Collaborative Technology

There are many things to consider when determining what type of collaborative technology

to use with my students.  The overarching question I try to answer when discovering any

new or new to me tech options is; Will my students actually be able to do this?  This

question relies heavily on the devices, wifi capabilities, and apps available to them, but

also includes considerations for their varying academic needs and abilities, the

appropriateness of the tech for the specific lesson, and students' knowledge of how to use

the tech in a meaningful way.

Once I have determined we have adequate devices, and students are capable of

maneuvering the sites they are using for the collaborative lesson, it is necessary to step

back and consider if this type of collaboration is really enhancing their learning or just

substituting something they were already doing.  If the lesson is simply substituting

something they are already doing it may not be worth my students time to learn a different

system to do the same work. If however, the lesson will be improving the lesson by

allowing students to collaborate with others they may not already be able to work

with, or to learn from their peers in a way they were not able to without the use of this

technology, it may be a great time to use this tech for a collaborative lesson.

When considering tech opportunities for collaboration in my classroom, I also must

consider how this lesson will reach each one of my students and their different needs.  

In other words, what accommodations or extensions will I be able to provide through this

tool to meet each student where they are and use the tool to help move them forward.

Another thing I consider before introducing collaborative technology opportunities is

considering what direct instruction is necessary prior to or during the lesson to make

it successful.  Often students need instruction on how to make constructive comments

and how to provide meaningful feedback. Lessons on norms and expectations for each

tool are certainly necessary to ensure students are educated on how to be good digital

citizens through the use of collaborative technology.

When teachers are using technology to collaborate, many of the same things must be

taken into consideration.  Things such as ease of use, sharing capabilities, and the

applicable nature of the ideas being shared to different grade levels must all be included

in the decision about what tools are appropriate.  Google provides many useful tools for collaboration with other teachers. With this tool, sharing documents, resources, and

lesson plans can be done quickly and easily. Working together to build collaborative

lesson plans or to brainstorm outside of face to face plan times is also simplified by the

use of collaborative tools such as google docs.