Promises-Colllaboration

Encourages Collaboration
 "Technology allows for greater cooperation, communication, and creativity of groups all over the world" (Rheingold, 2002).
 * Edited by Donna and Anne **


 * Collaboration is essential in ensuring skillful educators and educated children. The Internet increases availability of digital video tools used by learners to explore and encourage collaborative work, and offers a solid primer of what collaborative work entails. Through collaboration there is greater opportunity for community involvement where students, parents, and teachers become lifelong learners exchanging thoughts, ideas and roles. Previously in education, the teacher was in-charge of the classroom, instructing his/her students on what he/she deemed appropriate. With the emersion of Web 2.0 tools into classrooms, education and collaboration have a much different look where teachers, students, and parents can all become distributors of learning. All this is possible because of the digital revolution, where the removal of artificial and geographic barriers lends to a greater availability of learning communities to connect. Collaboration is essential in ensuring skillful educators and educated children (//Edutopia//, 2002). **

**Through the use of [|Microsoft Word’s editing and reviewing toolbar], students can leave valuable comments collaborating with one another to improve all students’ writing. The teacher does not need to be the one reading everyone’s writing, instead the [|learning can be distributed amongst the class] so that the students learn from one another’s’ writing as well as improving their own. Another great example of collaboration is the writing of this paper; although we are all students in the same class, we are all not located within the same classroom. We are from Texas, Illinois, California, and Colorado to name a few. Through collaboration and communication tools such as [|Skype], [|Oovoo], Wikispaces, and [|AdobeConnectNow], we can write a paper together. **
 * Technology can help to change the "teacher/learner dynamic," allowing students greater control of their learning (21st Century Skills Report, 2002). As previously stated, 21st century classrooms look dramatically different. Changing the child/adult dynamic, technology promotes cross-generational[|**collaboration**]that is more comfortable for the student. The student can become in expert in almost an area they so choose. No longer is the teacher the sole provider of content, but through wikis, blogs, podcasts, etc…the student has an immense volume of knowledge at their fingertips. Students can then spread their understanding of the subject matter in small groups within the classroom walls collaborating sharing, and teaching their peers in learning circles. The use of learning circles can provide a positive and beneficial experience for both teachers and student in a virtual classroom (Riel, 2006 ****).****Additionally, students can become editors and teachers helping one another with writing tasks. **
 * Additionally, through the same Web 2.0 tools, blogs, wikis, podcasts and video conferencing, students can now share their learning beyond the classrooms walls. One such example of this is in a high school Language Arts class in Littleton, Colorado. Previously, students in this classroom would read novels and discuss it using the [|fishbowl method]. The students’ learning was limited to the discussions in classroom and learning from one another. About three years ago, the teacher received a classroom set of laptop computers. The students’ learning and discussions still occurred in the classroom, but a separate yet integrated discussion was occurring online as well through the implementation of [|live blogging]. Students could now help each other understand //Macbeth// [|beyond the end of class]. With a simple blog question posted, students can collaborate to teach one another. To take it a step further, the teacher collaborated with another teacher in her school as well as the Director of Technology to fishbowl and live blog with the author of //A Whole New Mind//, [|Daniel Pink]. Students were able to collaborate with the author discussing their ideas about his book in relation to education as well as30 other learned edu-bloggers from around the world through the use of a live blog, video conferencing using [|MeBeam], and an in classroom discussion. At the end of the project, the students collaboration was even being captured through CoverItLive and broadcast over [|Ustream] **(video archive, chat archive) **. The students, teachers, Daniel Pink, and each online participant in this dynamic project learned how important is to go beyond the classroom walls to understand and grow as a learner. Through this availability of collaborative knowledge, learning and teaching looks quite different. **


 * Technology based communication allows all types of individuals to share their skills and ideas with students without having to be physically present. Physical and national borders are removed enabling cooperation and educational opportunities across the world. Students can experiment with databases like [|**Online Medical Diagnosis**] and [|**WebMD**] to prepare for a virtual visit from a doctor or nurse. Students collaborate with etymologists from natural science museums or use tools like [|Bugscope]. In the corporate world, collaboration is available through tools such as web conferencing. Web conferencing allows attendees to simply enter a URL or website meeting address to enter the live meeting or conference ([|**www.wikipedia.com**]).. Educational support websites, such as **learn.org**, are available that provide resources for teachers including webcast, workshops, courses and telecast. The accessibility of resources for teachers is limited only by the teacher’s and students’ awareness of resources and experience searching for web-based resources. Through websites such as ****[|iearn.org] ****, classrooms can become connected, collaborative learning environments working with students from around the world in order to make a difference. Some projects classrooms students can collaborate on now are [|creating postcards,] [|calculating your CO2 footprint], and [|researching the impact local community members had upon history.] **




 * The evolution of technology based communication has produced effective, interactive, collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. There are limitless possibilities to the learning and engagement that can occur in a connected collaborative learning environment. The learning is able to exist within the classrooms where teachers and students are learners together. It is also able to transcend the classroom walls where participants from around the world construct learning together. Through the use of Web 2.0 tools, and a student centered collaborative learning environment, students are gaining the skills necessary to be successful citizens in the 21st century. According to the authors of //[|Wikinomics]//, “…a power shift is underway and a tough new business rule is emerging: Harness the new collaboration or perish. Those who fail to grasp this will find themselves ever more isolated- cut off from networks that are sharing, adapting, and updating knowledge to create value (Tapscott and Williams, 11). Schools that are transforming their classrooms into collaborative learning environments are enabling their students with the skills to make a powerful global impact. One day, maybe these students will collaborate, because of their early foundation in working together, to solve global problems such as global warming, AIDS, cancer, etc…. With effective collaboration, anything is possible. **