What do you think about the ‘co-teaching rotation’ collaboration model mentioned by Valentina? Do you find it an interesting approach, and is it one you have experience of? Valentina mentions the need for teachers to bring their best skills and practices to the team while remaining flexible to adapt them in case others suggest better ways of working. Do you agree with this and what are your experiences of acting upon the constructive criticisms of other teachers?

I think that we have 19th century classrooms, we are teachers from the 20th century and we are teaching kids from the 21st century so we have to improve, to adapt to a new reality and to provide our students new approaches in the way of teaching so that they can be well prepared for this new world. The ‘co-teaching rotation’ collaboration model mentioned by Valentina it is not an interesting approach. I am experiencing collaborative teaching with a trainee teacher from Greece and so far it has been a great experience.In my case I don’t have any issues by working with other teachers. I am always open to new ideas, new approaches, new methods.

Have you heard of all the platforms and digital tools mentioned by Reyhan in the video, and what are your experiences of using them for teacher collaboration? Do you agree that not all teachers have the required skills to take advantage of digital technologies? Reyhan mentions social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as particularly useful spaces for teacher collaboration and professional learning. What are your experiences of social media networks for teacher collaboration and professional learning? What emerging digital technologies are you aware of that can help teachers collaborate more efficiently?

I have heard about some of these platforms and digital tools but I haven’t any experience in using them. I have to try eTwinning and ePals to find partners, or maybe set up projects, exchange practices or share ideas. I agree that not all teachers have the required skills to take advantage of digital technologies, but we must break this wall by improving ourselves, trying to get better. That’s what I am doing here. It is not the fact of getting digital technologies skills but learning how to use them in collaborative learning and teaching. 

Do you agree with the benefits and challenges highlighted by Professor Butler? Which benefits and challenges would you add based on your experiences? What opportunities have you been able to take advantage of in your own context to collaborate with teachers both in and outside of school? Do you collaborate with teachers in your own subject group, across age groups or across themes relevant to the whole school, and if so how?

I agree with Professor Butler on the benefits and challenges in teacher collaboration. I am in this course to get some know-how on the matter so that I can be able to go to the next stage and collaborate with other teachers, design tasks together to implement them in our classrooms/schools. In my case we collaborate one another in the end of the school year in our meetings, when we are preparing the next school year, when we are planning classes in our Primary School Department. We collaborate when we are preparing special days at school. The kindergarten, Primary School teachers and parents gather and plan some activities like the World Food Day, Christmas… In my Primary School we collaborate one another sharing: materials, learning strategies… But we have to go forward and build the school environment that supports the culture of collaboration.

Do you agree with the list of skills and conditions mentioned as necessary for teacher collaboration to flourish in schools? What would you add to this list based on your experiences? Does the leadership in your teacher training institution or the current school in which you teach model collaboration? If so, how, and do you think this is motivating and beneficial for students? Do you work with teachers who are sceptical about collaboration, and what have you/will you try to help them see the advantages of this way of working?

I agree with Majella Dempseyabout the list of skills and conditions mentioned as necessary for teacher collaboration to flourish in our schools.

I think we have some work to do in teacher collaboration because sometimes teaching is a very isolated and isolating practice when we are in our classrooms and close our doors. We have to give example, to motivate our students and working together is the way to do so.

Some teachers are sceptical about collaboration, but in my opinion it is not a question of failure afraid or lack of skills to do so, it is the “status quo”, the system, and we have to overcome these obstacles. I will try to be an example and by doing so, maybe I will inspire my peers to teacher collaboration.

Do you use technology specifically for the purpose of collaborating with other teachers? Would you say that the nature of your digital collaboration with teachers is equivalent to ‘sending and displaying’, as mentioned in the video, or more about processing, analyzing and sharing? Why do you think this is and can you give examples? Which digital tools would you recommend for teachers to use for collaborating and why?

I use technology specifically to facilitate my work. I use email to communicate with other teachers, psychologists, the department… I use our inside platform “moodle”, I use an app called Classdojo specificaly to monitorize my students behaviour and to communicate with parents. I use facebook to read education articles but I think that this kind of digital collaboration is only ‘sending and displaying’. I have some work to do! 

Do you agree that finding time within the school day for teacher collaboration is challenging? What are your experiences of this, and what solutions have you tried to overcome this challenge? Do you agree that working with teachers from different disciplines can be very useful, and what are your experiences of this? What are the conditions needed in your opinion for this to work?

I couldn’t agree more. It is very difficult to find time within the school day to teacher collaboration. In Primary School we only have time to collaborate after 17:30. It is the end of a working day and we are tired. I agree that working with teachers from different disciplines can be useful, because you change ideas, resources, combine different skills. In my case, I am experiencing co-Teaching at Fridays, with a Physical Education teacher for one hour. It has been a great experience because we work together with the group of students, we share information, ideas and we help eachother. We will be developing this experience along the school year, so we will have time to get better and to put some of this Mooc expertise in practise. I think that for teacher collaboration succeds we need time at school, during the week, for that purpose. Time to sit, to share ideas, resources, to plan, to assess. 

 4.8. Learning Activity

If you want to receive the course certificate, you need to submit your Lesson Plan in this section by 23rd November 23:59h CET and also review two Lesson Plans by 27th November 23:59h CET.

In order to do this please follow these steps:

1. Following on from Module 3’s learning activity, please continue developing one or more lesson plans integrating collaborative learning and assessment, which you intend to use with your students in the classroom before the end of 2016 or early next year. Please design your lesson plan in English language and use the Learning Designer.

2. Please look at the lesson plan rubric document which you should consider when creating or updating your lesson plan. The rubric will also be used for your peer review of the lesson plans of two other course participants.

3. Get the link to your lesson plan on the Learning Designer. Once finished, click on the "Share button" and copy the link.

4. Submit the link to your lesson plan together with the link to your Learning Diary by posting the links in the textbox further below and clicking the "Hand-in task" button. By submitting your Learning Diary with your lesson plan you provide some context for your lesson plan, allowing your reviewer to better understand your lesson plan. Make sure you submit the correct links as once you have submitted them, there is no way to subsequently change it. 

5. Review three lesson plans. Wait until you have received an email confirming that you have been allocated 2 lesson plans of your peers to review. You will then be able to post review comments and upload a review file for each of the 2 lesson plans that have been allocated to you. Please complete the Lesson Plan Rubric document (Word version) or (Open Office version) for each lesson plan and submit this as your peer review in this section. Make sure you click the "Review" buttonafter attaching the file.

6. Read the feedback for your own lesson plan. You will receive an email once you can look at the feedback that has been provided for your lesson plan.