21st Century Classroom Networking

After doing a bit of research on community web-based portals for schools, I realized that there is already a Canadian system out there that has been developed in Markham and it is available at some schools in Ontario.

This product, FirstClass, was developed by a company called SoftArc. It claims to create a “secure, networked environment with applications such as e-mail, instant messaging, calendars, contact management, workgroup collaboration, document sharing, file storage, web publishing, blogging, podcasting, and unified voice and fax messaging.”

It appears to be a flexible system for schools because it is set-up on the school’s existing web server. Right away, the school can have a website and messaging, among many other services. It can also run on Windows, OS or UNIX systems which makes it even more appealing to several school boards.

In one article about the product, a professor at Georgian College in Barrie is quoted. Kathryn Cook says: “One trend in academic literature is that computer conferencing is an educational technology that really works. That’s because there’s interaction in the form of a written dialogue.”

This is so true. That’s the reason I have a problem with a number of the CD Rom programs offered by OSAPAC. There is no interactivity. The user inputs the disc in their computer, and works with the system with not a lot of real feedback or discussion. The FirstClass system appears to be very interactive. Teachers and students can instant message or conference with each other in a secure environment. Students have access to Internet research, and e-mail too.

There are several schools already using this technology in the United States. The Toronto District School board also uses the FirstClass system.

Websites used to research this blog entry:

http://www.softarc.com/FC83/

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_March_9/ai_54051323