RSA #4: Fostering Online Collaboration and Teaming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xetoek6hxjc

RSA #4: Fostering Online Collaboration and Teaming

            The reading from module seven centers on the idea that promoting collaboration within an online learning community, with the use of technology, will allow students to achieve at high levels and gain a more mutual learning experience.  As I was reading, one statement really stuck out to me as the basis of the module.  Palloff & Pratt (2007) say that, “Collaborative effort helps learners achieve a deeper level of knowledge generation while moving from independence to interdependence, thus strengthening the foundation of the online learning community” (p.157). Within an online learning community it essential for learners to collaborate by sharing ideas, believing in common goals, and giving constructive feedback to classmates.   These values within an online community are imperative for the online learning community to be successful.  There are many different ways that collaboration can be incorporated within an online learning community to engage high levels of participation and collaborative work.   

            As I was thinking about online learning communities and how collaboration between learners plays such a huge role in successful learning, I started to really think about the importance the instructor plays within planning for an online learning community.  I came across a video from an instructor from Indiana University that provides tips of how to set up a online learning community with good effective collaboration.  According to the video Fostering Online Collaboration and Teaming posted by TravelinEdMan on Jul 31, 2010, “Collaboration becomes the key to not only what happens within your class, but how you expose your class to others around the world. When that happens, you’ve extended your classroom setting to all sorts of interesting activities and events you’ve never dreamed of.”  Professor Curt Bonk also discusses different ways instructors can use technology for collaboration such as Google Docs, SlideShare, PBworks, Wikispaces, Blogger, Skype, Google Talk, Dim Dim, Ning, etc.  These tips seem very helpful for anyone who is trying to foster an effective online learning community. 

According to Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom, an instructor should begin “an online course with a discussion of learning objectives and working toward a common goal creates not only the foundation of that learning community, but also is the first step toward collaboration” (Palloff, Pratt, 2007, p.159).  Professor Curt Bonk in the YouTube video also stresses the importance of technology to further collaboration and learning within a community, while also promoting ways in which that can be accomplished. Instructors need to set the tone for the beginning of the course by making students feel as though everyone is working together to succeed towards a common goal.  When an online learning community is set up and planned appropriately from the beginning, achievement will ensue.

References

Bonk, C. (Creator)  TravelinEdMan (Poster) (2010, July 31). Fostering Online Collaboration            

and Teaming. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xetoek6hxjc.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for      

           the Virtual Classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass.  

RSA #3: Does Collaboration Occur When Children are Learning with the Support of a Wiki?

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ946618.pdf

                                       

RSA #3: Does Collaboration Occur When Children are Learning with the Support of a Wiki?

The readings in module five discuss online learning communities and how they promote an opportunity for people to collaborate together to share a main objective.  There are many different aspects that contribute to an online learning community in order for it to be successful.  Students and instructors both need to be active/participate in the learning process to foster a collaborative atmosphere.  According to Pallof & Pratt (2007), when teachers actively engage in the learning process, “a web of learning is created.  In other words, a network of interactions between the instructor and the other participants is formed, through which the process of knowledge acquisition is collaboratively created” (p.5). 

Since our cohort uses technology to collaboratively learn from one another, I wanted to find an article that supported children working/learning together using technology.  The article, Does Collaboration Occur When Children are Learning with the Support of a Wiki? (2011) researches many different case studies to determine if students work together using Wiki as a learning tool.  Many different age ranges and ethnically diverse communities were involved in the research.  According to Allsop (2011), “Tools such as email, blogs and chat are acquainted by many teachers. Recent developments such as Wikis and RSS feeds may not be as well known, but offer wide opportunities for online collaboration for learners. They afford many unique and powerful information sharing and collaboration features” (p. 130).  The results showed that Wiki was in fact a powerful collaborative tool in which students were able to learn from one another, while also sharing their own knowledge.

The information presented by Allsop (2011) relates to the information that is presented in the assigned readings for module 5.  After reading about online learning communities, I learned that collaboration between the instructor and learner needs to be equally distributed in order for the process to be effective. In the findings from the research article, students are able to collaborate with one another while using technology.  Both readings correlate to the idea that in a learning community, everyone needs to work together to learn and grow. 

References

Allsop, Y. (2011). Does Collaboration Occur when Children are Learning with the Support of a    

Wiki?, TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(4), 130-137.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for    the Virtual Classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass.  

     

RSA 2- SMART Goals, SMART Schools

http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=11&hid=110&sid=81b4f929-f3b4-4894-985e-14fefdeffa2c%40sessionmgr115

RSA 2- SMART Goals, SMART Schools

Module 2 focuses on the ways that teams can collaborate together within a PLC so that all students are learning at high levels and student achievement is improved.  In order for this to happen, teachers must create common formative assessments to determine who needs additional support, while also collaboratively creating goals to monitor success.  According to DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many (2010), it is important for teams to create SMART goals to align with district and school goals.  DuFour et al.’s (2010) also states that “one of the most powerful strategies for building the capacity of staff to work effectively in collaborative teams is to create the conditions that require them to work together to accomplish a specific goal” (p.159).  When teachers are collaborating together to reach one main goal and focusing on results, student achievement will be evident. 

