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My name is Micaela Pereira.

I live in Lisbon, Portugal.

I’m a computer science teacher and I love what I do.

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Module 1: What is collaborative learning?
Module 2: How can you design collaborative learning in the classroom?
Module 3: How can you access collaborative learning?
Module 4: How can teacher collaboration facilitate collaborative learning?

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https://v.gd/pijCBQ

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4.1 A primary school teacher’s experience of teacher collaboration

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4.1 A primary school teacher’s experience of teacher collaboration

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I have never tried the “co-teaching” rotation collaboration model. However, I find it very interesting. Of course I agree there is always time to do better, and that other’s opinions can let us know somethings we could do better and other approaches do teach.

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4.2 A secondary teacher’s experience of teacher collaboration

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4.2 A secondary teacher’s experience of teacher collaboration

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I heard about all the platforms Reyhen mentioned. However, I have limited experience in social media network in the relation of teacher’s collaboration and professional learning. Usually I use Moodle, Google docs and Dropbox but I have never used Skype, Twitter or even Linkedin. I think eTwinning can be my nest step…  to better prepare students for their future…

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4.3 The benefits and challenges of teacher collaboration

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4.3 The benefits and challenges of teacher collaboration

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I agree on the benefits highlighted by Professor Butler. Challenges in a “safe environment” can let us have feedback that can lead to our better teaching methods. In my school, we share all the materials, sometimes we share classes and sometimes even we share classes of pupils with different needs. It can be very difficult to align timetables, but if you really want you can find a way.

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4.4 Skills and conditions needed for teacher collaboration

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4.4 Skills and conditions needed for teacher collaboration

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I agree on the list of skills and conditions mentioned. I think what happens today in my school is that teacher’s of our group have the right mind-set, the right skills, we trust each other, but we really have so much work that is difficult sometimes to find time. I think with more time available we could do more, we would be even more involved with teacher collaboration...

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 4.5 How technology can facilitate teacher collaboration

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 4.5 How technology can facilitate teacher collaboration

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I agree that technology as a key role to play and that we should move beyond sending and displaying and move towards processing, analysing and sharing. Interactive environments where teachers can contribute and discuss are a must. I recommend Google drive, Office 365, and Padlet.

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https://v.gd/pijCBQ

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3.1 Assessment for improving collaborative learning

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3.1 Assessment for improving collaborative learning

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Collaborative learning should be accessed not only by the final product, but from the process itself. I always try to carry out my evaluation in a clear and timely manner. In collaborative learning it is important self-assessment, peer assessment, give feedback and guidance during the all process. In Portugal, usually evaluation is diagnostic, formative and summative.

I think collaborative skills can and should be developed, but they are also a personal trait. Sometimes, students that are more competitive, tend to have more difficulties when they know their grades also depend on the team/group process.

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3.2 A sports teacher's experience of assessing collaborative learning

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3.2 A sports teacher's experience of assessing collaborative learning

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I found Chrysa’s presentation very interesting, since she focuses mainly on self-assessment and peer assessment in order to encourage all students to participate actively and be committed to learning instead of competition. I agree that students must know their evaluation criteria at the beginning of the activity and should participate actively in their assessment process. I also agree with her assessment factors for her student’s age: individual performance, group performance and group’s functionality. Assessment evaluates the effectiveness of teaching and the degree of student engagement and comprehension. Assessment has to relate Individual and group outcomes and practises. Implementing assessment with clear and understandable language and with type of Yes/No answers.

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3.3 An ICT teacher’s experience of assessing collaborative learning

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3.3 An ICT teacher’s experience of assessing collaborative learning

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I really enjoyed listening to the presentation of António João Lopes.  I agree with the 7 benefits that António points out on assessing collaborative learning. I found very interesting his way on using digital tools Web 2.0 to develop 21st century skills. I also agree it’s very important to reorganize classroom space when working in groups. I think the assessment should be on the process but on the product as well.

