PROFESSIONAL
Spotlight
Why Try a Global Collaborative Project?
For insight on the value of integrating global collaborative projects into your teaching, Technology Turning Points interviewed two teachers from Ontario, Canada, who have been working together on these endeavors for about six years. Mali Bickley and Jim Carleton have won numerous awards including ECCO's Teaching with Technology Award. They were keynote speakers at NECC in 2008.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): What prompted you to try your first global collaborative project?
Mali Bickley: I saw how engaging they were for the kids and how they really met the needs of the curriculum in a novel, creative, and meaningful way. The kids were enthusiastic and really felt they were making a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.
Jim Carleton: Another teacher in our building asked if my students wanted to partner with her students on creating a Web site about our local community. I went for it, and for the first time in years, I was truly collaborating with others, learning new technologies as we went along, and starting to see the potential for changing the way we teach and learn.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): What were the biggest challenges you faced when you first started?
Mali Bickley: Time. Having parents understand that we were still covering curriculum. And a lack of resources.
Jim Carleton: It takes more time and energy to teach this way. However, it is way more energizing!
Technology Turning Points (TTP): What are some of the most helpful tools you now use to meet those challenges?
Mali Bickley: The ability to use web and video conferencing, wikis and other Web 2.0 tools to plan has created global Professional Learning Communities where we build projects together. That has been truly amazing. We tell people that teaching in this way takes more energy, but it's definitely more energizing. I would have quit teaching by now if not for this shift in how I teach.
Jim Carleton: Initially, the tools we used were all asynchronous—Web sites and videos—and were time consuming, somewhat difficult to use, and relatively expensive to produce. Now, with the Web 2.0 stuff that is out there, these tools are much more available, easy to use, and inexpensive. What used to take us hours (and require a fair amount of technical expertise) can now be done by almost anyone, with minimal skills, and in no time.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): Why would you recommend that other Computer Education teachers try one of these projects if they haven't already?
Mali Bickley: Kids are using these tools at home to form relationships...instant messaging, social networking, video and music sharing. We need to model how to use these tools in a meaningful and respectful way, while integrating them into the curriculum. Also, the projects are engaging, and really make a difference in peoples' lives. To actually learn from students from a variety of countries and cultures fosters understanding and tolerance, and it essentially creates a classroom without borders.
Jim Carleton: It brings the curriculum to life. It allows students to use tools and learning styles that are native to them. Students take much more ownership/leadership in these projects. Global collaborative projects engage students in real, meaningful, and purposeful ways and allow them to connect, collaborate, and engage with others within their communities, their country, and around the world. They help students become responsible and literate citizens in the 21st century.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): How do you monitor student behavior to ensure proper digital citizenship?
Mali Bickley: I model it. We talk about it a lot and use the occasional "situation" as a teachable moment. They want to be using the technology in their daily work, so it hasn't been an issue. They know if there is inappropriate use, they will have their privileges taken away.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): How do you go about finding and selecting a classroom to collaborate with?
Mali Bickley: I use iEARN, CAPspace, and Rock Our World. There is quite a network of teachers out there who are interested in collaborations, so now it's a matter of being selective in the projects that we do.
Jim Carleton: I will just add that TakingITGlobal.com is another great partner.
Technology Turning Points (TTP): How do you celebrate student achievement in a collaborative project?
Mali Bickley: There is always a final live connection at the completion of a project to have the students share their work. Showcasing their work is a really important part of the celebration.
Jim Carleton: The beauty of a lot of this work is that it is visible for others to see. They get recognized for their efforts from the feedback they receive from others all over the world. This is much more powerful than any feedback you can give them as a teacher. They care what their global peers think of their work.
