EDLD 5364 Week 4 Reflection of Learning

This week’s readings and videos centered around the idea of collaboration.  This extends not only into the classroom, but should also be the model that we use with teachers for professional development, training and planning. 

Students need exposure to collaboration so that they are prepared to deal with real world situations.  Teachers can help students do this through collaborative groups, project based learning and social media.  Collaborative groups should be used so allow students to work with peers to allow for role playing, peer to peer teaching, peer to peer evaluation, and social skills.  Until students are allowed to function in group settings they will never fully understand how to manage group dynamics.  Project based learning is a great way to incorporate learning into real-world based projects for students to get hands-on experience and work with other students in realistic settings.  Exposing students to social media allows teachers to promote good social etiquette, develop social skills and social responsibility.  Students now are submerged in a social media rich world, they need to be equipped with the proper skills to communicate effectively and ethically online.

Teachers need to become the model for collaboration in the classroom and through professional development, training and planning.  For students to truly become effective collaborators, we must model what that looks like for them as teachers.  We can do that by becoming collaborative learners and modeling groups, project based learning and social responsibility.  When participating in professional development we can engage in online learning through blogs, wikis and other types of social media.  We can plan collaboratively in groups with grade level and subject teachers.  We can also plan collaboratively with cross curricular teachers. 

The world we live in is no longer a factory based environment. We need to continue to move away from desks in rows and rote memorization into a collaborative, technology rich world.  To be completely effective in teaching this, we need to model it in our own learning so that students not only hear us, but see us doing it.

Resources

Edutopia.org (nd). Project Learning: An Overview. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview

Edutopia (nd). Team Teaching: Two Teachers, Three Subjects, One Project. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-blood-bank-video

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.

 Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 99 – 116.