Welcome to #saskedchat. Tonight we're so happy & excited to have two pre-service teachers leading our discussion of Collaboration in the Classroom. Join me in giving @missjprediger & @erin_zinger a warm welcome as tonight's moderators!
My name is Laneise Scharback. I'm a third year pre-intern at the University of Regina! I am from Allan, Saskatchewan and my favourite movie is "The Rescuers." #saskedchat
Hi everyone! My name is Janae Prediger and I'm currently in my third year of Middle Years Education at the U of R. Today was my first day of our 3-week block and it was great to be back in the classroom! I'm excited to be moderating tonight's chat with @erin_zinger! #saskedchat
A1: Collaboration means working alongside others in a supportive setting! Individuals share their ideas with others in order to find success! #saskedchat
Well my favorite movie #saskedchat is the one where I can role-play Luke Skywalker and @kellywchris buys all the tickets to it because he loves it so much!
A1: Building relationships, working together towards a common goal, learning from someone else's expertise and areas of strength, supporting your colleagues. It is a dynamic process, not a static event #saskedchat
Hi everyone! I’m in my third year of Middle Years Education at the UofR, in my pre-internship! Currently, my favourite movie is La La Land! Thanks for joining this chat everyone, much appreciated! #saskedchat
A1. Listening... intently and intentionally and then finding ways to produce something that is bigger than anything you could do by yourself.. for the benefit of student learning in our specific instance... of course! #saskedchat
Hello there #saskedchat ! I am a substitute teacher with @StoonPubSchools who convocated from the @UofRegina ! Happy to be here with you all tonight! 😊
Hey everyone! I just finished my first day of pre-internship and am so excited to have my colleagues @missjprediger and @erin_zinger lead this discussion! My favourite movie is Endless Love #saskedchat
A1: #Collaboration means cooperation, working together, and learning together, to produce or create something, usually resulting in mutual/reciprocal #success! #SaskEdChat
#saskedchat example of collaboration from my class today: Ss sharing what recirculation means to them. No one right answer. A collection of ideas to push our thinking. #myacsclassroom
A1. True story... collaboration last week saw our Director of Education at LCSD teaching my Ss about Jump Reading with Lion Witch Wardrobe while I talked with Deputy Director of Learning about how the strategy was impacting Ss. @kusch39 That was collaborating. #saskedchat
Hello! I'm Keandrah, or Kealey, and I'm also a 3rd year student at U of R! A1: collaboration to me is working with others who are willing support, learn with and grow together! #saskedchat
A2: It's a LIFE SKILL. Students need a chance to adapt and learn in a collaborative setting because that is what the world expects. Collaboration makes my heart happy. #saskedchat
Movies are way more my thing than chocolate - I have a thousand DVDs on my shelves: https://t.co/yerMtUoA8T Picking a favourite would be hard...
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A1 - Collaboration means joining together with open minded individuals in order to reach a goal! It means working as a team, sharing ideas & supporting each other! #saskedchat#Collaboration#teamworkmakesthedreamwork
A2: We encourage our students to collaborate because it expands their knowledge and introduces them to new perspectives that they may not have been aware of before! We want all of our students to grow and learn from not only their teachers! #saskedchat
A2. Saves time, spreads students internal knowledge, gives them something to do that isn't competition based and promotes teamwork and social progress. #saskedchat
A1. Collaboration for Ss has been all about character discussions with Lion Witch Wardrobe @jacquiewilson99 and Kagan structures to get them really talking.. #saskedchat
A2: What @Stella_Pollard said! So many social emotional skills have a chance to develop during collaboration between students. Plus, they get to see how someone else may think and get new ideas they never would have had otherwise. #saskedchat
Collaboration is necessary to successfully get somewhere we couldn’t by ourselves. It involves those who are directly connected to what we are doing but also includes those connected through others but who influence what we are doing. It’s ‘real world’ as it gets. #saskedchat
A2: by encouraging our students to collaborate, we are allowing them excellent opportunities for growth and learning - this is a journey best done together! #saskedchat
A2. Once students have seen how our environment of growth mindset and interaction to solve problems and questions in learning (like Kagan) can help them... they seem to find a real love for collaborating... fun in science while collaborating doesn't hurt either. #saskedchat
Welcome to #saskedchat@SchleiderJustin - great to see you here tonight! How often do you change your Twitter handle font? It’s like a new you each time you tweet!
A2: We encourage our students to collaborate because we all have different interests, strengths, and background knowledge. When we collaborate, we are able to share our ideas, and perspectives and strengthen our own understandings. #SaskEdChat
Collaboration involves tough discussions and getting the ‘best’ from each person involved in order to develop the best solution possible at the time - it doesn’t mean I will always get me way if my way isn’t the best option and I have to know that going in! #saskedchat
A2 - I love seeing students collaborate! It teaches them crucial relationship skills that they can take with them throughout their whole life! It also allows them to reach new heights that they may not have been able to discover on their own! #saskedchat
A2. Collaboration allows students the opportunity to learn from each other. It gives teachers the opportunity to see how their students learn from each other, and, in turn, they can learn from their students.#saskedchat
We often confuse collegiality with collaboration but they aren’t the same. Collaboration means that we need to get past just ‘doing group work’ and focus on getting to the best solution we can. Too often we don’t get parents or Ss involved when we should #saskedchat
A3: Teach by doing; show our students how we collaborate with them and other teachers. Give them the tools they need to know how to collaborate. #saskedchat
A3: Model and practice what we preach. If we are telling our kids to collaborate, we BETTER be collaborating with our team, admin, and educational PLNs to model that! We also need to focus on our collaboration with the students.
