For a project like this to work students need to be willing to do work outside the classroom. They also need to be familiar with project based learning before something of this magnitude could be taken on and be successful. Currently I know of a teacher who has never used project based learning with her students and is currently having her students do a 6 week ambiguous project of their choice. Both the teacher and the students are frustrated - for many reasons. Some questions I have are, have all the students bought into the project? What about those that have never been to an amusement park or have never ridden a roller coaster? Do they care about the project? Since the students are working on the same project for weeks throughout the whole school day, do they all stay focused on the task? Working in a very poor urban school these would be challenges I would be faced with.
The next assignment was to watch the Clay Shirky on institutions vs. collaboration video. His overall message is that collaboration and institutions are changing and that not only should we get used to it, but we might as well get good at it. In this video he stated not all is created equal in collaboration. This isn’t a new revelation in the world of collaboration as far as I’m concerned, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again. He used the site Flickr as his example. He stated while some people posted hundreds of pictures, many others posted one. However, Clay stated if you were to look at the site, it shows an average post of 10 pictures per person. He uses Flickr as an example of how institutions and collaboration is changing. Flickr is a website where people can share photos they have taken. Before this site people might not have had a chance to view or use photos that are now readily available. This changes the logistics of institutions. Before these types of web/collaboration tools, we would have only had professional photographers pictures to look at. He also brought up a journalist that is currently sitting in jail because they are not willing to share their sources. He referred to this as the “shield”. However, today people can post whatever they want on the web, for example blogs, with a click of the button. While this provides everyone with a voice to be heard through the power of words, it also leads to a lot of incorrect or nonfactual information. Unfortunately we see this everyday. Before we relied on responsible journalists and today we don’t always know what is factual. An example of this would be Wikipedia – where people have previously commented about seeing incorrect information. Most of what Clay Shirky stated I had already thought of. The most profound item for me was the cell phone. Since I don’t use cell phones I hadn’t thought of this. He stated that with the use of cell phones people don’t make plans like they used to. Where people used to make plans, now with the use of cell phones people call when they get somewhere or when they are leaving. That wasn’t something that had thought of until now.
Cooperative learning and reinforcing efforts
This week’s strategies are cooperative learning and reinforcing effort. As a special education teacher we use cooperative learning all the time in our classroom. For students to successfully do cooperative learning they have to have a clear understanding of the assignment/project, their role in the assignment/project, and the end product. Beginning this week my students will be doing a debate on recycling. The students will be working in teams to research their side, put together their arguments, and present the debate, which will be videotaped. Then they will be able to view the video. My role is a facilitator and to insure that all the students are engaged, doing their part, helping by posing questions for them to research. This is just one example of cooperative learning. Other ways I have used cooperative learning in my classroom is through research projects and presentations, partner reading, labs, etc.
Reinforcing efforts goes a long way. I think it’s very important to reinforce a student’s (peoples) efforts, not always the results. I feel this is an area I’m strong in. I do this throughout the day without giving it much thought. My students’ academic abilities are very low so we read everything aloud. I make sure that I acknowledge when a student tries to read a word when they are really struggling, even if they didn’t get it correct. I let them know effort is key. I use a lot of verbal praise throughout the day. From time to time I will give the students “rewards” (a piece of candy, I’ll make treats, a special school supply, a few minutes of “free time”, etc.), but not too often. I really want them to develop a sense of self-satisfaction, rather than the expectation of extrinsic rewards. When students first come into my room I often hear “what do I get?” after a couple of weeks I don’t hear it anymore. This is one way I know that it’s working. I also know that the positive reinforcement is working, because within a few weeks students are also providing positive reinforcement to one another.
Tammy, you don't use a cell phone? I just found that amazing in itself, but good for you...sometimes they are more of a hindrance. However, I do agree that planning is done far less with the use of cell phones. You can make plans in a an instant or change plans if need be because of the ability to have communication anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI too use cooperative learning in my small group classes as well as teamed setting. It can be a challenge sometimes because I have to make sure that one student isn't running the show, though I think it is good for all of the students most of the time. I think this gives them the best "real world" experience in school because it is something they will have to do all of their lives.
You sound like me when reading with the students. I too have a low level reading class and I am constantly reinforcing their effort and letting them know it is a safe place to read and they are in my class to learn and not be criticized. I also give students extrinsic awards rarely. The only time I give them something like candy is when the students are playing Jeopardy in my Civics class.