Are teachers truly preparing students for a future in a global economy? Our classrooms are the perfect environment to model collaboration and cooperation in order to achieve a larger, defined goal. Technology tools have provided ways that students can collaborate and learn from each other within their own classroom or with someone in another classroom halfway around the world. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski list five basic components that must be considered when designed a collaborative activity:
1. Positive interdependence (sink or swim together)
2. Face-to-face, promotive interaction (Helping each other to learn, applauding efforts and successes)
3. Individual and group accountability (each of us has to contribute to the group achieving its goal)
4. Interpersonal and small-group skills (communication, trust, leadership, decision making, conflict resolution)
5. Group processing (reflecting on how well the team is functioning and how to function even better)
Technology can aid in the creation of group projects that meet these requirements and that facilitate a social learning environment. One type of project is the multi-media project. Differentiation can be achieved with the flexibility in assigning the roles. Students are able to be assessed while completing the portion of the project that plays to their interests or strengths. Social learning comes into play when a student can take on a role in which they are the expert, and the group can learn from each other.
Another useful technology tool is the Webquest, a task where students are required to use their knowledge instead of just researching to find it. An interesting site to look at is San Diego State University’s Webquest, the original Webquest. You can find it at: http://webquest.org . The site lists many helpful exemplars if you are thinking of creating one for a class.
The last thing that I will share is the idea of having your students collaboratively create a Voicethread. This week, our assignment was to create a Voicethread that could be used in our classroom. The video that I watched had a drawing that a boy had posted with his description. People had left comments and you could listen to the comments when you were viewing the picture. It gave me the idea for a Voicethread that I could use at the beginning of a Civil Right’s unit that I teach in which the comments that the students left would help all of students to learn from each other and would give me an idea of what their frame of reference was before starting the unit. You can view my Voicethread here:
http://voicethread.com/share/2908312/
I agree with your comment about using group projects and social learning to allow students to use their strengths in a group setting. I think that this teaches students how to be a part of a team and work together to accomplish a common goal. My students do this and I find that students excel in areas where they were weak because they can learn from more advanced students.
ReplyDeleteI have never done very well grouping my students. Occasionally I get a good fit, but it has been rare. I like what cooperative learning has to offer in each student bringing strengths to the group. What sort of things do you suppose teachers can do to get solid groups together? Also, how would you go about making that sink or swim together scenario work rather than the entire load of work being shoved off on one or two students in a group?
ReplyDeleteMaureen, I am confused. What are you trying to achieve with this lesson plan? Are you trying to get every student to post a comment in the hopes that all the kids will listen to each other and learn from each other. If so, it is a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried a group project? I have found them to be a nightmare even with an airtight rubric. I had a lot of issues with parents complaining about grades. I don't have much wiggle room in my math curricullum to deviate off path.
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas. I have never had a lot of success with social learning in my classroom. I, like Allen, do have much time to vary away from our state standards, all ten thousand of them LOL. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteMaureen, I do agree that technology aids in helping to develop the instruction in our classrooms. Children are naturally into technology and building knowledge through incorporating what they already know really helps to engage students in learning. I love the idea of integrating collaborative projects that require students to work together. This really helps students to understand what they are doing because they gain more ideas and have more tools to work with. In my classroom, the use of iPads and netbooks do encourage my students to complete math projects.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your VoiceThread. I like the way that you turned a handout or worksheet into an interactive tool for them to use. It's funny that they will be discovering the same informatio as if it was a worksheet, but I bet that you get more interest in it because you made it something realted to technology. Nice.
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