The concept is a simple one: such engagement permits all students to contribute to not only their learning process but also the community’s. For example, in a traditional classroom, a teacher would call on a student. If a class is 50 minutes and you had 20 students, then you would have two minutes of one-on-one student engagement with each individual student (40 minutes total) leaving 10 minutes for other activity. In comparison, collaborative learning would bring the entire class up-to-speed without leaving anyone behind. Likewise, getting feedback through the use of a Responder (for an example, see http://www.itate-solutions.com/edu-solutions/iresponse-classroom-responder-system/) allows for immediate feedback from every student. A responder system can include the use of an internet service: the on-line quiz is available to all at any time. Hence, the teacher is able to involve those who could not make it to class.
An additional feature of using social media is feedback to the student. At a click of the button, the student is also able to get feedback. Likewise, the student is able to use resources without leaving the classroom. Rather than being limited to the local library, the student now has the advantage of using resources from additional sources. The caveat is that the student must validate the resource rather than accepting that everything published on the WWW is authentic.
With the creation of the internet, the rules to
research have changed: there is an unlimited amount of information at anyone’s
finger tips; and this can lead to plagiarism. Students need to now learn how to
research using the internet and learn what a trusted site is. Many students try
to find the simple way out and use the first site in a Google search.
More often than not, the first website available to students in a Google search
is Wikipedia. Students, sometimes, need to learn the hard way that even though
this site can provide logical and trustworthy information, this site should
never be referenced in an academic paper.
If a teacher calls on one student, then that one student may or may not be
put on-the-spot depending on whether or not the student knows the answer. In
addition, such an engagement may be a positive or negative reinforcement
practice. If I am an extrovert, then I may feel good about the learning process.
If I am an introvert, then I may be less likely to enjoy the class. I may also
have difficulty speaking in a group setting. Collaborative learning allows students to build on each other’s strengths. For example, one student may know how to publish a video on the internet while another may know how to present the video’s theme using animation. Collaborative learning is enhanced in this manner by not only involving the group but also allowing individual creativity. Individual creativity can bloom a thousand times over when students are allowed to use technology to enhance their learning.
Collaborative learning through social media allows the boundaries of the classroom to either be local or world-wide. For example, a music score can be published with contributions from many students from many nations (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTOmYLTitGg. Uploaded by GlobalSeisun on Aug 1, 2009). In this case, 17 individuals from 7 nations made a “song” called Freilach. This type of collaborative learning not only takes place in the classroom but also allows for students to work with others around the world to enhance diversity and teach valuable team building skills.
With technology on the rise, it is no wonder that technology has a larger impact and focus in the classroom. It is important for students to learn how technology works but also to learn to be weary of the information presented. In the future, I believe technology will overtake the classroom and allow for students to become more diverse and tech savvy.
No comments:
Post a Comment