In their book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds, Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis discuss strategies to implement into the classroom that prepare your students to collaborate globally. While there are some strategies that I use in my classroom, there are still many that I have yet to touch upon in my 4th grade world. In my classroom, we are still working on appropriate behavior with technology. My students have used Google Classroom and Padlet as tools to share ideas and comment on ideas from their peers. These types of activities have been incorporated into many subjects throughout the day. I know my students are excited when they are given tasks like this because often times they will log on when they get home and will comment some more (when normally they dread doing school work at home!).
Moving forward, I would like to incorporate some videosharing into my classroom, beginning with my students as a self-contained class and then branching out to collaborate with other 4th grade classes. Another idea I particularly liked was having students reach out to an expert which my students would love, but that would be something they would have to be prepared for. Starting with the basics is such important step so then students are able to build on the skills they already know while still maintaining their respectful mind and use of technology. In their chat on YouTube, Vicki Davis said "you can't have a world class education without the world; it's not talking to the world or at the world, it's interacting with the world" (Davis 2014). Understanding how to collaborate and have a conversation, without just talking at someone, is one of the important foundational skills that I focus on with my 4th graders.
References
T. (2014, January 16). Julie Lindsay & Vicki Davis on "Flattening Classrooms" Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZuwIhjQvA
Moving forward, I would like to incorporate some videosharing into my classroom, beginning with my students as a self-contained class and then branching out to collaborate with other 4th grade classes. Another idea I particularly liked was having students reach out to an expert which my students would love, but that would be something they would have to be prepared for. Starting with the basics is such important step so then students are able to build on the skills they already know while still maintaining their respectful mind and use of technology. In their chat on YouTube, Vicki Davis said "you can't have a world class education without the world; it's not talking to the world or at the world, it's interacting with the world" (Davis 2014). Understanding how to collaborate and have a conversation, without just talking at someone, is one of the important foundational skills that I focus on with my 4th graders.
References
T. (2014, January 16). Julie Lindsay & Vicki Davis on "Flattening Classrooms" Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZuwIhjQvA