David Doherty Collaborative learning Diary by David Doherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej This is where I keep the answers to the modules and the resource links I need from the Collaborative Teaching and Learning MOOC . If you want to contact me just e mail daviddoherty@dongaletb.ie en-us 2016-10-25 10:34:38 UTC 2024-05-01 04:47:01 UTC hello@padlet.com About Me daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/132950795 I am a Science Teacher (mainly Biology & Chemistry). I live on the North West coast in County Donegal. I have a life outside of teaching based on athletics. I run and coach athletics with our local club Tír Chonaill AC. I try to keep myself up to date with best practice and so I work as an e twinning ambassador and  also work as part of a teacher collaboration team in my school.]]> 2016-10-25 10:53:32 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/132950795 Teaching Context daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/132951619 I teach in a rural secondary school which is a member of Donegal Education and Training Board (15 schools). Currently we have 231 students studying over six years. 
We offer a full range of academic subjects such as English, French, Math etc... but also include Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Agricultural Science to Leaving Certificate (Ireland final state exam).

I am part of a group of eight (8) teachers who work collaboratively together visiting each others lessons and video taping some lessons for review later. We teach mainly through inquiry using a modular based layout in our classrooms. 
Most teachers in our school are traditional instruction lead teachers but our group is leading learning through student lead, student centred teaching. 
Our school is reasonably well equipped with technology with projectors in every classroom and laptops available for use by students as well as a computer room. 

I have also started to introduce technology into my teaching  through the BYOD model. Lastly my students do not use text books in class other than as a research tool and we do not take notes rather using discussion and revision as our learning model.  ]]> 2016-10-25 10:59:45 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/132951619 Module 1 daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/133262599 My learning objectives for this module are:

  1. Understanding that collaborative learning, is more than students in groups
    1. Unesco Definition of Collaborative learning: Learners of various performance levels  working in small group towards a common goal. It is a learner centered approach derived from social learning theory as well as associative constructive theory of learning. Collaborative learning fosters positive interdependence, individual accountability and interpersonal skills
    2. Students need to work interdependently, give feedback and using the information derived from their work to build to the next stage of understanding.
    3. Interesting point: Difference between co operative and collaborative  learning
      1. Cooperative work is dividing task among a group with each sub group submitting their work back to the larger group
      2. Collaborative work is the group works on the entire problem together to seek a solution
      3. https://youtu.be/rWEwv_qobpU
      4. Check out this you tube video that I saw on https://www.facebook.com/inge.hammer1?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf
  2. Appreciating the benefits and the specific skills collaborative learning helps develop
    1. its claim is that collaboration improves a. achievement, b. attitude, c. engagement and d. retention (prince et.al 2014)
    2. Specifically the learner will build the following skills
      1. leadership
      2. evaluation
      3. listening 
      4. presentation
      5. Team Work (Jacques and salmon, 2007)
  3. Appreciating how collaborative learning can be facilitated by an interactive classroom, and project-based learning
    1. An interactive classroom starts with students been able to talk to each other with respect, honesty, clarity and an equal voice. Technology is just a tool not really necessary for an interactive environment. 
  4. I need to create a personal Learning Diary to log learning activities, reflections and resources from the course.
  5. I need to reflect in my Diary on two learning activities and whether they require a low or high level of collaboration from students.

Learning Activity number 1: Low collaboration
  1. Lesson 1 on Ecology :
  2. Time allowed: 200 mins (5 x 40min classes) (class 1)
  3. learning Intentions: Define and give examples of the following as applied to terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) environments: Abiotic, Biotic, Climatic and Edaphic factor. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name feeding as the pathway of energy flow. Present a grazing food chain. Present a food web. Construct a pyramid of numbers and explain its use.
  4. Teaching Methodologies employed: The start of this lesson requires low levels of collaboration with students using placemat and textbook to work in pairs researching and writing the various definitions and then changing the wording to demonstrate their understanding.
Reasons for classifying as Low collaboration: This lesson requires students to study and learn definitions in order to be able to apply them during their habitat study. This requires indivisual reading but little discussion. There is some collaboration during the AFL activity where students change the information around and present it back to the partner in the placemat. 

