After using Google hangout with Katie, I can see its benefits in terms of collaboration with other teachers.
I have seen the benefit of Skype and Google hangout in my graduate program. A lot of professors prefer using those tools than having actual office hours as it is much more flexible. Further, you can bring in multiple people to discuss a particular question or problem.
I think this might be a particularly useful tool for places like the Literacy Center or the IRC. Perhaps we could have students staffed that could take questions from other students that are in class. It would help to have students explain topics to each other and give a teacher more resources to work with other students.
Depending on the class or topics, perhaps you could also have guest speakers reach the class via the hangout. This might expose students to real world applications of what they are learning in class.
I really love the idea of using Google Hangout for a sort of office hours. Say student are studying for an exam: you could set up "office hours" (maybe after many students are done with afterschool activities) and they could invite you to hangout with them while they are studying. This way you could guide them through difficult tasks in the comfort of your home and theres.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Google Hangout has a feature where you can screenshare. This way, you can be in your PJs and the student would never know: all they would see would be your screen.