North Central ESD's regional Professional Learning Communities using collaborative technologies for working together at a distance

7. The Skype dashboard where you see contacts and access tools.

8. Click the directory in your dashboard and get a search engine. Find friends.

9. Click on a contact in your dashboard and bring up their window. Click the call button.

10. You see them on top, you see yourself on the bottom as you talk. Up to five people.

11. Click the white “text chat” button to open up a text window.

14. Join a session for free without an account. Register and download to be able to create sessions.

15. The Mikogo “M” icon is in your toolbar and on your desktop. Click to start a session.

16. Select “Start Session”

17. The session gives you an information window. Email the information, or read the session ID to a colleague.

19. Go to www.google.com and click “sign in” even the first time.

20. Sign in, or create a new account.

21. You know you’re logged into your account when you see your gmail adddress above.

22. Click the “More” button, then find “Documents.”

23. Here you see all your documents. You can file them by type. You can see how many collaborators there are for each document.

24. For access to other Google Aps, create an “iGoogle” page here.

25. Choose a dashboard theme, load up gadgets that have use for you.

26. Track your gmail, FaceBook and Twitter, weather, to-do list, endless possibilities.

29. Sign up for a new account as a teacher or student. Log in at the same location.

30. Track your groups on the left, and their conversations by topics down the middle. There is live support daily.