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3.4 Collaborative learning and student peer reviews

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3.4 Collaborative learning and student peer reviews

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I have sometimes used checklists for self-evaluation in group work, but never used rubrics.
Anna mentions a variety of digital tools which are helpful in implementing and assessing collaborative work, such as Edmodo, Scrumy, Tackks, Padlets, Google Forms, etc, but I only used Google Forms.

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3.6 Answers to teachers’ questions on assessing collaborative learning

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3.6 Answers to teachers’ questions on assessing collaborative learning

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I agree with Dr. Luis Valente that suggests that self-assessment combined with peer assessment reduces the trend of ‘friendship dependency’, ‘benefit of the dominators’ and ‘benefit of parasitism’. I think students must develop their responsibility in their own assessment and must become independent learners.

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2.1 Embedding collaborative learning into lesson design

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2.1 Embedding collaborative learning into lesson design

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I really think that language is crucial in order for pupils to grow and have an effective learning. That’s how we understand each other…

I think collaborative skills can and should be developed, but they are also a personal trait.

I also agree on Professor Butler beliefs that technology can support new pedagogies that focus on leaners as active participants. Pupils feel more involved and more engaged in their learning when technology is used in the classroom in a meaningful way. Students become co-producers instead of passive participants. It’s a way to facilitate and enhance between contributors.

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·         In fact, these 4 questions are very important for all of us in order to design a collaborative learning activity: 1) Are they working together? 2) Do they have shared responsibility? 3) Do they have substantive decisions? 4) Is their work interdependent?

·         However I find it very difficult how to put together a collaborative learning activity that takes into consideration these 4 major issues. Most of the times I think we know the answer for the first question: Are they working together? But for the rest (Do they have shared responsibility? / Do they have substantive decisions? / Is their work interdependent?), I think it’s very hard to know for sure…

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I think it’s interesting the rubric Professor Deirdre Butler explained and I have never used any rubric like this. I think it will be quite useful in the future.

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I think the templates will be an excellent guide. However, in my current context, I find it very difficult to use, since I have 45 minutes per week with each class. Anyway, It’s very inspiring.

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The rubric made me understand and realize that I really didn’t know the level of student's collaboration.

· Scenario 1 – Low level of collaboration

Students respond in groups of 2 to a webquest I give them. They have to find the answers and they try to be first ones to finish (their evaluation depend on it). They have to work in pair and they divide the questions on the webquest. Each one try to respond and who finishes first will help his colleague. Together they choose the definitions and respective description and make the final product with their crossword puzzle. In groups, they also had to respond to each other’s groups’ crossword puzzles.

·         Students work in groups: they divide the questions in 2 and who finishes first will try to help his colleague.

·         Students have not shared responsibility: When the pairs divide the questions each one has to work on, they usually divide it in half, not concerning on the content of each question.

·         Students do not make substantive decisions together.

·         Students work is not interdependent.

According to the rubric, in my opinion, this activity is a level 2.

· Scenario 2 – High level of collaboration

Students do their own crossword puzzle using the definitions that were given in the classroom. Together they choose the definitions and respective description and make the final product with their crossword puzzle. In groups, they also had to respond to each other’s groups’ crossword puzzles.

·         Students work in groups: they choose with whom they want to work with.

·         Students have shared responsibility: first they research individually on the definitions they want to approach and then try to bring their own proposals of the crossword puzzle to the group.

·         Students make substantive decisions together, because they have to agree on what the definitions they will approach, and then make together their crossword puzzle.

·         Students work is not interdependent, since they work together.

According to the rubric, in my opinion, this activity is a level 4.

Now concerning the comment on the posts of at least 3 other participants:
· From Joaquim Almeida, Portugal, I really think he explained very well his activities and that he understood that afterwards, what he was doing was more of group work and that learning activities have to be well planned.

· From Mariana Loureiro, Portugal, I agree with her that you cannot always have a high level on student’s collaboration. But we can always try!

