Collaborative+Classroom

=Collaborative Classroom= The collaborative classroom uses Web2.0 technologies to create an environment where students can interact with each other and their teacher. The digital communications allows the teacher to observe the group analysis and collaboration. The teacher also gets a sense of student understanding through the collaborative document (final product) and questions asked by students. Students

__**Skills Developed**__ This activity fosters these important cognitive skills:


 * synthesis
 * interrogation
 * debate
 * collaboration
 * critical thinking

__**Activity**__
 * 1) Sign-in to the teacher chat via piratepad.net (link) This chat website is powered by Etherpad (which was acquired by Google). It allows you to quickly create chats and each user types a brief comment or question. Different users show up in different colors. For our purpose, we are using it as a way for students to ask the teacher questions. The questions are from all groups, so groups have the benefit of seeing what other groups are asking.
 * 2) Sign-in to your group chat via www.edmodo.com. Edmodo is very good for brainstorming and is similar to Twitter. Twitter is a broadcast chat. Users can only type brief comments and everyone in a group can see the other comments. One interesting aspect of Edmodo and Twitter is that students must read the other comments to understand the discussion. Use the code dcc819. Each member of the group should a different username (kingms1/kingms1, kingms2/kingms2, kingms3/kingms3, kingms4/kingms4)
 * 3) Sign-in to your worksheet via Google Docs using this link. Google Docs is similar to a wiki, except that updates are seen in real-time.
 * 4) Watch the Becky Blanton video at TED via this link.



__**Other Activities**__ >> Blurred Formality - By being able to send messages around a subject, Edmodo removes the fear of a wrong answer. >> Solving problems - For some reason, Edmodo’s collaborative nature encourages a problem-solving mentality with the students, using far more effective assisting strategies than their teacher!
 * Google Docs
 * Edmodo
 * Dialogue online and offline - Students are using Edmodo to debate, and this is encouraging good debate and reasoning skills with their neighbours, as they type.
 * Shh - The quietest, physically quietest girl, is typing expressive statements. Edmodo is aiding her communication skills no end, and she is being more understood and accepted by her peers as a result.
 * A Permanent Marker - All comments and conversations are fixed and viewable by all – a level playing field, and one that gives a strong sense of Communal Learning.
 * History is reflective - All students can view previous comments – which can help when building up a perspective or point of view.
 * Figure it Out - The Skillset for Edmodo is minimal. Two new students set up their accounts and began working with very little input from their teacher, and only a small amount of assistance from their friends.
 * Etherpad