LIBE 477: Reading Review Part B
Resources to help better my understanding of: How Can Digital Technologies in the Classroom Promote Collaboration?
Literature Research and Data Collection:
I was quite surprised about how much information about my topic is out there! I had to review my key questions to ensure I didn’t wander off to the multitude of connections that went along with this topic. I began with a basic Google search and found some great articles and blogs:
1. How Technology Can Encourage Student Collaboration- https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/how-technology-can-encourage-student-collaboration
This is an article created my Commonsense Media that outlines how technology promotes teamwork and collaboration in the classroom. It offers reasoning for using technology, how to use it effectively (beyond researching for information) and some suggested tools that promote collaboration. I like that there is an embedded video of teachers that discuss how the use of collaborative technology is benefiting their students.
2. Advances in Technology Foster Collaboration Between Students and Teachers -
https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/07/advances-technology-foster-collaboration-between-students-and-teachers
This article from Ed Tech Magazine outlines how cloud technologies and one-to-one initiatives at various schools have boosted student engagement and learning. It describes how G-Suites and chromebooks were used to promote collaboration among students and between student and teacher; offering insight to the benefit of all. I like that it gives examples of technology being used as a collaboration tool for all school aged children (K-12).
3. 30 Of The Best Digital Collaboration Tools For Students-
https://www.teachthought.com/technology/12-tech-tools-for-student-to-student-digital-collaboration/
This article by Teach Thought outlines 30 (not 12 as the link indicates) different tech tools that can be used to get students to engage in collaboration in the classroom. It also gives specific examples of how these tools are used, which is great in terms of seeing the connection between the tool and actual teaching.
4. 4 Tips for Effective Digital Collaboration in the Classroom-
https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/4-tips-for-effective-digital-collaboration-in-the-classroom
This blog article by Learners Edge gives some great suggestions for effective digital collaboration in the classroom. Marcee Harris writes in detail about building strategies and routines, determining a collaboration type, choosing a digital tool, and planning for assessment. It even links to a wonderful collaborative learning assessment rubric: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/345105/Blog%20GATED_Collaborative%20Learning%20Self-Assessment%20Tool.pdf
As I am a visual learner, I also checked YouTube and found some videoclips to support my learning. This is the one that fit my topic best:
5. Using technology to encourage collaboration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7nnzWNlaY
This video provides some fantastic examples of teachers using digital technology in Idaho to engage students in learning through collaboration. It nicely outlines examples of use (cross-curricular) and how it helps a variety of students.
Lastly, using the UBC library credentials, I found this journal to help develop my understanding of this topic:
6. Using Appropriate Digital Tools to Overcome Barriers to Collaborative Learning in Classrooms-
Wardlow, L., & Harm, E. (2015). Using Appropriate Digital Tools to Overcome Barriers to Collaborative Learning in Classrooms. Educational Technology, 55(3), 32-35. Retrieved January 21, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/44430370
This article from the Educational Technology Journal provides reasoning for the use of collaborative digital technologies in the classroom as a way to support 21st Century learning. In addition, it acknowledges that there are some barriers to enacting collaborative practices and provides strategies for overcoming those barriers.
There is so much information out there, it is difficult to scale it down to just a few resources. I do, however, see why this is important. As teachers, we are busy doing our jobs and need to create professional development opportunities for ourselves that won’t eat up too much of our time. By honing in on a few articles as a starting point, it gives us the confidence to acknowledge and justify why new learning needs to happen, and leads us in the right direction. Then we can take what we’ve learned and put it into practice in the classroom; where the real learning happens! I look forward to honing in on the strategies discussed within these articles/videos and implementing them in my own classroom and, one day, school library learning commons.
Resources to help better my understanding of: How Can Digital Technologies in the Classroom Promote Collaboration?
