"The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team."
- Phil Jackson
The development of a network of collaborative learning teams within you classroom can create an educational environment where the responsibility for learning lies upon both the students and teacher who comprise that leaning community.
Learners learn by teaching one another. When students teach one another they take ownership of the material by passing it along they actually make it part of themselves.
The process of teaching one another is by its very nature active learning. Student engagement increases the opportunities to learn.
The saying goes that "Two heads are better than one." Sharing knowledge creates opportunities for more ideas, alternate approaches, increased possibilites and new perspectives.
Students who have difficulty in the larger classroom may find comfort in smaller groups. This provides avenues for increased communication and the unleashing of ideas that may never be shared in a larger group setting.
Collaboration brings about an ease and comfort that encourages further attendance in the class as interdependence breeds both responsibility and commraderie.
Although the goal is increased learning for all, the idea of positive competition among smaller groups may lead to greater problem solving success.
Collaboration encourages the development of leadership skills.
Students who work in groups learn to delegate tasks to maximize group success.
Collaboration increases the development of time mangement skills.
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
Today is a pre-fab world. A world where it is no longer necessary to put things together yourself. From computers to toys and even chocolate cookies, we could "make" them ourselves and not even need to be able to decipher directions.
Have you put together a desktop computer recently? Unless you are colorblind or failed at putting the shapes into the correct slot when you were two, it is almost impossible to fail at putting the computer together. If a toy does not already come assembled, the most difficult part of putting it together, is deconstructing the packaging without damaging the toy. Even Toll House cookies come in pre-fab slabs scored into cubes for the perfect size cookie.
Do most kids today understand the satisfaction of making something from scratch? Building a model of the Apollo rocket from two hundred pieces, including the lunar lander, and sixty authentic decals. Paint optional. Even with gaps between the rocket panels, wispy strings of model glue and creases in the decal strips, displaying it lovingly on the shelf for all to see.
Most kids today are not very often given the chance to be creators. They are manipulators of a touch screen world. They can format a movie from a plug and play system on the computer. They can put together a playlist from iTunes and add music to their PowerPoint. But, how often are they asked to actually create something from scratch? How often do we as teachers create a rubric so detailed that it is impossible for students to make a mistake?
Heck, the last time I was at Michael’s, There was an aisle completely dedicated to pre-fab California Mission projects with everything necessary to create the perfect styrofoam mission complete with friars, indians, animals, trees, bushes, brick walls, animals and crops all pre-packaged for ultimate success.
I have found that most students are very uncomfortable with creating anything that does not turn out perfect and will avoid trying to create anything that they are not certain will meet all expectations. Teachers also create rubrics that are so detailed it is impossible for a student to make a mistake. But, how valuable are those experiences,when students are allowed to struggle through a process and try to figure out what works and what doesn’t? How valuable is that experience that allows our students to make the mistakes that provide opportunities to learn?
One of my favorite in-class projects is to build Lou-vee Air Cars.
Lou-vee Air Cars are composed of file folders, drinking straws, paper clips, rubber bands, and masking tape.
They provide an opportunity for students to discover their capacity to create a car that moves utilizing everyday objects. I provide students with a set of directions and a schmatic diagram. I provide all of the supplies and tools necessary and I give them three blocks (95 minute periods) to create their car. And then on day four we have Lou-vee Air Races.
The first day I allow the students to work through the process and I provide very little guidance. On the second day, I build my own Lou-vee Air Car. First to show them that it can work, and second to give them a model as a guide. The third day I offer suggestions and do some troubleshooting.
It is interesting to watch the dynamics that take place in the classroom as students interact with the process and each other. Even though each student needs to create their own car, it does become a very collaborative process. In some cases there is a natural division of labor that occurs. Those that are good at straightening paper clips take on that role for others. Those who cut well start manufacturing wheels that are smooth and rond. It is wonderful to see the fear dissipate as students assist each other and try to help each other succeed.
The Louvee Air Car Challenge
Making a Louvee Air Car
The project is graded in two parts.
Part I, is to produce a Lou-vee Air Car
We set up a Lou-vee Air raceway in the dining hall divided into five foot sections. A fully built car at the starting line earns a student a 14 point score. (14/20 = a C grade) A car can earn two points for every portion of five feet it travels. ( 7 ft = 4 points) Students can earn up to 24 points if they can get their car to travel more than 20 feet. (4 bonus points)
Part II, is a write up that includes a series of questions about the process.
What did they learn about themself? What were they most proud of? What would they do different?