The article SMART Goals, SMART Schools (2000) explains the positive impact that creating SMART goals has on a team, individual teachers, and student learning.  The author of SMART Goals, SMART Schools (2000) followed a K-2 school and 3-5 school in Verona, Wisconsin.  She saw how each of the grade levels created their goals, looked at the results of assessments, and evaluated the effectiveness of their goals.  O’Neill (2000) believes that “teachers who are responsible for implementing SMART goals also develop the goals.  Teachers must commit to their goals, and the data for establishing targets come from their review of multiple assessments” (p.48).  O’Neill (2000) continues by saying that SMART goals can help to examine the effectiveness of the instructional practices and process.  The article also discusses the importance of looking at the results and learning valuable lessons from the goals that were created.   

The readings from Module 3 greatly correlate to the information presented in the article SMART Goals, SMART Schools (2000).  Both of the readings talk about the importance of using SMART goals to help students achieve at higher levels.  It is important to collaboratively create the goals and assessments to attain the desired outcome.

References

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by doing: A handbook for

professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

O'Neill, J. (2000). SMART Goals, SMART Schools. Education Leadership, 57(5), 46-50.

RSA1: Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments

RSA #1- Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments

http://web.ebscohost.com.cucproxy.cuchicago.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=25&hid=108&sid=63d5a93c-d63a-47fd-b818-a54c3d84b8b2%40sessionmgr115

RSA #1- Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments

The Module 2 readings discuss that Professional Learning Communities improve student achievement and teaching by creating a focus on student learning.  “When everyone works collectively to seek and share learning and act on that learning to improve their effectiveness as professional so that students benefit, they are functioning as a professional learning community” (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, 2003). In order for student achievement to take place, it is important for teachers to work together and share a vision of what they expect of their students.  If all teachers share a vision there is a better chance of success and sustainability within the PLC.  The readings from Module 2 also present the main questions to drive instruction.  “The questions “Learn what?” And “How will we know?” are two of the most significant questions a PLC will consider, the very basis of the collective inquiry that drives the work of collaborative teams” (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010, p.62).  It is essential for teachers to create common and formative assessments so that all students are held to same standard.  According to DuFour et al.’s (2010):

Collaborative teams of teachers create multiple common formative assessments and use the results to identify 1. individual students who need additional time and support for learning, 2. the teaching strategies that proved effective in helping students acquire the intended knowledge and skills, 3. program concerns-areas in which students generally are having difficulty achieving the intended standard and 4. improvement goals for individual teachers and teams. (p.63)

When teachers take ownership and are involved in the practice and decision making of the curriculum, student learning will be much more effective.   

Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments (2009) explains the importance of teachers working together to create assessments.  When teachers do this, the outcomes are positive. The article discusses the importance of formative and common assessments within professional learning communities.  Stiggins and DuFour (2009) say formative assessments can help to:

Identify student understanding, clarify what comes next in their learning, trigger and become part of an effective system of intervention for struggling students, inform and improve the instructional practice of individual teachers or teams, help students track their own progress toward attainment of standards, motivate students by building confidence in themselves as learners, fuel continuous improvement processes across faculties, and, thus, drive a school’s transformation. (p.640)

Stiggins and DuFour (May 2009) continue by explaining the importance of common assessments, “Common assessments — those created collaboratively by teams of teachers who teach the same course or grade level — also represent a powerful tool in effective assessment in professional learning communities communities” (p.640).  When teachers use both of these assessments, school improvement and student achievement will change.

The information presented by Stiggins and DuFour (May 2009) relates to the information that is presented in the assigned readings for module 2.  Chapter 3 in Learning by Doing, stresses the importance of common formative assessments and how they can be used to help teachers, and better assess student work and needs.  The article that I chose to relate our readings to, also shares the same information about assessments.  If teachers work together in a PLC model to create common assessments among the school and district, there will be a huge improvement in student achievement. It is important for teachers to use common assessments as a tool to gauge how students are grasping concepts, but also allows the teachers to share successful teaching strategies with their team on how they taught the concept. 

References

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Many, T. (2010). Learning by Doing: A handbook for
professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree
Press.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).(2003). Sustaining
school improvement: Professional learning community, 1–4. Retrieved from http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031TG_proflrncommfolio.pdf

Stiggins, R., DuFour, R., (May 2009).  Maximizing the Power of Formative Assessments, 90(9), 640-644. 

Learning All About Air!

This is my 2nd grade class learning all about Air!  Each student made a parachute to learn about air resistance.