Teaching Tip: Understanding Chat Rooms

Kids, and adults, of all ages are chatting online. If you are involved in teaching children or integrating technology in the classroom, it makes good sense to understand chat rooms. A chat “room” is a virtual space or place that people go to on the Internet to talk with others.

Chat room services are provided by American Online (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), MSN Live and many others. Users create unique screen names to join chat rooms in which all of the members of the room can see what the others are posting to the space. These rooms typically have a general, although often inaccurate, topic for conversation. People in a chat room can see the screen names of the other members in the room and check out their individual profile.

An online profile is a page, located within the chat service, that is for listing information about the user. The user can put just about any information they care to about themselves. Due to the huge number of users, the terms of service agreements people agree to when they join are rarely policed. However, the chat services are very good about shutting down violators of the terms of service when it is brought to their attention.

Members of chat rooms can send instant messages or have voice conversations if their computer is properly equipped with a microphone and speakers. Almost all desktop, laptop and handheld computers purchased in the last two years come with this equipment.

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Internet Safety Protecting Children in an Online World