Collaboration

One needs to communicate to be able to collaborate. Collaboration is the working together, usually on something intellectual, to create or produce some product. Communication is the vehicle by which students collaborate- it is the exchange of ideas, information, thoughts, messages, etc. Technology can be the vehicle or the environment by which students can collaborate. Messages are exchanged from student to student, or from teacher to student in my class room where students work together to publish finished work in the form of posters, cartoons, ideas on sticky notes to create combined answers to any prompt. This is successful use of communication to create collaboration. Students collaborate when they share their writing, or other finished products, and then they have to offer revisions and then students revise their work. Student participation is difficult to asses without observing each group communicate.
 * What is collaboration?
 * What are 3 ways in which students collaborate in your classroom and are they successful?

RANDY NELSON ON LEARNING
1. How can expanded use of technology help develop depth and breadth for our students? For one, students have a much richer pool of existing knowledge, ideas, images, etc. that they can utilize to make their ideas even stronger when they use technology. Students could have a platform to share their ideas/products so they can collaborate. With a forum for their ideas, students can challenge themselves to make mistakes and grow from their mistakes as Randy Nelson suggested.

2. What is the difference between cooperation and collaboration? According to Randy Nelson, cooperation can be achieved individually, but is used to get the product done faster - it's for efficiency. Collaboration on the other hand can not be achieved individually, but instead it is used to create a stronger, deeper project with the help of each member's individuality, strengths and resources.

3. What are the challenges in getting students to collaborate rather than just cooperating? Students view work in the "it is good enough, so I'm done" lens. They don't see a project or product or idea or message as potential for what it can be after they get their hands on it.

VOICETHREAD
Briefly define a Voicethread in your own terms, summarize your initial impressions of Voicethread and the various ways it might be useful in your classroom.

Voicethread is such a cool piece of technology. It takes media and makes it a centerpiece around which people can comment in the form of voice or text using a variety of different modes such as a phone or computer. I foresee students using this to analyze strong images or video segments as a precursor for an I See/It Means. Any media that students would have strong reactions to would make excellent centerpiece for a voicethread to add to student communication. It makes them accountable for their ideas and participation.