[Year 12 IT Apps] Chat before exams

[murch at tpg.com.au]

We are in farming community area and I teach in a small country P12 school. My kids are big into 
messaging with mobile phones. Most of my year 12 students have free messaging on their phones 
after 8:00pm.  So for eg accounting they message a student (whose name I have pulled out of a 
jar) with an accounting term from a predertermined list of possible terms.  Their student then 
replies with the definition.  The first time we did it, we set reminder alarms on their phones.  
Some continued on and sent more terms and even marked the replies they received.  We try and 
do this two or three times a week as the exams loom.
Those who do not have messaging get an email from me at roughly the same time and must 
reply to me.
We do not have moodle but most kids have msn at home so I will set up some online revision 
times next week for half an hour or so. Will also look at using some of the web 2.0 sites as 
possible collaborative tools as well. Am also encouraging students to set up del.icio.us sites with 
their individual subject favourite sites for easy access during term time and revision.  This would 
include any interesting podcast sites that might be useful.
Anne Mirtschin
Hawkesdale p12 College.