Creating Opportunities for Collaboration

Collaboration & Google Tools

Two heads are better than one.  That saying holds true in education as well.  When students have the opportunity to collaborate on an assignment, they are learning from one another; being given the opportunity to reflect on their own work and the work of others, and work becomes self-differentiated.  If I think back on my own years as a student, I think I would have to say that this is one of the greatest differences I notice in education.  As a student myself, I don't recall opportunities to work with others to enhance learning.  It seemed more of a competition.  Who can be the best?  Who can get the best grades?  Who can finish first?  While some of that competition still exists within the classroom today, I see students who are learning to communicate with one another, problem solve together, and learn from one another.  Students are having conversations about their learning which deepens their understanding of content.

In the past students were looking to the teacher as the sole assessor of student work, students now seek feedback from one another and look at their work through a more critical eye.   Knowing that the work is shared with fellow students, the children become more engaged since they desire to put forth their best effort.  Students begin to challenge themselves based on the expectation of not only their teacher but of their peers.  These young learners become accountable to themselves and a more global audience than just their teacher.  Collaboration takes time and effort, but the payoff is worthwhile.  Students need time to engage in discussions, complete the work, and provide each other meaningful feedback.

As we have moved into the world of 1:1 technology, I have dabbled with a few collaborative tools.  Students are most familiar with Google Suite applications.  Google Docs or Slides, for example, make it simple to collaborate, comment, revise, and submit a project.  Multiple students can have access to the document and be working on it at the same time.  Using Google Classroom to submit assignments simplifies workflow.  I also like having students post work to the Seesaw app as a PDF so classmates, outside of their workgroup, and parents can comment and provide feedback. 

Recently, before beginning a historical fiction book set in the 1850s, my fourth graders noticed that the author did not provide any historical notes, and they admitted that they were not very familiar with that time period.  I created a Google Slide deck and shared it with students.  One slide listed out topics related to the time period that were important to understanding the story.  Before reading the book, students each chose a topic to research using the predetermined sites I had provided.  After doing their own research, the children each created a slide within the shared slide deck to teach each other about important aspects of the 1850s.  After having a chance to read each other's research, students began to leave comments for one another to detail what they had learned from the research of their classmates.  The children were excited to share what they had learned.  They were motivated to do a good job because they knew their classmates would be their audience.  The kids were honest about what they learned and about misconceptions that were cleared up by reading each other's research.  After this collaborative experience, the children were armed with the historical background information they needed to be ready to read the novel.  This is just one example of how Google tools can be leveraged within the classroom to increase collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication.

One of the essentials for asking students to collaborate is teaching students how to collaborate.  These are skills they will use for a lifetime.  Sometimes we assume students will know how to work together, but this is not true.  Most students need to be taught how to work together, how to solve problems within their group and how to come to a consensus. Additionally, it is so important to teach students about digital citizenship.  We cannot expect students to be able to collaborate with one another or provide appropriate feedback to one another with teaching them how to do that.

At the beginning of the year (and throughout the year), I teach students about commenting on each other's work using the TAG acronym.  The children learn to tell something they like about a classmate's work, ask appropriate questions, and give meaningful suggestions or compliments. Students practice identifying "TAG" comments from samples and begin to write their own "TAG" comments for one another.  I even invite parents to leave "TAG" comments for their children.  When the expectation is clear, the children rise to the occasion, and their comments get better as the school year goes on.  Of course, the kiddos just love receiving comments from their parents and classmates - not just from their teacher.

Managing Devices within the Classroom

Device Management Infographic

Within the first few weeks of school, much time is devoted to routines and procedures that keep a classroom running smoothly throughout the entire year.  Whether you are establishing guidelines for reading or math workshop, teaching routines for independence while the teacher is working with a guided group, informing students where supplies can be found, or helping kids know what to do when they have a question or emergency, devices or no devices these procedures need to be explicitly taught and retaught throughout the year to keep the classroom running without a hitch.  

As a classroom teacher, I always devoted time to teaching my students expectations for behavior and work habits.  Now that my role is more of support staff and we have introduced devices as tools in the classroom, I partner closely with classroom teachers to teach our mutual students expectations and limitations around using the iPads.  

At the beginning of the school year, our Teachers on Special Assignment along with our Teacher-Librarians visited every 1:1 classroom to review the district's Acceptable Use Agreement with students.  This document that parents had already signed and agreed to was presented to students in

kid-friendly lingo, so the kids know exactly what the expectations are around the use of the device.  