What worked? What didn't? etc...
The write up also includes a section for students to explain three topics in physics that are demonstrated through the Lou-vee Air Car. I typically do this project the first three class periods after the Christmas Holiday break. This allows students to review the concepts of motion, Newton's Laws and Friction covered before the break.
I am always pleased to hear from students that they appreciate the project even though their car may not have worked as well as they had hoped. They are usually most proud that they were able to get a car to the starting line. They often mention a greater appreciation for following directions and reading carefully. But. most often they write about how the process helped them to see the value in making mistakes and correcting them, thinking through a process and using knowledge to create their own success.
It is so important in a world that becomes less and less demanding of our students to afford them the opportunity to figure things out by trial and error to provide those opportunities in a manner that allows students the ability to make mistakes and find solutions in a safe environment.
Here is a link to a set of three printable posters that provide great information on incorporating the Next Generation Science Standards in your Science classroom.
As a science teacher are you instilling in your students the characteristics necessary to have a
Thinking Attitude.
Patience
In a microwave world, learning does not take place in a manner of seconds. Learning is a process and does not happen in a 22 minute time frame, like an 80's sit-com. Understanding takes time and therefore both students and teachers must demonstrate the patience necessary for the learning to take place.
Curiosity
Students must be able to ask the questions that develop a path to understanding. Too often, students become satisfied with the, Who? What? and When? Students must feel secure enough look deeper and be willing to search for the How? Why? and What if? of each situation.
Concentration
Students need to have the ability to remain focused through the completion of the learning process. Maintaining concentration through observation, questioning, data collection, argument, testing and conclusion. Students need the stamina of mind to stay the course.
Respect for the Evidence
Details, details, details. Do students value every piece of evidence every bit of the data, each portion of the argument. Can students gather research with an eye for the validity and effectiveness of the information.
Skepticism
Students must embrace the idea that all that seems true, may not be true. The ability to question the evidence to validate the validity of the information.
Acceptance ofOthers Perspectives
Respect for each person and an inclusive community help to create a classroom where students can safely share their opinions without fear of being judged. It is through the sharing of different points of view that students gain insight into the ideas of their classmates and perspectives on the lesson at hand.
For the last five years, I have incorporated more writing in my Science curriculum by an online assignment called a TEDitorial. I use these TEDitorial assignments as a means incorporating the 6 C's of my classroom into one assignment. In developing an editorial opinion students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills. Many of the TED Talks involve aspects of Art and Culture, bringing to light for the students the importance of design and beauty in the process of science. The aspects of online assignments, viewing the TED and researching support brings the utilization of connectivity into play.
Students have become so compartmentalized in the subjects we teach they tend not to bring their English minds to the table when it comes to writing in science. While I explain to students that their are differences in the way we may present information in science, it is important that their written communication is organized, clear and concise and demonstrate the same expectations of gramar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling as they would in a paper for English or History.
To accomplish this, I have used an assignment called a TEDitorial. I select and post a TED video (http://www.ted.com/) on my classroom Moodle site every Monday throughout the semester. Students must view five TEDs throughout the semester and compose and post an editorial supporting or denying the claims of the TED presenter. Students must incorporate their own research and information from our classroom discussions to support their opinion of the presenter's information. Support for their opinion can be made through an outside source, A personal experience or a counter-example.
The trend through the semester of this assignment has been very typical. I usually need to spend a great deal of time explaining the difference between a summary of the TED and an editorial for the first two submissions. I also spend a great deal of time correcting the English aspects of their writing. Which most students can't seem to understand why this is important in science course. By the third submission most students are actually writing editorials and submitting extra in the way of links to websites they discovered while researching the topic further. I also have discovered that interest tends to peak about the fourth editorial and students watch several of the TEDs before choosing one that they have more passion about and truly want to editorialize.
I have found that many students begin to visit the TED site on their own to search out information about other topics on top of the science and learning based TEDs that I have selected for them.
Making a Flipped Digital Resource Screencast-o-Matic
How would you like to make a video and upload it to a You
Tube channel in less than 20 minutes?
I am going guide you through the video
production using a chemistry lesson from aSMART Notebook file, and software from Screen Cast–O-Matic to create,
publish and upload a digital resource.
The Screen Cast-O-Matic software
combines a very basic recording platform, some simple editing features and
options to save the movie to your own data files or upload directly to a You
Tube channel. Screen Cast-O-Matic can be used with any SMART Notebook,
PowerPoint or Key Note presentation.The
screen capture software allows for the control of the capture screen size,
which makes it easy to work within smaller windows on a larger platform.
