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The learning objectives

1. Understanding how to embed collaborative learning into lesson design

2. Appreciating the four dimensions of collaborative learning concerning group work, shared responsibility, making substantive decisions, and interdependent work

3. Understanding how the 21st Century Learning Design Collaboration Rubric and Learning Scenarios can help you reflect and design collaborative learning activities

4. Assessing the two collaborative learning activities you described in Module 1 using the 21 CLD Rubric, and reporting in your Learning Diary

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Badge number 2 completed!

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TWO ACTIVITIES USING COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
1. Story retelling
I've used story telling quite often in my classrooms.
I've found wonderful easy stories in Easy True Stories: A Picture-Based Beginner Reader
First, I introduce any vocabulary which I think they don't know and write the new words on the board. Then as I tell them the story I usually project pictures that describe the story on my IWB (taken from the book)

While I tell them the story I encourage them to take notes. After telling a story, I pair up the students and ask them if they can retell the story to each other.
Sometimes I have them  change the ending and if they like, illustrate the story and tell it to the class.

2. Role play
After my students have read a dialogue in their text book, I have usually pair them up and have them practice it (sometimes by heart) to learn how to use the correct intonation and pronunciation.  To make this activity more stimulating as a follow-up activity I have them work together to change it, putting in new information.

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Badge number 1 completed

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Module 1                Tools for collaborative learning

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Module 1                Tools for collaborative learning

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https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-student-collaboration-tools

https://elearningindustry.com/6-online-collaboration-tools-and-strategies-boosting-

learning http://www.emergingedtech.com/2014/05/20-excellent-free-tools-for-interactive-collaboration-experiences-in-the-classroom/

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-the-best-tools-for-collaborative-learning.html

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What is collaborative learning?
I feel that the best way to answer this question is to give Professor Deirdre Butler's definition published in UNESCO:
Collaborative Learning is a process through which learners at various performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal. It is a learner-centred approach
derived from social learning theories as well as the socio-constructivist perspective on learning. Collaborative learning is a relationship among learners that fosters positive
interdependence, individual accountability, and interpersonal skills. For collaborative learning to be effective, teaching must be viewed as a process of developing students’
ability to learn. The teacher’s role is not to transmit information, but to serve as a facilitator for learning. This involves creating and managing meaningful learning experiences and stimulating learners’ thinking through real-world problems. The task must be clearly defined and be guided by specific objectives. Sometimes cooperative and collaborative learning are used interchangeably but cooperative work usually involves dividing work
among the team members, whilst collaborative work means all team members tackle the problems together in a coordinated effort.

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The middle school I work at is in a small town called Alia, about two hours from Palermo, Sicily. It is not very big and the pupils come from very humble backgrounds.

The students are aged 11-13. They study Italian, History, Maths, Geography, English, French, Technology, Science, Music, Art and Physical Education. Class sizes range from 15 to 20 and for some classes there are lessons until late in the afternoon and on Saturday mornings. The classes are not provided with class computers or IWB and the students themselves at home have limited access to internet from a PC.  My colleagues and I do not have our own classrooms so we move from one class to another during the school day. Unfortunately the classroom layout in each class is extremely traditional because  students sit in rows in front of the teacher's desk. When we want to do group work, we need to move desks to arrange for a better layout. This sometimes makes us waste precious time but there is no other alternative because of security issues.

There is a computer lab  where we can go but not always is the WiFi connectivity very good and that can compromise the success of our lessons.

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Hi everybody! My name is Tina (Agatina). I am American and I live in Sicily, Italy where I teach English as a foreign language at amiddle school.

I look forward to learning a lot from this MOOC in order to improve my teaching practices in the classroom.

I love using technology and I have participated in clil projects in both history and science. I've also been a conversation teacher for many years and am always keen on learning new methods and strategies.