Learning Activity number 1: High collaboration

  1. Lesson 1 on Ecology :
  2. Time allowed: 200 mins (5 x 40min classes) (Class 2)
  3. learning Intentions: Define and give examples of the following as applied to terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) environments: Abiotic, Biotic, Climatic and Edaphic factor. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name feeding as the pathway of energy flow. Present a grazing food chain. Present a food web. Construct a pyramid of numbers and explain its use.
  4. Teaching Methodologies employed: The second and subsequent part of this lesson requires high levels of collaboration with students using Jig saw to build their understanding of energy flow pathways and then layering their knowledge until they have the skills to move onto studying the dynamics of a habitat.

Reasons for classifying as High Collaboration: This part of the lesson requires students to work together to investigate information that will allow them to build a scaffold on which the next piece of information depends right through to a conclusion. Each student depends on the members of their team to reflect and contest their assertions that a hypothesis is correct. Students are given and must use question stems "What" "Why" "Where" "When" and "How" which ensures blooms requirements are satisfied. 



]]> 2016-10-26 09:58:10 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/133262599 Welcome to my Learning Diary daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/135540966 2016-11-05 12:10:19 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/135540966 My Learning Diary for Module 2 daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/135541192 Common language
The use of a common meta language is essential if we are to have a consistent and coherent approach to any type of change. So that appears to be a no brainer. As to whether collaboration is an inherited skill or can be learned is also a no brainer as any skill can be learned ...I can play football just not as good as Lionel Messi...but I can still play

The four Questions
I think the questions are clever and are relevant but it is not always necessary to ask yourself all of them everytime you plan a lesson.
It really depends on what you are trying to achieve in the lesson and the degree of collaboration you are seeking to achieve also.
If I am intending to teach through instruction rather than facilitation, I may just drop a little paired work into the mix simply to alleviate student boredom from listening to me. No need to consider the questions past the first one.

Use of the Rubric
The simple Rubric described is wonderful and I will definitely apply it. Not sure it needs to be written...reckon its possible to hold it in my head and apply it as I facilitate a lesson.

The idea of using rubrics is wonderful. The practicality is something else.
I discussed this with a teaching colleague and we have decided that we shall produce a collaborative rubric for when students engage in common cross curricular tasks like making presentations.
This will allow us to assess the quality of the work in a common manner.

Collaborative Learning Scenarios
Felt I was back in Science 101
Essentially she is giving a description of the scientific method as described to students.
Apart from that I note that the scenarios are very detailed and I wonder how many teachers will take the time to detail out this for every lesson, particularly if the lessons are say...40 min duration only. I can see teachers doing it to become familiar with using collaboration but as it becomes more ingrained in their "teaching Style" I see the use of more generalised language ...

Peer Review
I have completed a Learning Designer lesson plan for review the link can be found here https://v.gd/krtYH0

Activity required to demonstrate different levels of collaboration

Learning Activity number 1: Low collaboration coded 3
  1. Lesson 1 on Ecology :
  2. Time allowed: 200 mins (5 x 40min classes) (class 1)
  3. learning Intentions: Define and give examples of the following as applied to terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) environments: Abiotic, Biotic, Climatic and Edaphic factor. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name feeding as the pathway of energy flow. Present a grazing food chain. Present a food web. Construct a pyramid of numbers and explain its use.
  4. Teaching Methodologies employed: The start of this lesson requires low levels of collaboration with students using placemat and textbook to work in pairs researching and writing the various definitions and then changing the wording to demonstrate their understanding.
Reasons for classifying as Low collaboration: This lesson requires students to study and learn definitions in order to be able to apply them during their habitat study. This requires individual reading but little discussion. There is some collaboration during the AFL activity where students change the information around and present it back to the partner in the placemat. 