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| Image courtesy of: https://www.realdolmen.com/en/solution/succesfull-digital-collaboration |
Literature Research and Data Collection:
I was quite surprised about how much information about my topic is out there! I had to review my key questions to ensure I didn’t wander off to the multitude of connections that went along with this topic. I began with a basic Google search and found some great articles and blogs:
1. How Technology Can Encourage Student Collaboration- https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/how-technology-can-encourage-student-collaboration
This is an article created my Commonsense Media that outlines how technology promotes teamwork and collaboration in the classroom. It offers reasoning for using technology, how to use it effectively (beyond researching for information) and some suggested tools that promote collaboration. I like that there is an embedded video of teachers that discuss how the use of collaborative technology is benefiting their students.
2. Advances in Technology Foster Collaboration Between Students and Teachers -
https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/07/advances-technology-foster-collaboration-between-students-and-teachers
This article from Ed Tech Magazine outlines how cloud technologies and one-to-one initiatives at various schools have boosted student engagement and learning. It describes how G-Suites and chromebooks were used to promote collaboration among students and between student and teacher; offering insight to the benefit of all. I like that it gives examples of technology being used as a collaboration tool for all school aged children (K-12).
3. 30 Of The Best Digital Collaboration Tools For Students-
https://www.teachthought.com/technology/12-tech-tools-for-student-to-student-digital-collaboration/
This article by Teach Thought outlines 30 (not 12 as the link indicates) different tech tools that can be used to get students to engage in collaboration in the classroom. It also gives specific examples of how these tools are used, which is great in terms of seeing the connection between the tool and actual teaching.
4. 4 Tips for Effective Digital Collaboration in the Classroom-
https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/4-tips-for-effective-digital-collaboration-in-the-classroom
This blog article by Learners Edge gives some great suggestions for effective digital collaboration in the classroom. Marcee Harris writes in detail about building strategies and routines, determining a collaboration type, choosing a digital tool, and planning for assessment. It even links to a wonderful collaborative learning assessment rubric: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/345105/Blog%20GATED_Collaborative%20Learning%20Self-Assessment%20Tool.pdf
As I am a visual learner, I also checked YouTube and found some videoclips to support my learning. This is the one that fit my topic best:
5. Using technology to encourage collaboration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn7nnzWNlaY
This video provides some fantastic examples of teachers using digital technology in Idaho to engage students in learning through collaboration. It nicely outlines examples of use (cross-curricular) and how it helps a variety of students.
Lastly, using the UBC library credentials, I found this journal to help develop my understanding of this topic:
6. Using Appropriate Digital Tools to Overcome Barriers to Collaborative Learning in Classrooms-
Wardlow, L., & Harm, E. (2015). Using Appropriate Digital Tools to Overcome Barriers to Collaborative Learning in Classrooms. Educational Technology, 55(3), 32-35. Retrieved January 21, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/44430370
This article from the Educational Technology Journal provides reasoning for the use of collaborative digital technologies in the classroom as a way to support 21st Century learning. In addition, it acknowledges that there are some barriers to enacting collaborative practices and provides strategies for overcoming those barriers.
 |
| Image courtesy of: https://www.learnersedge.com/blog/4-tips-for-effective-digital-collaboration-in-the-classroom |
There is so much information out there, it is difficult to scale it down to just a few resources. I do, however, see why this is important. As teachers, we are busy doing our jobs and need to create professional development opportunities for ourselves that won’t eat up too much of our time. By honing in on a few articles as a starting point, it gives us the confidence to acknowledge and justify why new learning needs to happen, and leads us in the right direction. Then we can take what we’ve learned and put it into practice in the classroom; where the real learning happens! I look forward to honing in on the strategies discussed within these articles/videos and implementing them in my own classroom and, one day, school library learning commons.
You have curated, linked and annotated a good list of resources to help you with your inquiry. I appreciate the range of traditional and non-traditional sources. I agree with you that scaling down resources on such rich and meaningful topics can be daunting! And further, agree that this is important to do as we think about our own professional development as well as supporting staff and students in their learning.
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