Interdisciplinary Blog 2

My topic for my Interdisciplinary blog today is discussion boards.  Discussion boards are a highly effective technological resource to use for the classroom setting. They are very useful not only for students, but also for teachers who are keeping up with new advancements in their field.  Lesson plans for different disciplines, and  all around idea sessions can be found on these boards. In my research on this subject I have found several articles that provide valued information on the subject. 

The first area on discussion boards that I researched was on google groups.  In an online article by John Kennedy, Search Giant Brings popular Groups to Google Apps, the article addresses the new way that technology is changing our lifestyles, and how we do things differently with this technology.  In the article the senior product manager of Google apps says,"Blogs, Wikis, social networks, You Tube and Twitter are changing how many of us connect with others" (www.siliconrepublic.com).  This source doesn't give much resources that lead to other sources on the topic, and it was written in 2009 when discussion boards were just getting their start. Although the author does use credible sources.  This passage may be helpful in my developing thesis.

In following more research I came across Zoho Disscusion which is a helpful site on setting up communities where you can share information, and ideas with others.  In Create Public or Private Forums with Zoho Discussions written by Chelsi Nakano on www.cmswire.com I found that Zoho is an innovative tool for education.  On this site you can share "ideas through forums, conduct research, and get insights on preferences with product idea boards."  This article provides a lot of enriching ideas for my topic.

For the last area I found an article on Ning called 7 Things You Should Know About Ning.  It is a helpful article on the basics of what it is, who's doing it, and how it works.  It also gives the opposite reflections on what the downsides are of using it, and the implications for education.  This part of the article will prove to be very helpful on my topic.  The author states, "By creating social networks around academic topics, or even about specific projects for a course, an instructor can facilitate a strong sense of community among the students, encouraging personal interactions that can lead to the creation of new knowledge and collective intelligence" (www.educause.edu/eli). This last article I'm the most excited about, because of the valued information that it provides.

Discussion boards are a vital part of changing the face of education.  Being able to access other teacher's ideas in a community is a vital part of education.