Collaboration

='G' is for 'GLOBAL' (TISGopedia 'G' is for 'GLOBAL') =

//"From an acorn an oak tree grows"//

 Collaborative activities can start small, initially within the classroom and then extend to activities with local or global schools. To get started, the teacher must first get connected using common Web 2.0 tools. Next, choose short activities that develop basic Web 2.0 skills and digital citizenship.

 When you begin collaboration, start small, be organised and have clear aims and structures. In addition, monitor student participation, be involved in the activity along with the students and provide feedback.  Begin with accessible, short-term interactions. More complex activities require more extensive planning, skills and an extended time-frame.

 It is important to embed the activity into the curriculum and to use this opportunity to deliver the ITGS curriculum/syllabus. Collaboration activities or projects should be seen as an integral part of the curriculum, in other words use the technology to teach the ITGS concepts.

 **Collaboration and Local/Global considerations**
 * Local: Collaborators who are geographically closer provide more opportunity for synchronous communication and often cultural and linguistic differences can be minimized.
 * Global: Collaborators who are geographically dispersed (eg cultural and linguistic differences or different time-zones) require more of an asynchronous approach. However, it is possible for collaborators to be in the same time-zone offering synchronous communication, but geographically distant with cultural and linguistic differences.

Easy Steps to Start Global Collaboration in the Classroom
**Part A: Preparing yourself and your class for collaboration**
 * 1) Teacher Connectivity: Establishing a Personal Learning Network (PLN)
 * Where to get information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to find and connect to other people
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">How to be a contributor / have a presence on the web
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Essential objectives: start-up RSS page, social bookmarking, blog, wiki, educational networking, back-channeling, document creation
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Essential tools: Netvibes or Google Reader; Delicious or Diigo; Edublogs, blogger.com, Wikispaces, PBWiki; Ning; Todays Meet, Tiny Chat; Google Docs
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student connectivity
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where to get information: RSS, social bookmarking
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Establish preferred classroom tools for connection, collaboration and contribution: eg wiki-centric class, blog, Google apps.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teach digital citizenship - what it means to be a reliable and responsible and ethical online learner and collaborator including:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Educational networking practice vs social networking - avatar development, setting up a profile online, what and when to post, customisation of online space
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Communication with 'others' online vs face to face (guidelines for best practice) - reliability, cultural sensitivity, gender issues, language differences, appropriateness and awareness of context
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Copyright, Intellectual Property and fair use, creative commons
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Managing an online presence

**Part B: How to start and finish a local/global collaboration**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Find a reliable partner and be prepared to be a reliable partner.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Discuss technology and access issues with your network administrator.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">With your partner, determine the purpose of collaboration and establish a timeline
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Create a precise description of the activity. (ITGS topic or area) including outcomes and scope.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Establish clear expectations for students and teachers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Agree on a timeline
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Determine the toolset: eg wiki, blog, Ning, Google apps
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Design assessment(s) if applicable

Tools and Activitites
Within a classroom, the following web 2.0 tools are the building blocks toward collaboration. These could include:
 * 1) Social Bookmarking: //[]// created by Jeff Ratliff
 * 2) RSS Feeds
 * 3) Blogs: [] and []

A class wiki could be setup to allow students to contribute a collaborative environment.
 * **Class Wiki ............................................................................ ** || **Teacher .................................................................. ** || **School**
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|http://www.ruthtrumpold.id.au/itgswiki/pmwiki.php] // || =====//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ruth Trumpold //===== || //Unknown// ||
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://bsge-itgs.wikispaces.com/ //
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://bsge-itgs.wikispaces.com/ //

|| //Madeline Brownstone// || //Unknown// || //Unknown// || //James Bowie High School// ||
 * //[]// || //Alan Perkins// || //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ACS Egham // ||
 * =====//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|http://armsitgs.wetpaint.com/] //===== || ===== =====
 * =====//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://itgs.wikispaces.com/ //===== || =====//Julie Lindsay//===== || //Beijing BISS International School// ||
 * =====//http://isbeijingitgs.wikispaces.com///===== || =====//Thomas Galvez//===== || //International School of Beijing// ||
 * //http://itgsatwab.wikispaces.com/// || //Madeleine Brookes// || //Western Academy Beijing// ||
 * //http://kristin-itgs.wikispaces.com// || //Andrew Churches// || //Kristin School// ||
 * //http://insideitgs.wikispaces.com// || //Julie Lindsay & Madeleine Brookes// || Inside ITGS - classrooms collaborating globally ||

