Collaborative Technology
In my classroom I have not used technology for collaborating due to lack of devices, and sometimes lack of knowledge on my part. At an elementary level sometimes it seems easier to have students collaborate face to face, but that is not really setting them up for successful technology use in the future.
I think an easy way for me to implement collaboration would be to add Skype in the classroom. We talk about different composers in music and I think it would be awesome if I could find a composer to Skype with so students could ask them questions and learn what goes into composing music from a composer point of view. Skype could also work with talking to a musician on a certain instrument that we have been learning about or an instrument family. There are several ways that I could use Skype in my classroom and it would hopefully not cost me anything, it would just take time finding someone willing to talk to my classes and setting up a time.
In order to have students collaborate with each other in the classroom would take a lot of training and practice. If I wanted students to create a presentation over instruments using Google Slides, I would first have to show them how to operate Slides and all its functions, and then show them how they can work together to create their presentation in Slides. This would take some time away from the actual project we are trying to complete, but hopefully over time students will get the hang of it and it will be easier to complete more collaborative projects in the future. The great thing about using Google tools is they are free and fairly easy to use!
I think that collaborating with each other is an important part of learning. In music we use others feedback to perfect our performance and learn from others in what they are creating or performing. To create a collaborative learning environment with technology can seem a little daunting, especially at the elementary level, but the benefits can help students further their education. In the Edutopia article by Jennifer Williams, she says "These collaborative classroom are alive with action - teaching, learning, innovating, creating, making, and exploring. Innovative learning spaces can encourage both individual and collective voices, and, through use of emerging technologies, they inspire students to become skillful curators of their digital worlds." I want my classroom to be a place like Williams describes, where students feel they can have fun while creating their own work and enjoy learning and collaborating with others.
Collaborating with other teachers is another very important part of education. I hear people say "you don't need to reinvent the wheel" all the time. As annoying as it can get hearing it so many times, it is true! Sharing ideas and lesson plans helps everyone out and allows you to spend more time focusing on your students needs and fine tuning lessons to meet them.
I really enjoyed looking through the lessons on ShareMyLesson and found a few that will work for me. One lesson that stood out to me was 'The Sweet Machine.' You start by reading part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and then have students create their own sweet machine and come up with a jingle for the advertisement. I think students would have a lot of fun with this and would get to do a lot of creating and thinking outside the box! I hope to use some of these lessons during this coming school year in my classroom. Some of these lessons were similar to things I already do, but it is nice to get fresh ideas on how to teach your content.
I have also been more intrigued by Twitter in the past few weeks. I used Twitter a lot when I was in high school, but have never used it as a teacher. This video on using Twitter in the classroom really got me thinking about how I can collaborate with teachers around the world and share ideas that I have, and gain ideas from other teachers. I also liked this article about ways to use Twitter in the classroom. Twitter could help me to stay in contact with parents and help them know what is happening in music. Most parents don't know what is happening in music on a day to day basis and only pay attention when it is time for a musical. Sending tweets would allow parents to see what their students are doing in music as well as help me to share my classroom with other teachers around the world.
References:
Williams, J. (2015, October 16). Collaborative Learning Spaces: Classrooms That Connect to the World. Retrieved June 27, 2018, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaboartive-learning-spaces-connected-to-world-jennifer-williams-fran-siracusa
I think an easy way for me to implement collaboration would be to add Skype in the classroom. We talk about different composers in music and I think it would be awesome if I could find a composer to Skype with so students could ask them questions and learn what goes into composing music from a composer point of view. Skype could also work with talking to a musician on a certain instrument that we have been learning about or an instrument family. There are several ways that I could use Skype in my classroom and it would hopefully not cost me anything, it would just take time finding someone willing to talk to my classes and setting up a time.
In order to have students collaborate with each other in the classroom would take a lot of training and practice. If I wanted students to create a presentation over instruments using Google Slides, I would first have to show them how to operate Slides and all its functions, and then show them how they can work together to create their presentation in Slides. This would take some time away from the actual project we are trying to complete, but hopefully over time students will get the hang of it and it will be easier to complete more collaborative projects in the future. The great thing about using Google tools is they are free and fairly easy to use!
I think that collaborating with each other is an important part of learning. In music we use others feedback to perfect our performance and learn from others in what they are creating or performing. To create a collaborative learning environment with technology can seem a little daunting, especially at the elementary level, but the benefits can help students further their education. In the Edutopia article by Jennifer Williams, she says "These collaborative classroom are alive with action - teaching, learning, innovating, creating, making, and exploring. Innovative learning spaces can encourage both individual and collective voices, and, through use of emerging technologies, they inspire students to become skillful curators of their digital worlds." I want my classroom to be a place like Williams describes, where students feel they can have fun while creating their own work and enjoy learning and collaborating with others.
Collaborating with other teachers is another very important part of education. I hear people say "you don't need to reinvent the wheel" all the time. As annoying as it can get hearing it so many times, it is true! Sharing ideas and lesson plans helps everyone out and allows you to spend more time focusing on your students needs and fine tuning lessons to meet them.
I really enjoyed looking through the lessons on ShareMyLesson and found a few that will work for me. One lesson that stood out to me was 'The Sweet Machine.' You start by reading part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and then have students create their own sweet machine and come up with a jingle for the advertisement. I think students would have a lot of fun with this and would get to do a lot of creating and thinking outside the box! I hope to use some of these lessons during this coming school year in my classroom. Some of these lessons were similar to things I already do, but it is nice to get fresh ideas on how to teach your content.
I have also been more intrigued by Twitter in the past few weeks. I used Twitter a lot when I was in high school, but have never used it as a teacher. This video on using Twitter in the classroom really got me thinking about how I can collaborate with teachers around the world and share ideas that I have, and gain ideas from other teachers. I also liked this article about ways to use Twitter in the classroom. Twitter could help me to stay in contact with parents and help them know what is happening in music. Most parents don't know what is happening in music on a day to day basis and only pay attention when it is time for a musical. Sending tweets would allow parents to see what their students are doing in music as well as help me to share my classroom with other teachers around the world.
References:
Williams, J. (2015, October 16). Collaborative Learning Spaces: Classrooms That Connect to the World. Retrieved June 27, 2018, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaboartive-learning-spaces-connected-to-world-jennifer-williams-fran-siracusa
I'm sure it is difficult to find ways to use technology for collaboration when the tools are not available. What a challenge that must be to fulfill the expectations of today's classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that taking on technology integration at the elementary level can be overwhelming at times, especially with K-2. However, like you mentioned, it isn't beneficial to the students to continue with traditional teaching.
I love how you mentioned using Skype to have a video conference with a composer or musician. What a great way to support what you are doing in the classroom and giving students an amazing experience! Your thoughts on using Google Slides does sound like a lot of work, but once students are able to get a grasp on how to use it, I would think projects would start to go a lot smoother. I think as educators we value every moment of instructional time and thinking about using some of that time for technology instruction makes us feel like it's not worth the effort. I have that hesitation sometimes with my 1st graders. I think about all the time, effort, modeling, and repeated directions I would have to do to teach a technology tool and wonder if it will be worth it. I think those fears keep educators from taking risks and integrating technology. It definitely takes patience and dedication and thinking about the true purpose of using technology for collaboration.