Learning Activity number 1: High collaboration coded 5

  1. Lesson 1 on Ecology :
  2. Time allowed: 200 mins (5 x 40min classes) (Class 2)
  3. learning Intentions: Define and give examples of the following as applied to terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) environments: Abiotic, Biotic, Climatic and Edaphic factor. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name the sun as the primary source of energy. Name feeding as the pathway of energy flow. Present a grazing food chain. Present a food web. Construct a pyramid of numbers and explain its use.
  4. Teaching Methodologies employed: The second and subsequent part of this lesson requires high levels of collaboration with students using Jig saw to build their understanding of energy flow pathways and then layering their knowledge until they have the skills to move onto studying the dynamics of a habitat.

Reasons for classifying as High Collaboration: This part of the lesson requires students to work together to investigate information that will allow them to build a scaffold on which the next piece of information depends right through to a conclusion. Each student depends on the members of their team to reflect and contest their assertions that a hypothesis is correct. Students are given and must use question stems "What" "Why" "Where" "When" and "How" which ensures blooms requirements are satisfied. 
]]> 2016-11-05 12:16:54 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/135541192 Module 3 My Learning Diary daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/136308801 How can you assess Collaborative Learning
I have begun a lesson with my junior cert Science class learning atomic structure using a checklist (created by me and an assessment rubric created by me and them .....sooo. in 2 weeks I will know how it went]]> 2016-11-09 07:28:26 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/136308801 Module 4 My Learning Diary daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/138868517 Webinar
This was a really useful webinar. great questions and ones I have not considered...for example....how to deal with peer conflict in a collaborative situation, dealing with students with special needs.
In relation to assessing the interpersonal skills I would not have considered the socio economic status of the kids and their ability to articulate. I think I need to go back a step and spend more time considering the group constitution and the probable dynamic. Up to now I have just looked at personality, academic ability and tried inso far as possible to match students that can contribute to the work. I usually use mixed ability groups and occasionally friendship groups but that tends to be only as a treat. but now I need to consider their socio status and what dynamic that brings. 
In relation to the number of collaborative learning experiences to complete in a year. I am at this since the first AMGEN TEACH workshop I attended a couple of years ago and I started with a colleague with small steps but now 2 years later I am teaching through collaboration most of the time. It takes the students time to "get used to my way" but they are adaptable. School would be boring if every teacher taught this way all the time. I like the idea that the ideal is not too much instruction not too much facilitation but something in the middle is good.

Technology
I am involved in teacher collaboration on a number of fronts. My school is part of a 15 school education and training board network and although there  is a facility for subject specific teachers to connect and share ideas by e mail, in reality most (>90%) do not engage.
I am also part of the e twinning programme and although the concept is great and I am fully committed to it ...it is not a plug and play system and takes a lot of effort on behalf of the teachers involved. The effort is worth it BTW. A lot of teachers who use e twinning also engage with Erasmus.
I am also very lucky in that there is a small group of teachers in my school who want to improve their teaching and so we have formed a collaborative teaching group and share ideas, use classroom observations and video analysis of our lessons.
Its all hard work and takes a lot of time but if we desire to be better then its time well spent.

Learning Activity
This is my second attempt at Learning Designer and its much easier the second time. The link to the lesson plan is https://v.gd/CzKblr 99997]]*az���l

I am a biology and Chemistry teacher and this lesson is for younger students aged around 14. They are used to collaborative learning as they work in groups in my class all the time. They are also familiar with jig Say (if you are unfamiliar then check out my website for the details http://ibselessonplans.weebly.com/jig-saw.html
Good luck to my reviewer and I hope it makes sense.]]> 2016-11-19 11:12:52 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/138868517 The End daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/138892287 2016-11-19 19:00:59 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/138892287 THE END daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/140886356 2016-11-30 17:15:03 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/140886356 Links: Lesson Plan 2 daviddoherty https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/141188092 https://v.gd/YUyenE

Lesson Plan 1:
https://v.gd/GcH9eg]]> 2016-12-01 17:25:28 UTC https://padlet.com/daviddoherty/lwk1f4cb83ej/wish/141188092