+tutorials)

Free Chat for your Web Site

MultiChat
http://www.multicity.com 

ParaChat
http://www.parachat.com

Beseen.com 
http://beseen.com

ICQ
http://www.icq.com

AOL Instant Messenger
http://www.aol.com

PeopleLink
http://www.peoplelink.com

Sample Sites: Search for "IRC" OR search for Internet+Relay+Chat

Introduction to MUDS and MOOS
http://www.musenet.org/bkort/WCE
Good Introduction by Barry Kort!

Educational Use of MUDS/MOOS
http://tecfa.unige.ch/edu-comp/WWW-VL/eduVR-page.html

Model Sample Application: The Pueblo Project
www.pc.maricopa.edu/community/pueblo
Using MUD's and MOOS with elementary Native American students
and others.

Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.lysator.liu.se/mud/faq/faq1.html

Hands-on examples:
http://angalon.tamu.edu/
A gaming site but a good example of a MUD.

For additional information search for MUDS+tutorials or MOOS+tutorials

Real Audio Sites with Software and Tutorials
http://real.com Free software for Internet radio and more.

International Radio Stations
http://goan.com/radio.html

Phone Free
http://phonefree.com
Free software to make free Internet phone calls.

Webex.com
http://webex.com
One of the fastest growing companies. Software allows 2 way audio,
co-browsing and swapping control of various computers between users
as a sophisticated mentoring and teaching tool.

Centranow
http://www.centranow.com
Commercial service offering voice over Internet services. Free demo conference calls available.

Hearme
http://hearme.com
Audio over Internet software and services.

Internet Radio Resources
http://www.nexus.org/Internet_Radio/

For additional information search for Iphone or Internet+radio

Yahoo's Broadcast.com
http://broadcast.yahoo.com/home.html
Wide variety of audio and video content

Quicktime video tutorials/software:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime

Earthcam Web Camera Sites
http://www.earthcam.com

Leonard’s CAM World
http://www.leonardsworlds.com/camera.html
Look out of Internet cameras worldwide!

For additional information search for
desktop video conferencing+tutorial*

VRML Works
http://hiwaay.net/~crispen/vrml

The 3D Web Consortium
http://www.vrml.org and http://www.web3d.org/vrml/vrml.htm

Worldnet 3D chat "worlds."
http://www.worlds.net
Free demo software available!

Digispace 3D Chat "worlds"
http://www.digitalspace.com/traveler/
Another 3D chat world to explore

For additional information search for VRML+tutorial*