Virtual+Collaboration

=Web 2.0 Hot Spot =

Developed by Mr. Scott Staub

 * Virtual Collaboration

GoToMeeting [|www.GoToMeeting.com] ** Easy Online meetings--anytime and anywhere for businesses. GoToMeeting is great for sales presentations, meet and collaborate with associates, and even deliver training. GoToMeeting offers VoIP or cell phone setup for voice.

GoToMeeting requires you to sign up using a credit card for the 30 day free trial that allows you to meet with 19 virtual members. A small program must be downloaded to your computer also. The application is more for business uses. After the 30 day trial, the application's plans can become quite costly. There are better and free virtual meeting applications that are better suited for education.

[|www.wiziq.com]
 * WiZiQ **

Teachers and students can connect and meet live in the Virtual Classroom for an online interactive class. The collaborative web conferencing environment enables you to communicate synchronously using video and audio or through text chat, and to share presentations, documents and images on an interactive whiteboard. The best part--it's free with no downloads necessary. WiziQ is a Flash-based platform that can be used in any browser or operating system. Any session is recorded and can be viewed for 30 days. Plus you can search for recorded sessions and play any session that you are interested in watching. The recorded sessions will even show the chat talk that was displayed during the presentation.

**Elluminate [|www.elluminate.com]**
 * Elluminate //Live!//** enables instructors and students to interact and collaborate in real time to add synchronous content to asynchronous distance learning or combine blended online/onsite learning activities. Engage more people in more ways to promote active learning and improve student performance.

**DimDim** [|www.dimdim.com]

Dimdim is a free web conferencing service where you can share your desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk and broadcast via webcam with absolutely no download required for attendees.

Some key features:
 * It’s Free, Easy & Open!
 * No Install to Start/Join meetings
 * Easily Share your Desktop
 * Audio & Video Conferencing
 * Present PowerPoint and PDFs
 * Private & Public Chat
 * Whiteboard & Annotations
 * Record and Playback Meetings
 * Open Source

**Wimba** Wimba collaboration services for online and blended education enable schools to bridge technology and pedagogy by supplementing online learning platforms with many of the proven disciplines of in-person learning environments.Wimba offers the most comprehensive collaboration suite that enables school administrators and teachers with a unique collaborative approach that enhances learning, optimizes student achievement, addresses diverse learning styles, and contributes to the teaching and mastery of 21st Century skills.(http://www.wimba.com/solutions/k-12/)

Wimba is another way to provide a real-time online classroom meeting place. Wimba is used with Blended Schools.

**Skype** [|www.skype.com] Skype is a communications tool that can be downloaded from the Internet for free. It very similar to other instant messengers such as AIM, MSN, etc. However, Skype was designed mainly as an educational tool to bring together people, students, and teachers. Skype has a video component as well that can be used with a webcam to display a live video of a guest speaker or share an event/location online. It is an inexpensive way of bringing a guest speaker or expert into your class or collaborate with other teachers and students from around the world.

http://www.oovoo.com/ With ooVoo, you can connect with anyone, anytime–through video calls, phone, text and more. Use ooVoo to get face-to-face time with people you might not see in person (while saving the time and expense of travel). Here are some features on ooVoo that make life easier and more fun: High resolution video conferencing, Chat, IM, pay-for land line calls, and privacy controls. ooVoo has many of the same features as Skype.
 * ooVoo **

**Skype vs. ooVoo**

**Similarities**   [|Skype is a Valuable Educational Tool] podcast
 *  Both free downloads
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Multiple user chat feature
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> IM feature
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Paid voice calling feature
 * Differences**
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Skype allows 1 to 1 video conferences
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> ooVoo allows up to 3 in a video conference
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Skype works better for Macs
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> ooVoo allows you to send a web address to join a video conference
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Skype has unlimited file transfer.
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> ooVoo has better video quality. ooVoo would be the better application for video conferencing.
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Skype is more popular and accessible.
 * <span style="font-size: 130%; color: rgb(15, 0, 0);"> Skype is considered safer for students.