· From Zulmira, Portugal, she also explained very well her 2 activities and that she finnaly understands (as well as I did) that sometimes we evaluate each element on a group in a very superficial way.

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I teach computer science. Usually students have to work together and do some kind of teamwork. But that is different from collaborative learning. In order to have them in collaborative learning, I must change the approach, giving them the responsibility of their learning process, helping them in developing people’s skills – opening themselves, facing and solving problems, sharing ideas, hearing others ideas, accepting ideas that are meaningful, making decisions together, giving feedback, having a coordinated effort between team members with positive interdependence, being creative and producing the assignment together. Students should be encouraged to develop their interdependence and their responsibilities in their learning process.

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1.2 Collaborative learning in a flexible classroom

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1.2 Collaborative learning in a flexible classroom

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Classrooms where I work on are not set in a traditional way, because students work with computers in desks disposed as a u (and not in rows of desks with a white board). Even though classes are more interactive, they are not in flexible environment, because students can’t change the positions of the desks.

In my classroom, after each group activity, students discuss about positive and negative aspects of their activity. They share their ideas in order to learn with each other, and so avoid some problems in their future assignments. With their feedback, they also understand how other groups solved their problems. The case of the time machine presented is very inspiring, even though I think I can never do the same, because of the students’ schedule (my classes take only from 45 to 90 minutes every week).

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1.3 Collaborative learning through project-based learning

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1.3 Collaborative learning through project-based learning

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I agree on learning by doing and on the collaborative learning. I do not like on the teacher-centered approach of teaching because I think that my role as a teacher should be to serve as a guide. As a teacher, I shoud be a facilitator and not a channel of transmission of information.

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1.4 A foreign language teacher’s experience of collaborative learning

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1.4 A foreign language teacher’s experience of collaborative learning

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I think assessing collaborative learning is particularly difficult to teachers, since they have to think about each student and about the class as whole. In my particular case it is impossible to work like that when you have 14 different teaching classes working with students only from 45 to 90 minutes each week (as I have right now). Nevertheless, what I think the main difficulties in assessing collaborative learning is on how to monitor teamwork and each individual contribution.

A good suggested idea is a regular check up on what each menber contributed to the task. I agree on self-evaluation and peer review tools. With self-evaluation students have to reflect on their own work, think on what they have done and understand on how to be better (improve skills). This can encourage some less engaged, focused and motivated students.

I find it important for students to have some kind of feedback by their teachers on how their task in going (during the proces) in order to keep on track if they must do some addicional effort.
About management tools, some of the suggested are very interesting: Edmodo, Scrumy, Google documents, Google calendar and also Microsoft teams. I also read about small questionnaire done in Kahoot and a training test in Quizizz that works as a check list of acquired concepts.

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1.5 A History & Geography teacher’s experience of collaborative learning

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1.5 A History & Geography teacher’s experience of collaborative learning

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Collaboration with teachers is very difficult. There are many teachers that still do not like computers and that do not want to change what they already know, because it is hard to keep up with the technology and their lower digital competences do not allow them to try and leave their comfort zone.

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A learning activity which required a high degree of collaboration happened last year, in one of my classes. Students had to make a movie with (for example with Moviemaker) where they had to share a message to aware about some of the danger of the Internet to teens. They enrol very well on this task. They choose with whom they wanted to work with (they choose their own group). Clearly one of the problems was on what idea they wanted to share with the rest of the class and how. They had to do some kind of brainstorm, they had to compromise and to perform the task together in a coordinated effort. The product was also their choice (some made their own cartoon movie, some filmed, some painted, etc.). The final result was in my and their opinion very positive to all.
My learning Diary https://v.gd/oG0yvx

A learning activity which required a low degree of collaboration happened when a class of mine had to make a game where groups of students had to play against each other. Each group made their own 5 questions with three incorrect and one correct answer about what they had learnt the year before. Next they all played the competition.

My learning Diary
https://v.gd/m75ibA