| On-Line PLC Opens New Gateways to Learning! | |
| Author: Angela Kahle-Mendoza | February 11th, 2014 | |
 Taking your first online course with many people that you don’t know can seem like a frightening task. As I waited for the clock to reach 5:55, my login time, I could feel the sweat beading on my brow and my hands were becoming clammier by the second. Although I had spent several years speaking in front of students and adults, this was a whole new frontier. All of a sudden, I was the student again. All I could hear was my pulse in my ears as I stared at the screen in front of me and read, A.A.L.F. - “We’ve Got Laptops, Now What?! – Foundations for Success.”Six o’clock came and I watched as a myriad of students appeared from all over the world! I was really surprised to see someone from New Zealand! At 6 p.m. our time, it would have been 1 pm the NEXT day for them! It was proof positive to me that anyone can really learn anywhere at anytime with the technology that is available to us today. Our session moderator, Karen Ward, allowed us all to introduce ourselves through the Elluminate chat function and give a brief description of what we do in our schools. The responses were widely varied and our different backgrounds added real depth to our discussions in the following weeks. After the first two sessions, we were divided into Professional Learning Groups and given a specific task to complete. Each A.A.L.F. PLC would “meet” and share in the creation of a usable project guided by an Essential Question. My PLC chose to set up a Google platform where students could break down the barrier walls of the classroom and give or receive peer editing reviews across schools, districts and even states. Our Essential Question: How do we provide students the opportunity to create evidence of their knowledge through collaboration that promotes rigor and enriches engaged learning? As a Technology Coach in a High School, my job entails helping teachers find useful ways to integrate technology into the curriculum. Sometimes this means doing whole-class lessons with the teacher. It was in this manner that I was able to participate in my AALF PLC project. Four classrooms offered to be part of my study. It was my first attempt, but with the collaboration of my online PLC through A.A.L.F., it proved to be a success. Classroom #1: This classroom decided to show evidence of their knowledge through daily “exit tickets.” A target to be achieved was written daily on the board. Each student used Google Blogger to respond to the exit question presented by the teacher. The teacher then commented on their responses, giving them immediate feedback. The teacher was well-equipped to then make plans for interventions to be used the next day. In this particular case, the collaboration was between the teacher and student. Classroom #2: This classroom opted for Google Docs as the means of communication with each other. Each student was paired with a partner and each of them created a poem according to the lesson the teacher had presented. Google Docs were shared between the two students and the teacher, a 3-stranded cord. The two students then peer edited their works and the teacher was able to comment directly on their submissions. The levels of engagement in this classroom were clearly visible and totally electrifying! Students were excited about coming to class the next day! Many questioned the teacher if it were “cheating” if they went ahead and edited their peers papers online at home that night. Wow! These kids WANTED to do homework! Classroom #3: The Science classroom was involved deeply in creating the Nitrogen Cycle in small groups using Google Drawing and Google Docs. Again, students shared among each other and with the teacher and received great feedback, however, this time, sharing went beyond their own classroom. Students in other classroom sections were able to be part of a group. They did not need to be in the same class at the same time. This opened up the possibilities for greater collaboration and a sense of freedom for the students to choose from a wider group of student partners. Excitement was palpable in the this classroom as students shared within the class what their “extended” group partners were contributing to their projects. After these three groups completed their “test” projects with me, all three decided to continue for the rest of the year in this manner. Each teacher came up with some very unique ways to expand on what we had just completed and are ready to implement them immediately. I would definitely call that a success! My last online class came and my PLC shared our project results. We had all worked online together, created our plans and presented them to our classes, and then presented during the online course. What I didn’t expect was how deeply ingrained this essential question of collaboration and promoting rigor had become in myself in only a few weeks. My desire to continue this PLC project has only increased. I am now getting ready for Classroom #4 and Classroom #5. These two groups will collaborate outside our school walls! Peer editing and peer writing will take place with students in other school districts by using Google Docs. Having this free online tool that helps students collaborate has given us unlimited advantages as teachers. We need no money, no extra supplies, just our 1:1 technology and students willing to think outside the box. Well, let me tell you, to these kids, that’s a breath of fresh air! Taking my first AALF 1:1 online class was at first a little daunting. However, after seeing what could be done by having the support of other like-minded professionals, I am positive this online class will not be my last! I am continuing to teach other teachers about collaboration and using the 1:1 technology to build communities of learning in their classrooms and just this week, we started our own PLC for 1:1 technology in my school! Who knows what’s next! |
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