Technology In The Classroom

Telecollaboration, Activity Structures and Lesson Sequences

In creating this blog I used the following web link http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu/Foundation/index.html I was able to access numerous articles on virtual architecture. All articles referenced in this blog can be downloaded from the weblink.

Taking Advantage of Online Tools:

After reviewing the article, "Curriculum-Based Telecollaboration," I ventured on-line to gain a better understanding of the thinking tools, "activity structures" and "action sequences" when integrating telecollaborative activities in the classroom.

First, I wanted a clear definition to describe "What is a telecollaborative activity?" The article, "First Steps in Telecollaboration" defines a telecollaborative activity as "an educational endeavor that involves people in different locations using Internet tools and resources to work together."

Telecollaborative activities use Internet tools, the tools used are directly related to the actions in which students must perform to reach the desired learning outcome. The learning outcomes are achieved by engaging students in learning processes that promotes content understanding.

Each activity structure is reflective of a learning process. Below is a summary of each activity structure and the learning process used to reach content understanding, I found the summary useful when matching learning outcomes to Internet tools. The information was provided in the article, "Structuring Internet Enriched Spaces."

INTERPERSONAL EXCHANGE

Keypals: Longer-term, interest-driven, one-to-one communication-by writing is based upon emergent topics of conversation. Can be used to motivate students to communicate in writing.

Global Classrooms: Longer-term, group-to-group discussion-by-writing of structured or semi-structured topics. Can be used to help students? research and hone their assertions and arguments.

Electronic Appearances: Short-term communication "event" with someone special by virtue of reputation and/or expertise. Good way to pique interest in a particular topic or event.

Telementoring: Longer-term communication-by-writing in a mentor-protégé format. Rich possibilities for long-term professional/personal relationships/modeling.

Question & Answer: Very short-term communication-by writing to clarify or complete understanding of a complex topic.

Impersonations: Variable-term communication-by-writing necessitating deep level, actively applied understanding of an historical period or literary work. Impersonation format is usually quite motivating.

INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Information Exchanges: Variable-term communication in which similar information is compared and contrasted. Especially effective when students are comparing locally generated information that differs across collection sites.

Database Creation: Previously accumulated information is analyzed deeply enough so that it can be classified and organized for others to use to form higher-level understanding.

Electronic Publishing: Fruits of learning efforts are formatted so that others can benefit from perusing them. Good for both learning closure and public relations.

Telefieldtrips: People (and less frequently, animals) are shadowed while they are active so that their experiences can be vicariously received.

Pooled Data Analysis: Similar information is pooled from multiple sites so that overarching patterns can be discerned. Higher-level than information exchanges.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Information Searches Information-searching skills are honed.

Peer Feedback Activities Multiple sources of feedback are provided and received so that successive drafts of students' works can be prepared.

Parallel Problem Solving Different problem-solving strategies applied to the same challenge are compared, contrasted, and appreciated. Good for helping students realize that there are "many right answers" to a problem.

Sequential Creations: Collaboration on a common product that occurs sequentially, rather than simultaneously. Deeper-level understanding of what has been created before is necessary if the work is to continue in a consistent manner.

Telepresent Problem Solving: Real-time brainstorming and problem-solving skills are exercised via text chat and/or videoconferencing. Good vehicle for use of previously researched information and/or -prepared questions.

Simulations: Immersion in a content-rich, individualized or collaborative context for learning produces in-depth, experiential understanding of the problem situation being explored.

Social Action Projects: Authentic commitment to assisting others is coupled with authentic learning about a current, often global problem.

In the article "Wetware?Why Use Activity Structures?" The author present the following question, "Is a particular use of an Internet-based tool or resource, in a particular situation, for a particular group of students, worth the time and effort it will take to use the tool or resource?" The author presents a simple and usable approach for answering "IS IT WORTH IT?"

"I suggest that, keeping in mind a specific, feasible educational use of the Internet, and in terms of both content and processes that students need/want to learn, we consider the honest answers to two questions:

• Will this use of the Internet enable students to do something that they COULDN'T do before?
• Will this use of the Internet enable students to do something that they COULD do before, but better?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then the use of Internet tools will be worth it. However, "If the honest answer to both of these questions is "no," there is no reason to use Internet tools or resources in the way that we are considering. Our time, effort, and resources would be better used in another way. In any particular instance, if using traditional tools and approaches can allow students to learn just as well or better than using new tools and approaches, it does not make sense to use new tools in traditional ways. It isn't "worth it" to do so, for students or for teachers."

Classroom Application:

My content area is 7^th Grade Business Computer Technology. In the standard course of study Objective 2.04 requires students to demonstrate telecommunication services and functions. Objective 5.00 requires students to explain, create, manipulate and utilize spreadsheet software. For these objectives I would like to incorporate an Internet enriched learning environment. I have identified the following lesson plan beneficial in reaching content-based goals: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=U111

Lesson Plan Descriptions:

This unit plan uses multiple materials including electronic Internet resources. Students collect data using the United States Census Bureau. They organize data in a spreadsheet and interpret the data collected by ordering, comparing, and writing the numbers in multiple ways. These lessons incorporate problem solving, reasoning and proving, communicating, connecting, and representing ideas about data.

This unit plan uses multiple materials including electronic Internet resources. Students collect data using the United States Census Bureau. They organize data in a spreadsheet and interpret the data collected by ordering, comparing, and writing the numbers in multiple ways. These lessons incorporate problem solving, reasoning and proving, communicating, connecting, and representing ideas about data.

Will this use of the Internet enable students to do something that they COULDN'T do before? Yes, students will be able to collect, compile and compare information from a resource that is unavailable without Internet access.

Yes, students will be able to collect, compile and compare information from a resource that is unavailable without Internet access.

Will this use of the Internet enable students to do something that they COULD do before, but better? Yes, the Internet will provide students the tools to collect, compile and compare data with speed, ease and accuracy.

Yes, the Internet will provide students the tools to collect, compile and compare data with speed, ease and accuracy.

The Importance of Lesson Sequence:

These lessons are designed to connect mathematical ideas, develop understand and to demonstrate application. The sequence of the lessons will build skills required for collecting, organizing and displaying data.

Lesson 1: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L331

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L331

Students will be able to:

• collect data from a survey

Lesson 2: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L332

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L332

Students will be able to:

• gather data from a survey
• represent numbers in written form, expanded form, and standard form
• compare numbers by ordering them from greatest to least

Lesson 3: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L333

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L333

Students will be able to:

• represent data using tables and graphs

Lesson 4: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L334

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L334

Students will be able to:

• compare numbers by ordering from greatest to least
• find the range, median, and mode

Lesson 5: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L335

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L335

Students will be able to:

• organize and display data from surveys
• represent data using tables and graphs
• analyze data
• describe important features of the set of data

  Web Resource:

Web Resource:

In the category of Information Collection and Analysis, I found the following website to be useful in the process of creating an Internet Enriched Learning Environment.

http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lessons.aspx

Posted at 06:27PM Nov 14, 2006 by SIMMONS, AMBER in Internet  |  Comments[0]