A discussion forum is a tool on internet which allowed several people to exchange ideas, information, and much more with each other. Also, it can be used as a ‘’question tool’’ if you can not find the answer to your questions, or simply advice according to their issues. There are several discussion forum like myspace
http://www.lennykravitzonline.fr/img/actu/myspace.jpg
and many other forum. From these tools, we can also download information, video, picture, music, according to which site we are using. It can be great for school. School can use discussion forum for several reasons: save local, expand lecture or discussion they had in class, adding information, doing test, homework and much more. This can be a great tool to familiarize children with technology. Technology is surrounding us; we can show them how to use it properly, to make them develop critical thoughts throughout fun activity. Most of the kids that I know play Xbox 360,
Playsation 3, Wii etc… or PC games. They know and understand that it is a great part of their lives. They are good at it. So let’s use this to teachers’ advantage, and use discussion forums or blogs. Children need to express themselves. We often eared children that they can’t express themselves… that you ignore them and so on. This is the perfect tool to make them express themselves… they can’t be afraid of being judge because it is less personnel of the net, which can help shy people to make their points valid, or simply express them, and their thoughts. Many shy people use video games to help their shyness because they don’t know the other person which they are talking to. They, if they have the proper system, communicate with complete strangers, and use strategies to win. We can use the same principle with discussion forum; providing the same aspect of people not being scared to share information or thoughts with other. It is true that it might be a dangerous tool because some people might use it as hurting people, trying to steal personnal information, but it’s really rare on discussion forum. Good advertising, good preparation of the teacher, and give specific task to do to children with make discussion forum a great tool for sharing information. There are some sites that for example, http://www.gamespot.com/ , which is a gamer site where people can talk about games. It sounds interesting. It is possible to make it as interesting for both sex, and to apply the concept for school. We know that, most of the time, girls like to chat within their group, and boys like to talk about sports and etc… why couldn’t we use those to attributes and make them talk, write, create video and share on discussion forum for school, or pedagogic class, to help them as individual. ? There are some ways where we can use discussion forum and media to our advantages. Teacher needs to step up and learn new technologies, to remain up to date, and to keep focus on children to make them interested, and if possible, use this as an anti-dropping school.