Google doc spreadsheet for ITGS terminology where one student is the manager of a worksheet related to a topic in Strand 3: IT systems eg 3.7 Databases
 * Google docs** can be used to create a single document to allow student to create class resources. These could include:


 * Google doc word processing** can be used by students to analyze a current news article according to the assessment criteria for Paper 2. The Google doc file was then exported as a Word document.


 * Google doc word processing** can also be used by students to collaborate in creating model responses to extended response (part c) on Paper 1 questions.


 * <span class="wiki_link">Backchanneling ** can be used for students to collaborate while another activity is going on in a classroom. This allows students to interact without disrupting the flow of the main activity. For example, backchanneling can be used for student to record questions and comments during a longer video or presentation (see Collaboration Backchanneling Activity).

[|Diigo] || Individual and shared online bookmarks. Includes annotations, groups, networking, tagging. Example: Students who are researching the same topic can create a shared list of bookmarks so they all have access to the same and advantages of annotations and networking opportunities. || [|Google Reader] || Enables information from chosen websites to be 'fed' into a personal online space. Example: Students who are engaged in ongoing research on a topic have essential resources fed into their RSS start-up page or reader. || [|Edublogs] || A personal or group log/journal usually written chronologically. Allows comments, tagging, RSS, and embedded multimedia. Example: An individual student process journal e.g for the ITGS project; class blog for personal responses and comments on recent news items, class discussions or group projects. || [|PB Works] || A collaborative web site for individual or group authoring and sharing. Allows discussion, embedded multimedia, RSS, and tagging. Example: Classroom learning platform to share lesson outlines, assignments, resources, student collaborations, and discussions. || Example: Classroom learning platform but different to a wiki because it resembles a tool such as facebook allowing personal profiles and a variety of connections between members. || [|Tiny Chat] || Can be used for students to collaborate while another activity is going on in a classroom. This allows students to interact without disrupting the flow of the main activity. Example: Can be used for students to record questions and comments during a longer video or presentation. See Activity X || Examples: - Uploading or starting a presentation (Powerpoint) file and editing collaboratively; - Use spreadsheet for ITGS terminology where one student is the manager of a worksheet related to a topic in Strand 3: IT systems eg 3.7 Databases - Use word processing to analyze a current news article according to the assessment criteria for Paper 2. The Google doc file can be exported as a Word document. - Word processing can also be used by students to collaborate in creating model responses to extended response (part c) on Paper 1 questions. || Further resources to explore more Web 2.0 tools:
 * **Generic Tool** || **Specific Resource** || **Example of Use** ||
 * Social Bookmarking || [|Delicious]
 * RSS || [|Netvibes]
 * Blog || [|Blogger]
 * Wiki || Wikispaces
 * Educational Networking || [|Ning] || Easy and intuitive platform for an interactive learning community. Allows individual profiles, discussion, forum, blogging, uploading multimedia and groups.
 * Back-channeling || [|Todays Meet]
 * Document creation || [|Google Docs] || Collaborative creation and editing of text, spreadsheet and presentation files. Useful for synchronous editing.
 * Cool Tools for Schools
 * [|Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009]

Longer Activities
RSS Wiki Google Docs (optional) || Wiki ||
 * **Name of Activity** || **Tools** ||
 * <span class="wiki_link_new">Comparative Study of Piracy in Country A and Country B || Social bookmarking
 * Digital Divide (google forms, wiki for school resources) || Google Docs/Forms
 * Case Study Wiki (examples Case Study 2009 and Case Study 2010) || Wiki ||

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">// Page Manager: Julie Lindsay //