We often tend to think more of the 'Information' part of ICT, but we must not underestimate the 'Communications' aspect. There are four main ways in which electronic communication can be used:

1. E-mail
   This is the most familiar - it's a useful cross between writing someone a letter and making a telephone call. It's also useful for sending larger, previously created documents to someone as 'attachments'. E-mail communication is not public and if a response is expected one has to rely on the recipient checking their 'mailbox' regularly.

2. Bulletin or Message Boards
   These are public in that anyone can 'post' a message or question on a board and it appears immediately and can be read by anyone. If you click here to visit the Redbridge RE Network Message Board you'll see questions being answered and people exchanging ideas and having public discussions.

   The only disadvantages are that message boards are usually owned by commercial companies which have advertisements on the site, and if someone posts an 'unsuitable' message, it appears immediately, until the owner of the site sees it and removes it. However the advantages probably outweigh the disdvantages. It's a bit like a Chinese 'News Wall'. It would be good to see more Redbridge RE teachers taking part on the Network Board, so send a message - you'd be surprised who might respond!

3. ICQ or IRC
   ICQ stands for 'I seek You' and IRC stands for 'Internet Relay Chat'. You have to download some software which allows you to see when other people who also have the program are on-line. If they are, you can either send them an immediate message to which they can instantly reply (like instant e-mail) or you can set up a 'chat' box. This opens a window where what you type is replicated immediately in another window on the recipient's computer. Similarly what they type appears in a window on your computer. This is a bit like having a telephone conversation - and you can have one with anyone anywhere in the world but only at the cost of a local call. You can even have a chat with several people at once - a department meeting perhaps, with members being in different places.

4. Websites
   This is where you send a message to the webmaster of a website and it then gets published at some later time. A good example is the 'Old Girls' Network' which I set up on my school's website - it too has the advantage of being public and moderated, but obviously it's not very immediate. Click here to see Woodford's 'OGN'. If you think we ought to have something similar on the Redbridge RE Network site, let me know.