Class norms + question stems help. #saskedchat
A3: Direct teaching and modelling of social skills. Role play or brainstorm what problems or disagreements may arise and come up with strategies to solve them. #saskedchat
A3 - Effective collaboration is difficult because it means we have to be willing to forgo being ‘right’ in order to move to the best solution for all. This requires Ss to do a great deal of development that may take longer than just one project/inquiry. #saskedchat
A3. I think it begins with positive environment .. and relationship. It can be modelled with Ts collaborating with Ss and with other Ts. Ts should be group members with all their Ss at some point ... model what it looks like and feels like to collaborate!! #saskedchat
A3: Simple things like incorporating a “walk and talk” and A/B partners to share ideas build collaboration skills. Modelling how to have a conversation that pushes thinking is key #saskedchat
A3: I think if Ss have never gone through the process then some education/demos using former Ss who can model effectively/good ol YouTube to help start then giving form feedback during & after can get the ball rolling. #saskedchat
A3: the growth mindset is huge, being open-minded and positive. We need to lead by example when we want our students to learn anything - and practice definitely makes progress!! #saskedchat
A3: I see several people saying that we have to be collaborating with others if we expect Ss to collaborate. Curious if students actually get chances to see this collaboration? In our school, it happens behind-the-scenes in most cases #saskedchat
A3. Ss need to see adults collaborating effectively and discuss when this isn’t happening and the consequences for everyone. There are so many non-examples of late! #saskedchat
A3: I think that one of the most important things we can teach students in order to see them collaborate effectively is that conversation is key. Students need to make sure that they are contributing and that no one is left behind! #saskedchat
A3. We teach our students to collaborate by being role models and by setting up activities in the classroom that allow for working together and relationship building. #saskedchat
A3 - Model! Show students what effective collaboration looks like as you collaborate with parents, students and colleagues! You also need to give students the opportunity to collaborate. If they make a mistake, allow them to learn and grow from it #saskedchat
@missjprediger - getting parents involved means asking them to contribute to the school culture - ask them to take part in developing school policy. In the classroom, ask them to share their expertise in the classroom, ask them for feedback about classroom policies. #saskedchat
Invite parental involvement on an instructional level - parents as mentors and contributors to learning (support passion projects, mentor children, read/help with math, engage in goal setting with own child) — contributes to engagement and differentiation! #saskedchat
SCCs are great for this! We have a strong parent presence on our council. They offer some great insights, especially as a T who is not a parent. It is great to see that perspective. #saskedchat
In schools, we need to make them partners by having them give input on what happens at the school - bring them into discussions with teachers and students - develop the culture of collaboration #saskedchat
A4: Looks like... interaction, enthusiasm, conversation, engagement. Sounds like... talking, discussion, (possibly) noisy! Feels like... inclusion of ideas, each person is important and contributing, comfortable and safe, supported. #saskedchat
A3: We can teach our students to collaborate effectively by creating an atmosphere of positive interdependence; creating learning activities that are complex enough that they need to collaborate, minimizing opportunities for students to go off on their own. #SaskEdChat
A4: a collaborative classroom feels safe - to share your thoughts and ideas with peers and teachers. It sounds like conversation, and everyone is being heard. It looks like group work, pair work, it looks happy #saskedchat
A4: A collaborative classroom looks like students working together effectively. It sounds like create minds expressing their thoughts, and it feels like a safe space where all ideas are welcomed and valued! #saskedchat
It’s not about collaboration but a partnership. Partnerships should not have hierarchical structure. Parents role is as important as teacher role which is as important as learner role. The triad needs to partner for most favourable impact on student learning. #saskedchat
A4: It looks/feels/sounds like whatever it needs to be like. Sometimes, that's a noisy bustle of activity while students exchange ideas verbally, sometimes it's quiet time around digital tools where students are collaboratively editing online documents.
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A4.Looks like Ss understand respect for one another, feels like Ss and T understand how to interact respectfully, sounds like Ss responding respectfully toward one another; teach respect first. #saskedchat
A4. A collaborative classroom has tables and centres set up for students to collaborate at, the students feel comfortable together and you can hear quiet whispers of students sharing ideas. #saskedchat
I think this is important - something we want to develop for our Learning Commons is this idea of community use. Not just the school community, but all the communities we're tied into, too!
