Join.Me



=﻿Join.Me=

Free Screen Sharing Software
Join.me is an online tool for sharing a computer screen with others. This free software is incredibly easy to use and has an impressive variety of tools. The individual who desires to share his or her screen needs simply to visit [|http://join.me] and click on the brightly colored "Share" button.



After clicking share, this user will be given a variety of options for inviting others to view his/her screen. An email invitation can be sent to others directly from the site. A nine digit number can also be copy/pasted to post on a class webpage/blog/etc. Or the nine-digit number could simply be told to others. People wishing to view this screen need simply to click on the link given to them, or they can visit join.me, enter the nine digit number, and they will be given a live view of the first user's screen.



Once screen sharing has been enabled, control of the mouse/pointer can be granted to any number of individuals by the original user. Documents can be shared with other users with a few simple clicks. And a phone number is also created for that particular session. Anyone who calls that phone number (and enters a code) will be linked to a conference call. This call can facilitate up to 250 individuals.

The strength of this software is in its simplicity. For as little work as it takes to use, it packs an incredible amount of power. The ridiculously large number of participants it can facilitate makes it better than most free webconferencing tools. The phone number allows for voice-to-voice discussions, although having to have a separate tool (a telephone) to use it is a bit cumbersome. However, the fact that nothing needs to ever be downloaded is a huge plus, especially if being used at school. Additionally, there is a chat feature that can be used by all participants.

One of the only other weaknesses is that documents can only be shared with one individual at a time.

Overall, this is a fabulous tool to enable communication for students and/or teachers. While some computer labs have tools built in such as LAN Schools, this would be an excellent tool for a classroom without it, or without a projector. A teacher could demonstrate a process to students, or even allow students to help control the creation of something online.

Finally, this would be a great tool for group work, as students could access this from home and communicate in a variety of ways with their group members once they have left the classroom. With no downloads and a very easy learning curve, students could quickly connect with other students, or even with a teacher, for help outside of school.