Memo #4 Collaboration Through Technology

Literacy Scaffolding Lesson Using Multimodal Technologies

     My lesson plan below exemplifies the use of multimodal technologies in teaching the lesson, "Collaboration Through the Use of Technology" as well as using technology in the actual lesson, itself.  

     Multimodal technologies are important 21st century literacies that need to be taught for people to be effective contributors and creators in our global, technologically advanced, and collaborative world. Traditional literacies, reading, writing, and speaking, are essential; however, the 21st century literacies include the elements of social communications through the proliferation of both the world wide web and global technologies.  

     Listed in the materials section, you will find active hyperlinks to resources, such as videos, articles, and websites used in the lesson.

Name:  Carolyn Frick  Lesson Title:  Collaboration through Technology Date:  April 29, 2014 - Frontloading Lesson & May 6, 2014 - Consolidation Lesson
Lesson Justification
Who are my students?  (background, interest, and needs) The students in CURRINS 545 are a full complement of talented, creative, and inquisitive learners seeking to become phenomenal 21st Century facilitators, collaborators, and co-creators of knowledge skilled at implementing disciplinary literacies.  While the class is a mix of student teachers, teachers, and graduate students of various ethnicity, everyone has the common goal of becoming an effective teacher.
What conditions/ limitations might impact the planning and delivery of the lesson? To effectively deliver the lesson, we need to account for the vast differences in students’ background knowledge and experiences related to both technology and collaboration. Throughout the lesson we will find the time restraints limiting as there’s so much we wish to share and experience!
What research/theory supports my intended teaching goals? Numerous research studies have been conducted regarding the use and effectiveness of collaboration in the classroom.  Troy Hicks and Peter Kittle support this in their article, “Transforming the Group Paper with Collaborative Online Writing.”  Further support is reflected in Henry Jenkins’ article, “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:  Media Education for the 21st century.”
Why am I teaching this lesson? (justify content and instructional strategy) Collaboration through technology is a necessary skill in the 21st century workforce. Networking through technology has enabled previously unimaginable collaboration of ideas to transform our world with magnificent developments such as affordable prostheses, for example.  Collaboration and technology are our future.  We, as facilitators in all learning environments, must assimilate and embrace them in our classrooms.
How does this lesson connect with and build on previous/subsequent lesson(s)? (Learning Progression) Over the course of the semester, we have been exposed to the impact of technology throughout our lessons, assignments, and multi-modal readings. While collaboration has not been a solitary topic in a lesson, it has loosely been alluded to, discussed, and read about in various lessons and readings.
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE (Identify academic language, particular words/phrases that are essential to understanding the content of this lesson.)
·         Collaboration ·         Ethos ·         Synchronously ·         Asynchronously ·         Participatory Culture ·         Collective Intelligence ·         New Literacies ·         Authorship ·         Co-authored Writing

Prior to creation of this lesson plan, you should have completed a thorough description of the “Context for Learning.”

LEARNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goal What is collaboration? Define collaboration, recognize its elements, and be able to implement it in the classroom.	Content Objective Experience collaboration via the marshmallow – spaghetti challenge	Assessment (formative &/or summative) Determine success in project by the results of their structure and verbal assessments of the process.
Goal Through our multi-modal presentations and readings, understand how to implement collaboration via technology into their lessons.	Content Objective To be able to implement collaborative experiences in their classrooms across the curriculum utilizing technology.	Assessment (formative &/or summative)
Goal To understand that collaboration is a necessary skill for 21st century literacies.	Language Objective To develop an understanding of the terms affiliated with 21st century collaboration and literacies.	Assessment (formative &/or summative)
MATERIALS
Links to article, websites, and videos used in the lesson: 1.      “Transforming the Group Paper with Collaborative Online Writing” by Troy Hicks and Peter Kittle.  2.      “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:  Media Education for 21st Century” by Henry Jenkins, et.al. 3.      edtechteacher Collaborative Website Resource List 4.      YouTube Video:  “Emerging Trends in Education:  Collaborative Tools and Technology” 5.      Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article, March 4, 2014:  “Online World Lends a Hand:  From South Africa to UWM, Tinkerers Work to Design Plastic Prosthesis for Girl” 6.      Writing to Learn Activities: a.       Quick Write on Jenkin’s article b.      Cluster Mapping qualities inherent in collaboration c.       Create a quick draw/symbol for each vocabulary term d.       Double Entry Journal e.       Quick Write on how technology changed the collaborative writing process. f.       Highlighting/underlining 3 key aspects in Journal Sentinel article 7.      Power Point displays
instructional strategies and learning tasks
April 29, 2014 Frontloading- Pre-Reading Time:  5 minutes Time:  5 minutes Time:  10 minutes Time: 10 minutes Time:  8 minutes	Instructional Strategies/Learning Task 1.      Collaboration Activity:  Marshmallow-Spaghetti Challenge. 2.      Debrief the Process: What happened; how did you arrive at solution; process; skills needed; knowledge        = COLLABORATION! 3.      Why Do We Collaborate?   Read to find out: Why is collaboration important in new literacies? --Read Jenkins article:  “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:  Media Education in the 21st Century” --WTL activity – Quick write in your notebook:  Why is collaboration important in new literacies? --Collaboration is a new literacy skill students need for the social nature of educational and workforce preparation purposes. --Discuss & Share answers to quick write.    4.       Preface video with the question: What       does the video say about collaboration? SHOW VIDEO: “Emerging Trends in Education: Collaborative Tools & Technology”        --Video fleshes out students’ need for        collaboration        --What messages about collaboration did you        get from the video? 4.   ACTIVITY Define Collaboration together WTL-Groups of 4 create a cluster map of ideas/concepts/etc. relating to collaboration ideas from the video. Groups share some elements from maps. 5.      Share Collective 21st Century Definition --Include Lombardi Definitions, for fun, on Power Point. 6.      Identify that class has been collaborating. --Used “collective intelligence” to “coauthor” collaboration via “participatory culture.”		Power Point Screen with directions. Have materials on the table. Hand out article after brief intro. Power Point slide with video link. Pass out large sheets of paper and markers. Power Point slides.
Time: 4 minutes	Introduce Vocabulary     Writing to Learn Activity - Quick Draw! Provide everyone with their own sheet of terms and definitions.  Have them read it.  Create symbols next to each term to help remember it. Share a few!		Hand out vocab. sheet
Time: 3 minutes	Introduce readings 1.      Knowledge of authors; gist of articles 2.      Announce Purpose for reading: To discover how collaboration and technology are being used to transform traditional learning (specifically collaborative writing). 3.      Assign Kittle and Hicks article:  “Transforming the Group Paper with Collaborative Online Writing” 4.      Activity During Reading: Double Entry Journal – Handout.		Hand out article & Double Entry Journal paper. *Power Point slide of assignment.
May 6, 2014 Consolidating Understanding After Reading Time: 15 minutes	1.      While students entering class have power point cycle through slides of definitions of collaboration. 2.      Review double-entry homework to refresh 3.      Quick write - How has technology changed the collaborative writing processes? 4.      Share results 5.      Divide class by disciplines. Groups will discuss/determine ways they can use Wikis and/or Google Docs in their disciplines & classrooms. 6.      Put ideas on paper in a list. 7.      Share results		Power Point Slides on screen upon arrival.
Time: 15 minutes Guiding Comprehension During Reading	Introduce Topic:  Collaboration Through Technology 1.      Preface: Pay attention to how collaboration          occurred in this instance. 2.      Class reads Journal-Sentinel article WTL Activity During Reading: Highlighting 3 items in the article:     1. Who is involved in the collaboration.     2. Where each individual is from.     3. Identify the various web sites that enabled            the global collaboration to occur. 1.      Identify methods of collaboration in the article.       Discuss:  Their highlights and notes 2.      REVIEW of main topics and ideas about collaboration through use of technology. 3.      Handout – listing of collaborative web resources for use in their classrooms. Post-reading highlight: * Question of authorship; * Collaboration is driven by need to solve a problem * Technology Driven		Power Point slide detailing what to highlight. Handout collaborative resources guide.
CLOSURE
Possible Extension Activities: ·         Pass out list of available online resources relating to collaboration ·         Participate in a collaborative project ·         Develop collaborative project for use in their classrooms ·         View Ted Talks on Collaboration & Technology ·         View video:  “Technology Opens Opportunities for Collaboration:  Sophia Holmes