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Agreed! I think that the new P3 schools in Regina really support collaboration as something school should be, always! - Spaces to collaborate with others to share prior and new knowledge and improve the understanding of all involved. #saskedchat
Collaborative seating is key to effective collaboration. If students are sitting in straight rows, it is much more difficult for students to discuss ideas. I'm so glad I haven't seen the desk-in-rows model since I was in school! #saskedchat
A4 - Collaboration looks like groups or pairs, excited & engaged students, and a team working together. Collaboration sounds like discussion, many voices, and kind words. Collaboration feels safe, welcoming, and open. #saskedchat
A5:When it comes to summative assessments, you have to tread carefully. Ss can use collaborative means to get to their final product, but, at the end of the day, the assessment has to be set up in a way that you can determine what each individual student has achieved #saskedchat
A5: I think there are a very select group of situations where you need to evaluate students' individual knowledge. In those cases, collaboration would be counter-intuitive.
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A4 - it needs to have space for disagreement and discussion which is an important part of collaboration - it’s not always going to be orderly with people taking turns. It changes the image of what classrooms look like #saskedchat
Knowing what to do with any space is key to getting the most out of it, yes! I’d love to hear about ways that you’ve planned for student collaboration during your 3-week block! #saskedchat
Yes! Our Thursday Creator Club already draws more people from outside of the school than students. If we can open up our building and resources to community members, how much more will they be able to offer what they have in exchange?
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A5. Sometimes collaboration may not be appropriate because students need to work independently to develop/show their own ideas. I think when students are completing summative assessments, they can collaborate through peer-feedback but the rest should be independent #saskedchat
A5 - we don’t collaborate all the time - it’s knowing when it would be the best option for learning - it’s the moderation thing - we need a balanced diet to be healthy. #saskedchat
A5: Collaboration is ineffective when teachers are trying to learn about the individual students in the classroom. When collaboration occurs too often, it makes assessment more difficult! We need to create a balance! #saskedchat
It’s taking these things and having them happen during the day - allowing schools to be open for learning to the community - adjusting how we view learning and who takes part in learning during the day. #saskedchat
A5. I don't think it is a question of appropriateness or effectiveness but rather of balance. Not all assignments are intended to be independent nor collaborative. Each student should show a balance of learning in many formats. Individualism is good too. #saskedchat
A4: A collaborative classroom will look, sound, and feel different anywhere you go -- It's important to provide the support for students to explore and question what they are seeing, hearing and feeling in a collaborative setting. Learn to trust it, and grow thru it. #SaskEdChat
A5: It's also important to keep in mind that, while learning to collaborate is an essential skill, some students' personalities or learning preferences are to work by themselves. Remember those InTRApersonal learners. #saskedchat
A5 - I’m going to suggest that collaboration is more a part of the whole learning opportunity package - collaboration, individual learning, partner - all are part of the learning environment working to solve a problem or complete a goal. #saskedchat
I believe that there is always something to be learned from another. A student's learning journey is not defined by what they can do on their own but the steps that they take to get there. However, you're right! Deciding the "best" means of doing that is important #saskedchat
Again, I'd be willing to see that within limits - I want our resources to be available to our students during the hours we've told them to be in our building. #saskedchat
A6: Teachers can assess students' work while they are collaborating by having frequent conversations! Students may like to work with others, but also like to explain all of the work, ideas, and amount of effort they contributed! Self-reflections are also a great tool #saskedchat
Learning is a social activity but it isn’t ‘always’ involving others in the immediate situation. We learn from others but need time to do things ourselves - that’s how mastery develops. It involves a constant back and forth between the individual and the group. #saskedchat
A6 - Collaborating allows each individual student to show others their true passions and strengths! Difference should be celebrated as students collaborate with one another! #saskedchat
A6: If you have assessment that considers the process in addition to the product, then you can still individualize the mark that students receive, even if the final product is combined.
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A7. All students can learn for each other, all students are included and all students are sharing ideas. Therefore everyone is taking part and all needs are met! #saskedchat
A7. And now we have arrived at the entire reason for allowing Ss to work at their own pace... they can collect together and answer their own learning needs with our guidance and independence where it is allowed.. and encouraged. This chat came full circle. Well done. #saskedchat
A7:Allows for Ss to play to their strengths/get assistance with areas in which they struggle. Perhaps a group member will scribe for someone who isn't a strong writer? Maybe having a discussion is easier than answering questions on your own? Many possibilities for DI #saskedchat
A5: We don't need to collaborate all the time -- it can be ineffective or inappropriate if it's used in situations that aren't intended to be collaborative. Individual students want to be heard, to show you their ideas, and work. Learning to find the balance is key.#SaskEdChat
A7: Again, if collaboration recognizes students' strengths, in all their varieties, then collaborative learning can be *planned* to take advantage of the diversity in each classroom. Not everyone has to be good at everything, then.
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A7: Collaboration can be a great way to incorporate multiple intelligences! Meeting diverse needs through collaboration is also dependent on the activity! Allowing students to work with peers similar to them can help them feel accepted! #saskedchat
I recommend reading Cal Newport’s book So Good They Can’t Ignore You - It’s developing skills through the back and forth between individual practice and development and feedback from a group. #saskedchat