The software can be downloaded for free
at
screencast-o-matic.com.The free version has a
fifteen minute recording limit.The full
version can be purchased for $12.99 and allows for longer recording time and
additional editing tools.
This example is making a
video about how to write electron configurations in chemistry. This lesson uses a
pre-made SMART Notebook lesson.I prefer
to pre-make my lessons with animations of the steps fading in on mouse
clicks.I personally do not like the way
I write with the mouse or using a wireless pad.But, this is entirely up to you and what the objectives of your lessons
are.
First I open the
platform for my lesson.In this case my SMARTnotebook
software.
Next locate and activate
Screencast-o-matic (SOM) from the dock on my desktop.
When the SOM software opens it asks if you
would like to enable the pro features purchase or use the free version. The
free version is fine for anything under fifteen minutes.
Remember to keep your videos short.
The SOM will open a frame with a control center on the
bottom. This frame can be adjusted to capture as much of your desktop, SMART
Notebook, PowerPoint or Key Note as you are going to use in the video.
The original frame size may not fit the portion of your
screen that will be recorded.The SOM
software will prompt you to manipulate the frame to the size needed for your
recording.
Drag and re-size the frame to the appropriate size for your
recording.I capture only the workspace
for the lesson.I leave the tools
outside the frame.I still can use those
tools without them being seen in the recording.
The control panel for the SOM software
is at the bottom of the recording frame.
The
red circle is the record/pause control.Make sure the mic and sound check is working during the recording.There is nothing worse than getting the
perfect take and your mic is not on.
You
can set up an external camera if you would like to add your image to the
recording.The X on the right will close
the recording window.
When
you begin recording the record button changes to a pause button. Use this to
provide time to catch your breath, gather your thoughts, change slides, etc….
The
recording time will also appear.Be
aware of the fifteen minute time frame as you record your video.
Once
you begin recording, whatever you do on the software platform will be
recorded.Your voice, writing, typing,
manipulating objects, changing slides, animations, slide transitions, will all
be recorded by the SOM software.
At the
end of the recording press DONE.
The SOM
upload screen will appear.
You can preview your video
at this point.
There are three options for
upload. Publish to
Screencast-O-Matic, publish to You Tube
or publish to a video file. Always publish to a video file. This allows you to have a file available to
use outside of SOM or Your Tube.
When you publish to a video
file you have the opportunity to add notes to the video or add captions and
some other basic options.
Save
at Full Size.HD is nice for your
computer, but HD affects download speeds and students may not have great
bandwidth at home.
The
MP4 option is recognized by most formats on the web.
After
saving to a video file, you can then publish to SOM or You Tube.Or you can upload the file to your learning
management system of online platform.
One of the major concerns in the flipped classroom environment, is are students learning the content based material from the video lessons? Are students actually understanding the material? I personally do not like to have a quiz everyday to check for student understanding. This develops a mentality that students learn to get a grade on a quiz. And in today's world for many of our students this means that once the quiz is completed the material is no longer necessary. I use three methods online to share information with students and monitor their completion of the at home assignment. I use Moodle as my LMS and have students complete GIFT format and online assignments that correlate to the material presented. I also use TED-Ed (http://ed.ted.com) and create lessons with questions based upon the videos viewed to check that students have completed the information. The last two months, I have also incorporated SOPHIA (https://www.sophia.org) playlists and tutorials with quizzes to check for student accountability.
Now, I am a realist and I understand that students at home, left on their own could simply contact friends and get answers to complete the assignments. I hope this isn't the case, but how easy it in this world for a screen capture to be sent out with the necessary information for everyone to complete the assignment on the shoulders of a few conscientious and helpful students. This is why we use whiteboarding in my classroom. I have 20 - 24"x24" and 10 - 24"x36" inch tile board for students to demonstrate accountability and for me to use as a means of formative assessment. (I get a 4'x8' tile board $13.00 at Home Depot. They will usually cut them for free for a teacher.) I have students work in pairs to answers questions, solve problems, outline solutions, format lab procedures etc…. The boards are large enough for students to work together and also to share their work for the entire class to see. I have students rotate partners through several questions so that I can witness interaction and listen to explanations as they help reinforce their understanding of the material. If a student did not actually complete the assignment, it becomes very apparent to me and their classmates. However, in this exercise they are able to catch up to the class through peer learning.