Students need to be aware of when they are to use devices for an assignment.  Can they use their device, are they expected to use their device, or are devices expected to be put away for a particular assignment?  Students have to be taught how to physically manage the devices.  Where can they use the device, how are they expected to carry the device, how should they store it?  

Along with the district expectations, each teacher or team of teachers have to agree on whether or not the devices go home and when they go home.  The grades that I work with only allow devices to go home if there is a need for the devices to go home - students have an assignment for which they need the device.  Otherwise, students leave the device at school on the charging station within the classroom.  Students keep their devices in a centralized charging location until needed.  Again, as a school, we have a consistent way of letting students know their attention is needed away from the screen.  Teachers say, "Apple Up," and students know to place the screen face down on their desks and bring their attention to the teacher. 

To go along with the acceptable use agreement and other classroom policies established at our school, I created an infographic that can be given to students or posted in the classroom as a quick visual reminder of those device expectations.  In creating this document, I really had to think about which expectations were important to include and what visuals could easily represent each.  It was actually quite fun to create the graphics.  I created the graphics in Keynote using the shapes tool.  Then I took screenshots of those slides and uploaded those as photos into a Pages flyer template to create the infographic.  My favorite part of the process was layering the shapes to create the graphics and adding the small details like the 100% on the charge your device section and the apple icon on the "Apple Up" section.  With the purpose of establishing and enforcing expectations in mind, my goal is that this visual will help students become more responsible digital citizens as they grow up using these tools to enhance their learning.

Without expectations in place, devices can wreak havoc within a classroom.  It is imperative to set a clear purpose for the use of the device, set limitations & boundaries for use, and manage those boundaries.

Entering the world of Twitter

@lhimpelmann181

Way back in 2016, I created a Twitter account so I could follow @Madison181.  My building principal was thrilled to have a school Twitter account and was trying to "up" her followers.  I created an account to become a follower, but what I realized was that Twitter isn't just about being a follower.  It is more about being a leader.  After posting minimally over two years time, this course encouraged me to dive into Twitter.  I began following educators from across the globe and organizations that empower teachers to continually improve.  

Inspired by others, I have new strategies.  I've further developed my teacher toolbox of instructional techniques to the benefit of my students.  I read articles suggested by master teachers and watched videos suggested by experts to help me grow my own expertise.  Twitter has led me to folks like @JenniferGonzalez, @AndyLeiser, and @teachtoinnovate.  While I admit that Twitter can be a digital wormhole that I sometimes get sucked into, and it can be difficult to know just who is worth "following," when I have found Twitter gems, I truly feel I hit paydirt.

Because of this course, I participated in my very first Twitter Chat.  This was an amazing experience that showed me the power of connecting to other Twitter Chats.  Being able to share and glean from the ideas of others in a fast-paced digital chat opens up a whole new world of collaboration that was not even possible when I began as a teacher.  My goal is to participate in other chats that I have now learned take place regularly with some of those I follow regularly.  

Check me out on Twitter!

After seeing what others posted on Twitter (and with a little nudge for our fearless instructor), I began to share what was happening in my own classroom.  Through this experience into the world of Twitter, I gained the confidence to believe that others are interested in the happenings of my little corner of the educational world.  To my shock, I was "followed" by others in my Ed Tech cohort of teachers.  Other teachers within my building began to follow me.  Educators I have never met before began to follow me.  Even more shocking, my tweets were retweeted by those I knew,  those I don't know, and groups or companies who I was following.  So, now I'm not just a follower, but I feel like a leader too.

Reflection of Foundations of Educational Technology

My Reflection

It seems funny to be reflecting when I feel like this journey has just begun, but here goes...

Even before beginning this course, I considered myself fairly tech savvy, so I was excited to embark on this Educational Technology journey.  It is my goal to grow as an educator so my students have positive learning experiences that impassion them to become life-long learners themselves.  While excited, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous to take on one more (huge) undertaking in my already extremely busy life.  But the blended model of the class really worked well for me.  I literally looked forward to the weeks we were able to meet in person.  Kim Darche is an inspirational educator that has made learning fun and practical.  I feel like I learned about some many powerful tools that enhance engagement, develop a positive classroom climate, and promote the 4C's.  This course encouraged me to reach outside my comfort zone, connect with people beyond the walls of my school, and begin to transform the way I teach using technology to make learning more engaging and meaningful for my students.