Every great teaching idea I ever had was inspired by, harvested from or straight up stolen from another educator. There… I said it. We hate to admit it, but we need each other to be successful. When asked a question, I often need a minute to create my own opinion, then I want to talk to others and get their opinions and ask questions. Bouncing ideas off others is how we achieve great ideas.
This year I have started using Twitter and have experienced the power of connecting and collaborating with others. Teachers who don’t have grade level partners are no longer isolated, they can turn to Twitter to allow them to connect and collaborate. In February, I went to Parkland School Division to learn how teachers in that division are using technology effectively in their classrooms. George Couros, Divison Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in PSD, set me up with several innovative teachers. Through this experience, I was lucky enough to meet Kelli Holden , an exemplary grade 4 teacher. She explained to me the power of Skype and how she utilizes it in her classroom. I was immediately inspired and asked if I could be involved in her next project. Kelli created an amazing project to help students learn about the Canadian troops leaving Afghanistan. The five classes involved in the project were able to learn more about the troops through a Skype sessions. One of the teachers, Catherine Dohn, spoke to all 5 classes about her husband, who is a Peace Keeper. She provided pictures, information and a first hand account of what Peace Keepers do. She was able to give my students an experience that I would never have been able to supply on my own. We also had students use a site called Chatzy, which allowed the students from all 5 classrooms to chat with each other about what they knew and what they had learned. They were able to learn from each other’s facts and questions. This was all made possible for my students because I connected with other teachers.
As an adult, I love collaborating with others and getting to hear their view points. I constantly collaborate with other teachers at my school and have begun to also reach out to teachers through twitter. If collaboration is so beneficial to adults, then why in the classroom do we often ask students to work independently? Some reasons I have heard from fellow educators are: “Students don’t know how to work collaboratively”; “they will just copy off each other”; and “they can’t work in groups without getting off task”.
Just like every other skill they acquire, students need support, practice and some instruction on how to be collaborative. In my class I use a program called Kagan to help my kids work collaboratively. The program provides a structure to allow students to work together and participate equally. As educators, I believe we have to let go of the notion that students are “stealing ideas” from each other. Collaborating is not copying, it is a way to learn from others and to increase your own knowledge of a subject area. We need to allow students to work with each other to create projects, have conversations and ask questions. The old adage, 2 heads are better than one, is truthful and something we should consider for our students.
Love this post, Paige – it goes to show that together we are more Having you visit was a powerful experience for our students because you treated them as experts and valued what they had to say. We have been so excited to see your classes using Skype, and connecting with you!
I am always amazed at how serendipitous these collaborations are. Having Cathy share her family’s experiences was humbling, as was Dana Ariss’s willingness to share her childhood memories. It has been a powerful project, because we were all willing to share what we could. I look forward to many more collaborations with you!
Paige asked:
If collaboration is so beneficial to adults, then why in the classroom do we often ask students to work independently?
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Such an important question, Paige.
One of my personal worries, though, is that I tend to overemphasize collaboration in my classroom! Having bought into the notion that we all learn better when we’re learning alongside someone else, I’m constantly giving kids chances to bounce ideas off of one another.
Do you think that makes my learning space unsafe — or at the very least, uncomfortable — for the introverts in the room?
Or is collaboration an important enough skill that I SHOULD be pushing introverts to uncomfortable places?
I haven’t figured out the answer to that question yet…
Bill
@plugusin
Thanks for your comment, Bill! I completely understand what you are saying. I have always been an extravert and admit that I sometimes struggle helping the introverts in my class as I don’t know how they feel. One strategy that I use to help students who aren’t as comfortable sharing their ideas is to use Chatzy. Chatzy is a closed online chat room that allows students to share their ideas with their group members. I find that students who are shy to share love this because they can type their ideas instead of saying them out loud. We can also print the chat and keep a record of their collaboration. I also think that students who are shy to share can also benefit from just listening and occasionally rephrasing what others have said. There will always be a time and a place for independent thought and work. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that everything should be collaborative. We just have to give students options on how to collaborate so they can benefit from others ideas. Pushing kids to have a voice is one thing, making them share when they don’t have a strong opinion is another. What do you think, Bill?