How can your students benefit from collaboration? As one major theme of the 21st Century Framework, collaborative sites offer the ability for students use their strengths, consider multiple viewpoints, and to truly operate like a professional in the real world. Because all students will eventually grow up to serve on professional teams that may or may not even be within the same geographical area, teaching students to work collaboratively now is of great importance.
The inclusion of collaborative tools in the curriculum provides motivation of students to become more engaged in reading and writing, to think critically, and, therefore, to submit higher quality work. We may have heard about the student that said, "When I write for my teacher, it's just for my teacher. But when I publish online, I'm writing for the world." When the student is writing for the world, they are also allowing contributions through comments and replies.
Not only can the use of collaborative tools incorporate learning across social, cultural, and physical barriers, but it can also provide for an extended school day or expanded classroom walls. Students, experts, mentors, observers, and even the teacher can work together after school hours, which allows others to build upon their present knowledge through collaboration.
My favorite collaborative activity that I used in my classroom was a time that I worked with another teacher in my district to establish what we called "blog buddies." The teacher and I paired our students and taught them protocols for responding, which included "no cheerleading," an idea derived from this article, meaning that "good job!" and "nice work!" were not allowed. Instead, comments and responses had to provide challenges to enhance instruction and the thought process. We saw great potential with this, but we did not anticipate how collaboration would motivate, develop understandings, and contribute to the academic success of all students.
Social networking and collaboration is sometimes frowned upon in classrooms and schools because, let's face it, it's a scary world out there. However, social networking is what students do when they go home every day. As teachers, we have the opportunity to teach our students to safely communicate online. This is an opportunity we must take. Otherwise, students may not learn basic cybersafety rules. This should be an agreement teachers need to make with parents, administration, and our technology and network administrators. If what's really important is the kids, then it's our responsibility to teach them not just our academic curriculum, but also social and life long skills. By collaborating in our classrooms with other classmates or other schools, we're taking control of communications and ensuring safety by following an AUP and previewing all communication before it reaches the other parties. By doing this, we've taken a huge step to keeping kids safe online.
Today's students learn differently than we did. With the rapid advancement of technology, the students we teach today will advance in future careers and positions that don’t currently exist. Employers are urging teachers to include critical thinking, communication skills, and social skills in all disciplines. Working collaboratively enhances each of these skills and encourages flexibility, respect, and shared responsibility. This, coupled with the motivational benefit of working with another classroom or school, creates the case for using collaborative sites in your classroom. Below is a list of my favorites. Make it your goal to try these communication tools in your class this year!
Google Apps for Education: Of course this is first. Collaborate to create documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets. Accelerate the peer editing of the writing process, develop shared proposals, videos, and presentations. Use Google+ to share classroom experiences, and groups to post information. The list goes on and on and on.
Blogging (Blogmeister is my favorite for elementary, Blogger for students with GAFE accounts): Be sure to teach student appropriate communication protocols and it also wouldn't hurt to work with the students to develop a rubric for contribution, such as this one, created by third graders.
Skype: You can find other classes seeking collaboration, great lesson ideas, and even experts to contribute to your real world classroom projects.
Answer Garden: Teachers can easily create an AnswerGarden for students to respond to a question or idea. Contributors get 20 characters to respond, and ideas are generated into a word cloud.
Padlet: Easy site to create "virtual sticky notes" for students to use for brainstorming.
Vialogues: Add a discussion board to any video. Discussion stays private with your class.
Scrawlar: Add your students to your class and work together to develop writing, interactive whiteboard activities, and drawing workspace.
Today's Meet: Create a back channel, but use it for experts and professionals to contribute rather than students in your class. Or, use it in conjunction with Skype or Google Hangout to effectively interview a professional or expert.
Comment and add your favorite collaboration tools so we can add more tools to our toolbox!
